South West one

Bridgwater first XV 17

Okehampton first XV 35

ITS been close but ’no cigar’ for the Okes recently; Cubans abounded though after this consummate display to see off mid table Bridgwater.

It is four league victories out of four now, albeit over a period of 25 years, for the Maroon and Ambers against Saturday’s hosts. This one was as sweet as any, though, as the Okes finally got the narrow recent defeats out of their system in some style.

It was nippy, dry and reasonably firm underfoot at kick-off as the Okes set out on their latest challenge; a first ever trip to the excellent facilities at Bath Road. Conditions were definitely more to Okehampton’s liking than last weeks’ home mud fest, and the players responded by producing an awesome display, particularly in the second forty. A late change saw second team skipper Gary Sizmur into the side at full back while Joey Bruce was on the bench.

The Okes started at full tilt and dominated the early exchanges without obtaining the scores their structured build up play merited. Bridgwater barely left their own half as Okes returned any relieving kicks with interest, while also surging forward through powerful charges both around the fringes and through midfield.

The visitors were moving the ball nicely through the hands and good interplay created several openings before the first score arrived in ten minutes. A penalty was kicked into the home twenty two, after a decent drive and a couple of charges, the ball was moved left into midfield where second rower Neil Perrott cut a sweet line clean through the home defence to cross beside the uprights. Tom Powell landed the conversion and Okes had the early advantage.

The next quarter of an hour was a scrappy one as the play became largely bogged down in midfield as the handling errors increased on both sides. The home scrum had a slight ascendancy at this point and Oke’s scrums became disrupted by the hosts. Albion rarely threatened though, and once more it took an unnecessary Oke error to let the opposition back in to the match.

Fielding the ball in their own twenty two, Oke decided to counter rather than clear. Space opened up down the left flank but the Okes’ pass went to ground and was hacked on by the home wingman. Oke seemed favourites to ground the ball as it crossed the tryline, but they made a hash of it, allowing home winger Tregenna to benefit with the match leveling score.

Okehampton responded and continued to press, the tactical kicking of fly half Rhys Palmer putting the hosts on the back foot territorially. After 30 minutes the hosts outside centre saw yellow for persistent infringement, but Tom Powell was wide with the resultant penalty chance as Oke failed to regain the lead.

Oke’s discipline was much improved on last week as their overall penalty count dropped dramatically. However, two consecutive infringements within five minutes of the interval allowed home fly half Heal to pop over a simple goal to give the hosts a narrow lead against the run of play.

Okes came again before the break and another penalty award saw the opportunity to level the scores turned down in favour of a kick to the corner, the Okes’ lineout being much improved this week as the Evans/McGrattan combo was restored effectively. A clean catch saw the Okes drive toward the home line, the hosts failed to repel the onrushing maul as backs also joined in allowing scrum half Richie Friend to emerge from the successful pile-up to restore the visitors lead right on the interval. Gary Sizmur took over kicking duties and duly slotted the extras to make it 14-10 to the Okes at the break.

The visitors went on to dominate the second period with one of their most impressive team displays of the season. Bridgwater only entered the Okes’ half for six minutes out of the entire second 40 as a fluency and pace entered the visitors’ game that the hosts found impossible to deal with defensively.

Even so, it was the home side that actually scored next to retake the lead with an interception pass that did for the Okes, this time only five minutes into the second half when there appeared no danger. The gift was gleefully accepted by home centre Plummer. who cantered over to regain the lead after Heal’s conversion made it 17-14. That was as good as it got for the home side though; Oke made changes bringing Joey Bruce on at nine while moving Richie Friend to 12 and this brought fresh away impetus.

In the 50th minute Oke got their noses back in front via a try from Tom McGrattan. The Okes’ number eight, part of a superb all round back row effort on the day, crossed midway out on the stand side after several impressive phases of play. Oke scored the bonus point try minutes later. An absolute cracker it was too, as the whole team played its part in the build up. Stand off Rhys Palmer pulled the strings as Oke went from side to side through forwards and backs, stretching the home defence to breaking point. A significant charge from the powerful Chris Courtier created the chance for the ball to be slickly shipped right to find fellow flanker Dean Abrams as the man on the overlap; the young number seven scooted around to the posts to bring up the bonus point try and break home hearts simultaneously. Sizmur again converted and Oke were now 11 points up.

Okehampton were now also in the ascendancy at the set scrummage and spent long periods camped in the home 22, on several occasions marching their hosts backwards without ever quite breaking them.

The hosts tried to run the ball out from deep in their own half but were met with resolute defence by the Okes, eventually forcing a hopeful kick downfield.

The hosts did finally enter Oke territory after a rare missed tackle in midfield on 75 minutes, but Richie Friend was on hand with a vital turnover and Okes relieved the pressure before one last assault on the tiring home defence.

Oke killed the game off with another beaut of a try, as a length of the field move ended with another astute pass from Palmer finding the rampaging Chris Courtier who showed good pace, rounding the full back for good measure to score the Oke’s fifth try to cap off a superb afternoon for the boys in Maroon and Amber.

Gary Sizmur maintained his 100% success rate with the boot and it was game over at 35-17. The hosts sought a consolation try in the seconds that remained but the Okes manged to hold them up over the line as the final whistle sounded.

So finally the Okes can celebrate an away win, and a vital one against a fellow mid-table outfit. This was an excellent showing and in this kind of form the Okes can be  match for any side.