TAVISTOCK RFC came back 10-0 down at half-time to beat Devon One rivals OPMs 19-15 in a tight match at Sandy Park.

A Kallan Malone try and a conversion and penalty from the impressive Fred Smale put OPMs 10-0 ahead, but Tavistock upped their performance after the interval and outscored their visitors three tries to one in the second 40 minutes.

Ollie Plummer scored two tries for the hosts, with veteran Andrew Schuttkacker also touching down for them, while Will Varley scored OPM’s only second-half try.

“They were 10-0 up at half-time,” said Tavistock head coach Leigh Puttock.

“We have to address that we regularly start very slow.

“But I love the fact the guys aren’t satisfied with a poor half, and they did address it at half-time. I think we are a team maturing.”

Puttock said Schuttkacker and fly-half Chris Watts were joint men of the match. But they did not do it all.

“Equally, we were pleased to see the likes of Josh O’Neill coming back,” said Puttock. "He had to move up to start and ended up giving an assist for one of our tries. He was fantastic considering it was his first game back in a few years. He was awesome in the scrum.

“Harry Ball also made his first team return after his broken jaw against Launceston in pre-season. It was a big moment for him.

“We were really pleased, especially as we had a lot of players out with injuries."

This win, a third of the season, has Tavistock in seventh place currently, three wins and three defeats giving them 16 points to date.

OPM are ninth meanwhile on 13 points, ahead of the triumvirate of Crediton 2nd XV, Dartmouth and Ivybridge 2nd XV.

At the other end of the division, there are a quartet of teams to have won five and lost one from six.

Leading the way, on 27 points, are Devonport Services IIs, with Topsham IIs (26 points), Exeter Saracens (25) and Bideford (25) all hot on their tail.

Tavistock RFC 1st XV have no game this coming Saturday.

Photography by Chris Cottrell.