Sunday morning brought a large Okehampton squad to meet with Crediton giving their coach Wayne plenty of opportunities for substitutions.

The first try of the match came after a good break from Will who broke clear of the Crediton defence to pass to Daniel who scored. There was a lot of loose ball which quick thinking Okehampton used to their advantage, this in turn led to lots of passing taking place amongst the team. Sound forward running came from Liam and both Toms who all gave this week’s try scorers opportunities to get the points needed to secure this match. It is good to see lots of different names listed for tries Daniel (2), Nathan (6), Will (2), Kai (2), George (1) and this week’s captain Brad (2). Some great play came from Kai who off loaded the ball to Daniel, then to Nathan for him to score his 3rd try. Sound tackling this week again came from Imogen who chased and brought down Crediton players to stop them from scoring time and again, although they did sneak through to run the length of the pitch to score on one occasion. Okey answered straight back with exactly the same play coming from Brad who picked up a loose ball to run the pitch and score his second try. It’s good to watch each week and see them settling in to playing like a whole team who work hard and support each other.

This week’s Player of the Match went to Amelia for her good team spirit and consistent support throughout the match.

Missing some of their regular players, Okehampton was still able to field a squad for the game, albeit with 1 or 2 new faces. This was a hard match, facing up to a strong Tavistock side. The opposition displayed great play, and were determined not to be brought down by the Oke tackling. Tavistock opened the scoring and continued to apply pressure, with most of the first half action taking place in the Okehampton half. Okehampton replied with a well earned try by Nathan.

Okehampton continued to battle which allowed a great break into open space by George. Running down the wing he looked as though a try was certain but good tackling from Tavistock put him into touch. Both sides tackled with force, but Tavistock were stronger and managed to put over a few more tries. This did not stop Okehampton from continuing to attack, with strong play in the middle of the field from Bradley, Daniel and Will. Unfortunately, further tries alluded them, despite their valiant efforts.

First game: 10 -10

In only their third contact match, Okehampton faced a strong Launceston squad (who fielded in excess of 2 teams). The first match was closely fought, with both sides keeping each other at bay for much of the first half. Okehampton were the first to break free, with a much deserved try coming from Nathan Tomkins. Superb rucking and a strong drive from their own half way line gave encouragement to Okehampton but Launceston soon equalled the score.

A special mention to George, who, in his first match, showed a good understanding of the game and contributed with some good play. All of the team tried hard and put in some excellent tackling with try saving efforts by Nathan Tomkins, Daniel Turney and Imogen Ogborne. A second try came from Kai Middleton after some quick weaving and darting between the Launceston defence. The opposition managed to draw back level but all in all the draw reflected the close nature of the match.

Second game: 35 -5

Although Launceston was able to field a new squad, Okehampton seemed to have benefitted from the experience of the first match. They continued to tackle hard, chasing down any Launceston player on the break and did not let their tied legs dampen any effort. The score triers (Nathan 6 and Kai 1) were well supported throughout by Daniel, Tom M, Tom P, Bradley, Imogen, Harris, Alex, Liam and George.