Devon Merit league

Tavistock seconds 70

Cullompton thirds 7

Playing their first game for three weeks, Tavistock seconds took control from the start and had three tries on the board in the opening ten minutes.

Centre Blake Smith, fullback Rob Hockin and number eight Pete Davis all touched down and with Credicott adding a conversion, for an early 17-0 lead.

Tavistock lost the influential Davis to injury shortly after his try. Cullompton then came more into the contest, without ever looking likely to score.

The home forwards started to dominate play in the loose, with flanker Tom Dawe and lock Lee Easton always prominent.  Skipper Will Tomkins and Blake Smith added two more tries before half-time, two more conversions from Credicott brought the interval score to 31-0.

Tavistock started the second half with a series of drives from the forwards and hooker Chris John burrowed his way over the try line within a minute of the restart.

The visitors defended stoutly for the next 20 minutes, but good handling moves from the backs saw Blake Smith notch his third try and Hockin his second.

The visitors hit back from the restart and with the Tavistock defence caught off guard, scored a deserved converted try. Tavistock then resumed control, but were unable to break down the spirited defence of the visitors again, until 10 minutes from the end, when Tom Dawe was on the end of another drive from the pack.

The wheels then fell off for the visitors and Tavistock scored three more tries in the last five minutes, two from replacement centre Ollie O'Reilly and a 50 metre run from Dawe, to cap a fine performance from him. Two more conversions brought the final score to 70-7.

This was a thoroughly deserved win for the home side, but all credit to Cullompton, who, despite the scoreline, put up stout resistance for all but the final few minutes.