Okehampton U16s 15

Brixham U16s 31

BRIXHAM totally dominated the first 25 minutes of this game and Okehampton struggled to get any possession.

The visitors scored three tries and led 19-0 and looked like they were running away with it, but to Okehampton's credit they started to win some possession and started to threaten Brixham.

After a series of pick and goes from rucks they managed to work their way to Brixham's try line and were unlucky not to score.

Brixham held out until half time to lead 19-0.

The second half was a more even contest and Brixham were the first to score a try. Okehampton worked their way back down the pitch to score a try after their fullback Dan Thorne scampered over from a quick tap penalty.

The momentum began to shift and Okehampton were getting stronger and scored again after a series of five metre scrums, when their number eight Jack Dickinson crashed over in the corner. Then after a clever kick through from their fly half Jack Raymond, Okehampton's winger managed to dribble it over the line and pounce on it to score.

Okehampton's come back was halted when Brixham scored again right at the end. That was a cruel end to the game and Okehampton were unlucky again to miss out on a losing bonus point.

Okehampton U15s 5

Ivybridge U15s 26

AFTER the festive break from competitive rugby, Okehampton finally got back to action against one of the county's traditionally stronger sides. As well as the expected rustiness Oke also had to contend with missing four key players, leaving them with one short of a full side.

Oke played with the slope on a muddy, but playable back pitch. They started brightly and it soon became clear this would be a mainly forwards based encounter.

It was on half way, during a good spell from the home side, that the visitors scored their first try. Okehampton dropped a loose pass and made the mistake of not playing to the whistle. Ivybridge hacked on, and went on to score a try to make it 7-0.

Despite some decent Oke spells, Ivybridge added two more tries out wide before the interval as the home side failed to clear their lines, and fan out sufficiently in defence.

Ivybridge stretched their lead to 26-0 five minutes into the second period before Oke finally came to life. The forwards began to pick up their game as the mud covered the pitch. Greg Daniel was rewarded with the consolation try which the Oke pack deserved after a quick tap and go from a penalty close in.

There were plenty of positives from the Okes though, among them another fine tackling performance from Jack Ogbourne and a strong effort in the second row from the rapidly improving Rioux Thomas.

Devon plate

Okehampton U14s 50

Newton Abbot U14s 0

OKEHAMPTON kicked-off this first round match and looked a little sleepy as they chased the ball.  Newton Abbot's forwards slipped through some weak tackling to start their first attack, but a knock-on gave Oke the chance to settle with their first scrum.  It was solid and the pack showed their opponents that they were taking no prisoners.

Tom Whitmarsh drove well to set up a ruck from which the ball came out along the back line smoothly and quickly to the wing, where a foot in touch denied what could have been an opening score. 

Okehampton began to find their rhythm and a strong attack saw the forwards punch a hold through Newton Abbot's defence and get the ball out to the backs where Jim Finley sprinted for the line but was felled two metres out only for Daichi Budiman to gather and dive over and score. 

Finley's conversion missed but his kicking throughout the game was excellent. 

From the kick-off Oke went on the charge immediately, passing cleanly and crisply and setting a precedent for the rest of the game. 

Newton Abbot still looked dangerous in attack, however, and in the next five minutes the visitors looked for a way through but Oke managed to keep the door shut — with George Harding in particular saving a certain try by flooring Newton Abbot's big winger with a crunching tackle. 

This seemed to mark a turning point and from this moment Okehampton turned up the heat.  Newton Abbot eventually cracked and Daichi intercepted to streak through and score his second.  The whole team was now working as a single unit, supporting each other, tackling hard and passing beautifully.  It was simple rugby but a joy to watch.  The next try came after Tom Stevens ran a good 50 metres before being forced into touch; Oke turned the ball over from the lineout and Nathan Tomkins, who played a superb game at fly half, collected to run powerfully through and score to give Oke a 15-0 lead.  Finley converted. 

From the kick-off Ollie Browne ran the ball back, dipping his shoulder to gain some vital yards.  Tom S gathered the ball and was unstoppable, cutting through the Newton Abbot defence to score between the posts.  Finley kicked the extra points to see Oke 24-0 up at half-time. 

The second half started with Newton Abbot on the offensive but their tenacity only galvanised Oke, who delivered the move of the game that saw Tom W pass to Nathan, who passed at the perfect moment to Tom S, who drove before passing to Finley, who crossed the line to score between the uprights.  His conversion made it 31-0. 

From the kick-off full back George H dinked and dodged tackles before releasing the ball to Noah Cracknell to streak in from halfway and score.  Jim's conversion made it 36-0. 

Further scores came from a great interception from George Dickinson that saw him evade tackles superbly to ground the ball again between the posts, and another two from Cracknell, including one where he dummied sweetly to exploit a gap.  All remaining tries were converted and the final whistle saw Okehampton victorious by 50-0. 

This was a fabulous display from Oke, their best display of the season, but praise must be given to Newton Abbot for never giving up and for their sportsmanship. 

Ivybridge U10s 20

Okehampton U10s 35

IVYBRIDGE were well drilled with their passing but Okehampton captain Saul scored the first try while his team-mate Lachs soon followed through with the next try.

Josh and Toby put in some hard tackles for Oke in their respective positions, never shying away from a challenge. Ivybridge made a break, but a try-saving tackle into touch by Adam broke the momentum. Play started again with a great catch by Will and he pounded back towards halfway with Josh and Saul supporting him.

A lot of messy play towards the tryline saw Oke's Shea pass to Saul for the second of his three tries in the first half. Adam made a break while being chased for the second of his two tries.

The second half saw some good tackling from Ben throughout. Jacob grabbed a passing player and held on until help arrived whilst Shortie and Flynn worked together in their tackling. Will was tackling well and Saul scored one try to Ivybridge's four in the second half.

Ivybridge U10s 25

Okehampton U10s 35

JOSH and Toby for Okehampton put in the tackles at an incredible rate, and Shea also got stuck in. Ivybridge scored twice.

Oke responded with Lachs and Callum, always the workhorses, producing a solid block in their positions. Will poached the ball and made a run for it, the ball found its way to Adam for him to score.

The second half still showed fighting spirit from both teams with Dan Butt running with all his might along the touchline to score. Shortie for Oke was able to weave through towards the tryline.

Ed was on form with some nifty footwork and his perseverance paid off when he was finally rewarded with a try. Saul ran from end to end for one of his two tries. Archie tackled and scooped a ball from the ground to move the play on. Dan took another two tries in this half.

Tavistock U9s

Exeter Chiefs U9s

AFTER their recent defeat to Okehampton, Tavistock had something to prove against a well drilled Exeter Chiefs side. Over recent weeks training was focused on the team's fitness and this certainly paid off with two good performances.

Team A took to the field first. This game was a tight affair with some strong tackling by both sides. Ben Richardson scored the first try by some strong work created by the Tavistock team. Exeter came back but it was not long before Tavistock retook the lead by a powerful try from Ted Wilkinson. Exeter scored another two tries to win but Tavistock A can be proud of their hard work and performance.

Team B's game again was a tight affair with lots of strong defensive work by both teams. On a couple of occasions Archie Wall tried to intercept the ball while the opposition were passing and found himself judged offside; however, his persistence paid off and he broke through to score Tavistock's first try. Sam Perkins then increased the lead to 2-0 with a superb solo effort. Exeter pulled a try back, however, this was enough to see Tavistock B run out victorious.

Ivybridge U9s 8

Okehampton U9s 9

ON a bright sunny day Okehampton went to Ivybridge and put early pressure on them with some good defence but the home side scored three good tries before the Blues woke up and Oliver popped up in the corner for a reply.

Oke Reds came out of the blocks in fine fashion with Grady and Jack W making great runs to put them on the front foot and scoring five good tries between them.

In the second game Oke Blues improved their defence with their rush and only let two tries in and came back with some good passing to score a try in the corner by Oliver.

The last quarter was a tight affair with the Reds and Ivybridge putting in some furious tackles and some good off loading to end up two tries apiece.

Overall it was a great performance by Okehampton against a good side.

Oke tries Grady (3), Jack W (3), Oliver (2) and Cain.