OKEHAMPTON RFC will be aiming to rediscover their winning touch this Saturday when Winscombe are their South West Two guests.

Back-to-back defeats by leaders Weston-super-Mare and Wadebridge Camels have stalled Okey’s momentum after only losing twice in their first nine games.

Although Winscombe are second in the table they are not invincible, as lowly Teignmouth showed by beating them two rounds ago.

And the narrow nature of the defeats by Weston (26-21) and Wadebridge (31-28) suggest there is not much wrong at Okehampton.

Keeping 15 men on the park might help as Okey suffered two sin-binnings at Wadebridge, which did them no favours.

Okehampton trailed 21-14 at half time at Wadebridge and were 31-21 behind when the final play was called. Rob Fishleigh’s last-minute try was worth two bonus points, which meant the day was not a write off.

Leon Horn (2) and Saul Holliday were the other try scorers. Kicking machine Luke Simmons, who has only missed one league conversion all season, was four from four off the tee.

After this weekend’s action, Okehampton sit fifth in their division on 35 points, two more than Ivybridge who have a game in hand but one less than Wadebridge.

Weston-super-Mare may be running away with it having won all 11 of their games to date but beyond them, all is still to play for. 19 points separate Tiverton in second and Teignmouth RFC down in 10th.

Former British Lions and England prop Julian White will be the guest speaker at a pre-match lunch prior to the game against Winscombe.

White played for Okehampton before embarking on a professional career that took him to Plymouth Albion, Bristol and finally Leicester Tigers.

White appeared 51 times for England (2001-09) and played in three Tests for the Lions against New Zealand in 2005.

TAVISTOCK RFC

TAVISTOCK have now gone three games without a win in Devon One following a 26-0 reversal away to Crediton 2nd XV.

The Moorlanders were seventh in the table on 16 points after defeating OPM 19-15 the last time they won. No points have been earned since on the way down to third from bottom in a table of 12.

That being said, Ivybridge IIs are on seven points and Dartmouth have just one to their name so it should hopefully be a case of looking forward and not backwards, over their shoulder at the dropzone.

It hasn’t helped Tavistock’s cause that they have had three away games in a row since beating OPM. Travel fatigue was probably a factor in being one replacement short against Crediton.

Leigh Puttock, the Tavistock coach, said the scoreline was not an accurate reflection of a match that produced a number of positives.

“We battered their line for huge periods of the game, but the thing we lacked was the confidence to finish,” said Puttock.

“Credit to Crediton, who soaked up our pressure and hit us mainly on the break.

“After three weeks on the road, with the wrong kind of selection headaches, confidence is low — and that’s on me to sort out.”

Tavistock are at home this Saturday to promotion chasers Bideford.

NORTH TAWTON RFC

Lastly, North Tawton RFC were scheduled to visit Newton Abbot Spartans at Rackerhayes but a waterlogged pitch forced a postponement of that fixture.

They will welcome New Cross to Taw Meadow this weekend.