Through to the Lockie cup final.

DSRFC II v Tavistock II by Mike Yeats. DSRFC II v Tavistock II the photos by Mike Yeats

We were supposed to be playing this at Tavistock but I assume because of waterlogged pitches, with their first team game against Bude also called off, they sportingly agreed to move it to Keyham.
On a largely sunny afternoon with only a light breeze but with a shower in the first half we took on Tavistock II in the semi-final of Plymouth Combination's Lockie Cup.
A decent crowd of probably eighty people came to watch.
Tavistock II are in the league below us so the prospect was that it should not have been a difficult game for us, in these cases you can find yourself slipping on a banana skin if you are too casual with how you play.

We started brightly after they kicked off to us, the high kick was knocked on by their catcher and went into touch and we had a scrum.
It did not go well, our pack is quite light and young, the Tavistock pack looked much heavier and stronger and its players older and probably wiser. The first put in of the match proved the point because they drove us back viciously and we only just managed to get the ball away.
If that was how the scrums and probably the rucks and mauls were going to go for the rest of the match we were in for a hard game.
Anyway, we got the ball away and down the line it went to the left wing and into the hands of Elliott Lupson who handed off a couple of defenders to go in to score the first try.
Lewie Riley converted and we were 7~0 up.
Some minutes later we scored again following another painful scrum where we went backwards and only just got the ball away, the backs took it on and then from their twenty-two Paddy Hutchins ran it in and under the crossbar to score.Lewie Riley converted and it was 14~0 inside fifteen minutes.
On about eighteen minutes we were attacking in their twenty-two when a decent not very long pass was intercepted well by one off their back who sprinted off towards our line, he got into our twenty-two and but for a good defencive tackle that pushed him into touch, he would have scored.
From the lineout we ran it back at them and from about halfway kicked ahead, the ball bounced near the touchline, it appeared to be going to bounce into touch but Ethan Millard was able to get his hand to it without putting a foot out of play, the defenders assumed it would go out and paused, the delay was a mistake because Ethan with ball in hand sauntered over their line to score. The conversion was missed. 19~0.

On thirty-three minutes Mike Howell went in under the crossbar, converted by Lewie Riley to make the score 26~0.
I am afraid for Tavistock it was hard going, they really hardly had time to gather breadth and compose themselves we were so quickly on the ball or running at them.
A lineout on the street side from a penalty kick sent the ball along the line to the left wing for Mike Howell to repeat his previous effort under the crossbar Lewie Riley converting. 33~0. That is how it remained when the Devon referee Tony Price blew for halftime.
So far Tavistock were seriously on top in the set piece, however our forwards were slightly better in the rucks and mauls and extremely fast to gather any stray balls. The lineouts were going really well with Kyle Felton catching faultlessly and stealing some of their throws.
The second half started with us kicking off to them, they took the kick well but were unable to make any headway we were up so quickly then pushing them back into their twenty-two. Eventually, we stole the ball and the forwards went for the line with Yianni Costas crossing through a crowd of players, The conversion was missed. 38~0.

From about here onwards our pack started to take control and push them back, I think youth and fitness was telling.

Then the try of the game, from inside our half, Toby Knowles took the ball on then passed it to prop Josh Martin midfield, he set off hopefully and just kept going and going handing off assorted defenders, on he went to the rising encouragement of the home crowd and supported by George Pooley, there was no way he was going to give George the ball as the line got closer, two defenders made one last attempt to stop him but as the line was nearing it was never going to happen and it didn’t. He scored. Lewie Riley converted.
45~0. It took him quite some time to get his breath back again.
Tavistock then got to our line really for the first time from a penalty and a close-in lineout, unfortunately for them Kyle Felt stole their ball and we kicked out. They ran it back, we got hold of the ball but dropped it, they quickly picked it up and went for the line, tackled short their player was able to stretch out and place the ball down for their first points, being near the post the conversion was an easy one. 45~7.
I am always happy when a team having a hard afternoon score.
From here on in the tries just kept on coming with less and less time between one and another so I hardly had time to describe the build-up to them.
Josh Cumberland was the next to score after we drove them off the ball at a scrum and with Lewie Riley converting. 52~7.
Any game would be the poorer without a Matt Richards try, he gave us one of his lovely wiggly runs with handoffs along the way to score. 59~7.
Next on the scoreboard, if we had one, was hooker Ethan Hilland, always busy around the field. It followed another long run by Elliott Lupson, who was having a great game, he gave it to Ethan on their twenty-two and he ran in behind the posts, Dad Steve wreathed in smiles was probably thinking “That’s my boy”. The Lewie Riley conversion went over. 66~7.
Elliott Lupson scored his second, and well deserved it was too, after a good breakout run by George Pooley. The conversions missed. 71~7.
Billy Sutton scored his first with a run from his own half, the conversion by Lewie Riley went over. 78~7.
Josh Cumberland scored the next after a long breakout run by Lewie Riley from our own half. Lewie Riley adding yet another conversion.
For one last time Tavistock got to our line with a penalty kick but again we stole their ball at the lineout and kicked away.

As the game approached full time two tries from Billy Sutton, the first a scrum to us on the street side in their twenty-two, the ball popped out rather quickly and took Isaiah Akinrowo at No8 by surprise, Billy Sutton was quickly on to it and went down the blindside to run the ball over. The conversion was hastily taken but missed. 90~7.
Billy then scored a third after breaking out from our half and going under the crossbar.
Josh Martin attempted the conversion but missed. 95~7.
With that referee Tony Price blew for full-time.
The win takes us into the final of the Lockie Cup to play either OPM or Saltash.
Tavistock are rewarded for sticking to it by going into the RNEC cup.
Thanks to Tavistock, a club I always enjoy visiting, even in mid-winter. They kept at it and never gave up trying, unfortunately, they came across us playing one of our best games for the season. So far.

The Team.
1. Yianni Costas.
2. Ethan Hilland.
3. Josh Martin.
4. Kyle Felton.
5. Ron Duffield.
6. Josh Hemmings.
7. Ellio Brasso.
8. Ethan Millard.
9. Paddy Hutchins.
10. Mike Howell.
11. Elliott Lupson.
12. Lewie Riley.
13. Goerge Pooley.
14. Matt Richards.
15. Toby Knowles.
16. Laurence Ryan.
17. Josh Cumberland.
18. Isaiah Akinrowo.
The Management.
Andy 'Happy days' McBeath and Dickie Duffield.