Western Counties West

Devon Cup

Okehampton 25

Tavistock 7

THIS was a comfortable victory for the Okes in this local derby that never reached any great heights, mainly due to the appalling playing conditions.

This mudfest of a match doubled up as a cup and league encounter due to previous weather induced cancellations. A large crowd of ex-players, gathered for the annual ORFC reunion, were hoping for an entertaining game, but the weather, and particularly the state of the playing surface, put an end to any notions of an open thriller.

The hosts began against the elements of wind and incline, but nonetheless started the brighter. Player coach Gareth Evans was to the fore, as he would be all afternoon, in the early forward exchanges. It was the self-same powerful home number eight that opened the scoring after a mere three minutes of the match.

Sustained forward drives by the Oke pack created momentum. Evans slipped off the side of a maul and stepped nicely to cross the whitewash for an early 5-0 lead. Full back Gary Sizmur missed the extras in difficult sticky conditions, but Oke were already looking hungry.

To Tavistock's credit they slowly rose to meet the challenge that the Okes had laid down in the first quarter. After a couple of close driving Oke efforts that nearly brought scores, the visitors slowly gained a foothold as the game became more and more error strewn.

Conditions were increasingly difficult and both sides both now appeared to be wearing matching brown kits. It was in fact slightly against the run of play when Oke did extend their lead. Full back Gary Sizmur created and finished the score himself, chipping and chasing successfully at the end of an excellent individual counter attack.

The conversion was again astray, as all Oke's efforts would be all afternoon.

As the match approached the interval Tavistock produced their only score of the afternoon. Oke failed to escape their own 22 yard line and the visitors drove forcefully from a driven lineout. Okehampton failed to stop the increasing momentum, and visiting hooker Ryan Bragg crossed for a try converted by out half Richard Goldsby-West. So at the break Oke were only 10-7 ahead.

In the second half, however, as conditions worsened, and with Tavistock seeing two players sent to the sin bin at different times during the half, Oke were never in any real danger of losing. It did take 15 minutes for the increasingly dominant Okes' scrum to make its mark though. Gaz Evans was the beneficiary of a pushover try after a series of five metre scrums.

Later in the half, another almost carbon copy effort saw the player coach get his first hat trick for the club and extend the lead to 20-7, bringing a four try bonus point for good measure.

Visiting full back Dan Luffman produce a try saving cover tackle to deny home fly half Gareth Espin in one of few decent handling moves, before the Okes killed the game completely after 70 minutes.

Left winger Lewis Taylor had a try disallowed for foot in touch, but from the resultant lineout lively home hooker Chris Knott poured though to gather the loose ball and score his first try for the first team.

There was little time left, and little rugby of note either, as the Okes comfortably saw the remainder of the match out to record a valuable victory.