REGIONAL 2 TRIBUTE SOUTH WEST

Okehampton RFC 38 Newton Abbot 22

OKEHAMPTON RFC were not back to their best, yet still had enough to see off an improved Newton Abbot side, writes Adam Holliday.

The hosts welcomed back a few returnees, but others missed out in this period of constant selection changes. The game marked significant milestones for Tom McGrattan (250 appearances) and Brandon Horn (100 appearances) and the pair, who bleed maroon and amber, rightly led the home side out to mark the occasion.

Oke took a while to settle and the visitors, fighting the drop, took an early lead from a close rage forward rumble. 7-0 down, Oke began to threaten but handling errors often put a stop to their attacking endeavours.

Frustration was setting in and the visitors were proving stubborn opponents. Finally, Oke got a score up the slope.

Pat Nash marked his return with a typically rumbustious effort from short range, Simmons converting to tie things up.

Oke remained mainly in control but took until the 32nd minute to extend their lead. A neat offload in midfield from Brad Curtis set skipper McGrattan free and he set off on a tremendous run, before finding fellow man of the moment Brandon Horn in support to cross for a fine try to delight the home crowd. Simmons again added a useful conversion from wide.

Oke should've pushed on at this point but they failed to deal with the restart, a common theme throughout, and lost Brad Curtis to the bin.

The visitors took advantage of Oke errors to break through a tackle midway out to make it 14-12 approaching the interval. Then just before the break, Oke were awarded a penalty from which Leon Horn tapped and went. He was caught just short but offloaded to Saul Holliday on his inside and he stretched over to restore Oke advantage to more than one score. Luke Simmons adding an excellent touchline conversion to make it 21-12 at the break.

Oke started on the front foot as the second forty commenced. Before long, they were awarded a penalty from a five-metre scrum. Tom McGrattan needed no second invitation as he tapped and drove over for the host’s bonus point try and a 26-12 lead after the extras were missed.

Oke then lost Pat Nash to the bin and the tit-for-tat scoring continued as the visitors added a catch and drive score as the Okes faltered. The hosts needed to regain composure and just reduce the errors and they managed just that in a useful ten-minute spell.

Firstly, man of the match Holliday went over for his second as he powered over between the uprights, then Brad Curtis fired his way across the whitewash after a useful Oke driving maul had taken them close.

Simmons added one conversion and at 38-17, Oke were comfortable, if not as clinical as they'd hoped.

Newton did respond and as Oke made changes, they garnered another catch-and-drive effort to secure a bonus point in their battle against the drop.

There was to be no further scores and when the final whistle went, Oke could be satisfied with five points, but are fully aware they need to get back to the form they showed on their log unbeaten run for the matches remaining.

This starts with a home cup tie next Saturday against an Ivybridge side fighting relegation in the league above, for a 2:30 kick-off, with support welcome as always.