Wadebridge U15s 7

Tavistock U15s 12

THIS was a pulsating end to end encounter with Tavistock bristling with sharp reactions and strong rucking.

Wadebridge deserved their converted try with concerted pressure against the prevailing wind if not the run of play.

Tavistock came back strongly and Jay darted nimbly in at the corner.

The visitors' front five played out of their skins in scrum and ruck while the line-out was also superior.

In the loose there was some really entertaining play and Tavistock defended their line superbly, with forwards putting in last ditch tackles, counter rucking and winning the ball.

It seemed in spite of a Herculean effort from Tavistock it looked as though this was a narrow home win. However in a final twist following wave after wave of fine handling Matt carried the ball over the line to win the match.

Player of the match was Tom for a never say die attitude but it was difficult to single out one player as so many made this a great advert for rugby .

Okehampton U15s 5

Bideford U15s 38

ON their second successive visit to North Devon, Okehampton came away with another defeat.

It was quickly apparent that Oke were going to struggle to contain their heavyweight opposition. The first period saw a lot of interchange between the two teams, but Oke simply could not string together any good possession turning the ball over time and again through handling errors.

Bideford's forwards also attacked the rucks, using their weight and determination to regularly turn the ball over, finally breaking the deadlock 

Fifteen into the match they ran in the first of their two tries of the half.

The second half saw the same mistakes being repeated and Bideford continued to punish the visitors running in a further four tries, all directly under the posts. It could easily have been a lot worse for Oke had it not been for some fierce defensive tackling by Luke Shinn and Freddie Fishley.

Pat Ewen managed a consolation try for Oke late in the second half.

Okehampton U14s 0

Ivybridge U14s 26

ALTHOUGH the score line suggests an easy win for the visitors this was not the case.

Okehampton took the game to Ivybridge with some good pick and drives and were unlucky not to score.

It was well into the first half before Ivybridge had some good ball which released their well drilled backs to score first. Good tackling from Harry Elliot, Daniel Thorne and William James kept the visitors at bay.  

Ivybridge's strength was in their backs and they had a clear game plan of spreading it wide and this paid dividends as they ran in three tries.

All the Okehampton players must take pride in their performance, they never gave up and played with commitment and spirit. Exemplified by captain Joe Mawle, Jack Dickinson and Daniel Van Staden. The positive way in which the Okehampton lads played was also committed on by the Ivybridge coach.

Tavistock U13s 24

Wadebridge Camels U13s 24

WADEBRIDGE's number four combined size, speed and aggression and only desperate defence on the line by Finn, Jack and Max saved the try for a 22 drop out. Minutes later he was back from the foot of a scrum on halfway, this time he went over.

Tavistock's reply was immediate. Excellent rucking against a heavier pack delivered clean ball after the restart, with Al running in under the posts and making the conversion. Following a conceded penalty against Tavistock Jake went off the pitch with an injured wrist. Another crunching run by Camel's number number saw his second try.

Superb rucking rugby and solid hard work in both scrum and lineout from Tavistock's forwards presented their agile backs with all they needed to reply. Finn ran in a great solo try in the corner, superbly converted by Al. Straight running attacks and pinpoint passing from Al, Ed, Joe, Ben, Jack and Reuben saw Max in under the posts and another seven points on the board. Only the Camels stalwart defence held the score as Tavistock went in 19-12 at half-time.

Both teams came back out fighting with the Camels star player scoring another try to even the score. Tavistock held off the wave of attacks with great defensive play - eventually succumbing to another try and penalty.

Tavistock kept their heads up and took control of the last 10 minutes by sheer team effort. When Morgan brilliantly salvaged a loose ball, Soul, Bailey, Jasper, Nathan and Max were immediately there in support. Al's jinking running saw him safely into the corner for his second to even the score.