South West one (West)

Okehampton 31

Launceston 13

THIS long awaited clash did not disappoint, as a crowd of more than 600 gathered to see the top two sides slug it out.

The age old rivals were able to bring support in droves. This was the long awaited return clash between first and second in the league, Launceston looking to avenge a home defeat earlier in the season and to extend their lead at the summit. Okes however, were looking to reduce the deficit and erase the previous week’s performance from the memory... they did both in some style.

The front pitch was in fine fettle, and the crowd was the biggest seen at the Showground for some years. It was the Cornish visitors who started the brighter; while the ‘Cornish All Blacks’ set scrum caused the Okes plenty of early problems. In the third minute, a scrummage  disruption earned the All Black’s pack a penalty which was successfully dispatched by outside-half Glenn Coles. 

The Okes were on the back foot in the first ten minutes, unable to supply ball to their threatening backline and initially struggling to escape the confines of their own half. 

After 15 minutes the home side suddenly sprang into life as the Okes turned over possession and countered sharply, initiated via a sharp break from fly half Dan Fogerty. He fed half back partner Joey Bruce and the Okes number nine stepped past the last line of defence to cross for the their opening score. Richie Friend landed a solid conversion and the hosts were up and running.

Home confidence was visibly restored by this fine try and home vocal support was raised several decibels at the same time.

The visitors were keen to turn the screw at scrum time, backed up by an effective kicking game, particularly via visiting scrum half Colling’s boot.

Entering the second quarter, Launceston attacked blind after another strong scrum, Oke’s scrambling defence eventually conceded a close range penalty. The visitors opted for the set scrum and drove the Okes back over their own try line to plunder their first try, and regain the lead after Cole’s excellent kick from wide out made it 10-7 to the visitors.

The match was already turning into an open, end to end classic encounter. A penalty allowed the Okes to punt close to the Launceston 22 and a home line-out ensued. Gareth Evans threw the line-out ball short catching the visitors by surprise. The ball was taken by home captain Tom McGrattan and the Oke number eight threw a sweet dummy towards Evans before setting off towards the try line — he caused havoc in the Cornish All Blacks’ defence, racing over to restore the host’s lead and bringing the home crowd to its feet once more. Friend was again successful with the extras to make it 14-10 on the half hour mark. 

Back and forth this ding-dong encounter continued. A set scrum and another Launceston penalty soon arose as a result, and it was left to fly half Coles to make it a one point ball game with another three point effort for the visitors.

True to form the Okes came back once more but unfortunately for them winger Luke Honeychurch was injured and he was replaced by Kieran Lee. As the match entered the last five minutes of  a breathless first half, the home side’s pack began to assert itself, as the Okes camped in clubhouse corner after a succession of penalty awards. Somehow the visitors resisted the Okes’ initial efforts, but their respite was an all too brief one. Further waves of Oke attacks finally created the opening. Hooker Gareth Evans made early inroads and when the ball reached Tom McGrattan in the wide channels, he produced a sublime offload to  send replacement wing Kieran Lee scooting over in front of the clubhouse for the Okes’ third try; Richie Friend converted from near the touchline to put the Okes 21-13 ahead at half-time.

The Okes knew the All Blacks would come out firing as they sought an early score. Brad Curtis entered the fray to replace Karl Pearce in the row and the home side were forced to defend resolutely as the visiting pack asserted early pressure.

The home side conceded an early penalty, but Coles erred right. The hosts regrouped and little seemed on as they obtained possession at a set scrum; as the scrum wheeled right, the Okes demonstrated their clinical attacking edge with an incisive move up the short side. Number eight Tom McGrattan picked up and a sharp one, two, three ensued as the skipper fed scrum half Joey Bruce hit the line at pace before locating winger Kieran Lee on his outside who touched down for a try bonus point at 26-13.

The visitors came again. However a combination of errors and staunch home defence, with Bevon Armitage and Sam Turner particularly prominent throughout, allowed the Okes to commence the third quarter with their 13 point advantage fully intact.

The match was now into its last ten minutes and the action showed no sign of abating, both teams continuing to give it their all in defence and offence alike. 

It was only fitting that the finale lived up to the oval ball feast that had preceded, and the Okes provided it with a sweet final score to seal an impressive victory.

A clearing kick was fielded by Bevon Armitage, who fed fellow player coach Gareth Evans and the hooker set off on a rampaging run taking play deep into the Launceston 22. Seeking support, he found the ever willing Kieran Lee on his right shoulder and the wingman raced over for the Okes’ fifth try, sending the home crowd into raptures. Surprisingly the conversion came back off an upright but it mattered little. The match was now won.

However, in the dying seconds Launceston eplacement Dan Pearce picked off a loose pass and set off from his own 22 on a seemingly inevitably successful journey to the Oke try line. Oke centre Rhys Palmer set off in hot pursuit, and somehow reeled in the flying winger with a superb last gasp cover tackle right in front of a clubhouse corner crowd looking on in admiration and astonishment. Despite a late yellow for Armitage there was no taking the gloss off the occasion when the final whistle soon followed, rounding off a memorable day for all involved at ORFC.

All 18 Okes players contributed to a fine victory over the league leaders, themselves a side that fully played its part in this enthralling encounter.

For Okehampton RFC it was great day and the Okes can be rightly proud of doing the double over their main challengers for the title.