If you wanted a close and tense game you got it this afternoon no matter which side you were supporting, going to the bar risked missing a score or nearly scored points.
This was always going to be a difficult game for Services, playing away against a young Saltash side who were like a lively Jack Russell nipping at the visitors all the time, recently promoted and in front of their home crowd and keen to prove their right to be in the league.
Saltash started well with a Max Venables penalty in the first minute with an easy kick from in front of the posts. 3~0.
Not many minutes later Services got to the Saltash try line, Saltash won a scrum but made a hash of it and it was turned over to us just to the club house side of the posts, a little nudge forward and a slight turn and Matt Gregory came off the back of the scrum and after fending off attempted tackles from the scrum half and the flyhalf flopped over the line, Matt Anstis converted. 3~7.
If Services thought that an easy try like that was the beginning of putting Saltash back in to their box they were mistaken.
Inside four minutes Saltash had struck twice. On fifteen minutes they got over Services line but were held up, then shortly afterward they took a tap penalty and sent it wide down the line. The ball went in to a ruck, it popped out of the side, Matt Anstis was alert enough to grab it only to be swallowed up and turned over and the ball sent towards the clubhouse for Jason Carrol to score in the corner with Kelli B hanging on to him, 8~7.
Not long afterwards Saltash scored again this time it fell to winger Will Morton to do the honours and it was converted by Max Venables, 15~7.
Saltash looked to be rampant but Services kept their cool and worked their way down the pitch, Joe Daley taking the ball on really well from their twenty two to within five meters of the try line, it then went wide for Ben McGowan to dive in to the corner on twenty five minutes. 15~12. A good conversion by Matt Anstis took the score to a close 15~14.
With half time on the horizon Services attacked again, first with Ben McGowan the Joe Daley then Alex Lambert sent the ball out lastly to Will Steinhausen who saw an open door between two defenders and shot through to score un-touched by the defence. Matt missed what for him should have been a simple kick. 15~19.
Seven minutes later a long free kick gave Services a five-meter lineout, the ball was taken and fairly easily driven over the line by all the forwards for Rocky Young to claim the score,15~24 and there it stood at half time.
The Services pack was on top most of the time and their backs running well and they outscored Saltash by four tries to two.
The second half was tryless; Saltash got two penalties and Services one.
At the start of the second half Saltash backs put in some useful attacks.
At one point our young prop Evan Hughes was rather unfairly penalised at a five meter scrum for collapsing it when all he did was loose his footing on the engagement, from the tap penalty that came from it they went over but were held up.
Moments later they again went over but once again the defence was watertight and they were held up.
Eleven minutes in to the half and Services collected a yellow card.
Services forwards attacked up the middle of the field, with the maul going at speed towards the posts a Saltash player went down in the middle, cries of “he’s bringing it down” came from the away supporters while the maul stepped over him but were penalised for stamping on him. It probably robbed Services of a seven-point try.
With two minutes to go on the yellow card Max Venable for Saltash collected a penalty in front of the posts. A nail biting 18~24.
For the next fifteen minutes the game flowed this way and that Saltash frequently looking dangerous and with much of the possession but Services defending really well held them out often turning over the ball and counter attacking with Matt Morrison putting in some good runs.
Matt Anstis chanced a penalty kick from just inside his own half and mid field but it drifted wide. But he also kicked one to take us to 18~27.
With the clock very slowly ticking down in the eyes of the away supporters Services looked safe but then Max Venables collected another penalty to make it 21~27 and gain them a loosing bonus point.
The noise of the home supporters got louder and their hopes were lifted.
With Saltash needing a try and a conversion to win matters got very tense in the last three or four minutes, the large crowd were noisily behind their respective teams.
A number of times Saltash got in to the Services twenty two but were tacked out, Services counter attacked, each team turning the other over a number of times.
It was Services who got the final turn over, the referee looked at his watch a number of times, the home side hoping he would play on another minute or two and the away supporters convinced that the sand had run out.
A long blast on the whistle signalled three out of three wins with a bonus point in each for Services which kept them on top of the table ahead of Kingsbridge.
Services won not only because they scored more points than Saltash but because their defence was so good apart from an early blip.
For Saltash a good display, a bonus point and the prospect of doing well in the league this season.