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Plymouth Combination's Lockie Cup final winners.

Plymouth Combination's Lockie Cup final winners.

Mike Yeats23 Apr - 18:39
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Thanks to Sara of the Plymouth Sports Gazette for the photo. For her report click here.

Read Sara's excellent report in the Plymouth Sports Gazette here. Devonport Services II v Saltash in the Sports Gazette

A few thoughts from me.
A really good game to watch, I have to say we always looked like we would win though at half time it was only 19~12 to us. It then it went up to 33~12 and it looked to be it for Saltash, but to give them credit they pulled it back a little to get to 33~24, but then we pulled away.
The Saltash lineout was faultless and I think won every throw, ours was not quite as reliable as it normally is but quite good enough.
The scrums were probably slightly in favour of Saltash, sometimes one side pushed the other and sometimes the other way around. They were better in the mauls.
I thought our team had better structure and what was impressive for me, very impressive and exciting to watch, was the flow of our backs, the running and passing, getting the ball wide and really stretching the Saltash defence, I think there was hardly a dropped pass, one or two forward ones maybe.
I think it was one of the best backs displays of any of our teams this season, speaking as a
'hardly ever played rugby' hockey playing person.

Dylan Daley had another really good game at scrum half, showing his ability to see a tiny gap in the defence and scoring three impressive tries from it.
Sam Fincham once again showed how he can score tries.
Brandon Bonser kicked well once again, we tend to forget the kicker but they do keep the scoreboard ticking along and are often the difference in a tight game.
Then we had Matt Richards, crikey does he have some really impressive speed, it surprises me anyone can catch him and often they only do so because the sidelines are there.
I have mentioned them but they could only do what they do because of all the others in the team putting in a great effort on the night.
Then we have the Management duo, Dickie Duffield and Andy 'Happy days' McBeath, the master tactician, as Dickie calls him, there week in and week out counting back muddy shorts and socks and phoning players so they only arrive fifteen minutes late for the coach to Honiton or wherever instead of missing it.
I always think it is an unsung job and a sadly hidden cogwheel in any team. Between them, they have done a great job.
However.
Next season for Christmas I am going to buy each of them a notebook and a pencil so they can record who scores and when then get Jim Moss to run a training session on how to do it.
The Seconds have had a really good season and I feel sure with the enthusiasm in the club and in the team, next season the second team will be more than capable of promotion.

The Team.
1. Yianni Costas.
2. Josh Martin.
3. Isaiah Akinrowo.
4. Andy Pond.
5. Kyle Felton.
6. Elliott Lupson.
7. Ethan Hilland.
8. Ethan Millard.
9. Dylan Daley.
10. Lewie Riley.
11. Matt Richards.
12. Toby Lean.
13. Luke Stannard.
14. Sam Fincham.
15. Brandon Bonser.
16. Mike Rickard.
17. Mike Kelly.
18. Tom West.
19. Charlie Groves.
The Management.
Andy 'Happy days' McBeath esq.
Dickie Duffield.

Further reading