Friendly

Tavistock Colts 12

Exeter Chiefs Colts 29

TAVISTOCK Colts experienced a tough opening game in this friendly fixture on Saturday against Exeter Chiefs.

The home side started brightly with Jack Base breaking the gain line and making yards on the right wing. The forwards worked hard to recycle the ball and this created space on the left hand side for backrower Theo Cousins to crash over for a try. George Hillson kicked the tricky conversion.

Tavistock then had to batten down the hatches and defend strongly. Exeter’s ball retention was excellent with their forwards making ground after some strong driving play. Morgan Warnett, Bernie Sadler and Richard Cann all tackled bravely but the pressure from Exeter was too much and they scored two tries before the end of the first half.

Sean Donnelly added extra impetus for Tavistock at the start of the second half and made a couple of strong runs. The Tavistock front row of Richard Cann, Harry Jeans and Ben Luke all scrummaged well throughout the game despite a considerable weight disadvantage.

Jono Wisdom looked to keep his team on the front foot from the base of the scrum despite limited possession. Exeter were the first to score in the second half after an awkward bounce from a speculative kick landed in their winger’s hands. This seemed to galvanise Tavistock and they started to get some of their own driving plays going with Seb Cox and Joe Sellers making yards.

A break up the right wing saw some slick inter passing between Ethan Lamerton, Billy McNicol and Ben Milligan which led to a neat inside pass to Theo Cousins to score.

Tavistock were then unlucky to have a third try judged as held up and were reduced to 14 men, when Ethan Lamerton was yellow carded when his mistimed challenge for the ball was deemed as a swinging arm. Exeter scored two further tries as Tavistock tired.