League rugby is oft maligned, but when the fixtures bring together two such sides; age old rivals and both able to bring support in droves, there's nothing quite like it. This was the long awaited return clash between first and second in SW1, Launceston looking to avenge a home defeat earlier in the season and to extend their lead at the summit. Okes however, were looking to reduce the deficit and erase the previous week's performance from the memory....they did both in some style.

The front pitch was in fine fettle, and the crowd was the biggest seen at the Showground for some years, as the sides descended from the changing rooms ready for the big KO. Okes commencing up the slope and into a very slight breeze. In a complete reversal of the earlier fixture at Polson, it was the Cornish visitors who started the brighter. The Okes disrupted by the late arrival of player coach Gareth Evans, forcing a change to their starting lineup; whilst The All blacks set scrum was causing the Okes plenty of early problems on both side's put- ins. It was the visitors who struck first , as early as the third minute, after more scrummage disruption earned the Black's pack a penalty bang in front ,which was successfully dispatched by outside -half Glenn Coles. The Okes were very much on the back foot in the first ten minutes, unable to supply ball to their threatening backline, the boys in maroon and amber initially struggling to escape the confines of their own half.

As the match approached the quarter hour, the home side suddenly sprang into life. Finally gleaning a penalty and some territory, the Okes looked to put the ball deep into touch in the visitor's twenty two. The ball was gathered on the touchline and carried downfield, much to the chagrin of the home supporters who had spotted a foot in touch. The locals disgust soon turned to delight though, as the Okes turned over possession and countered sharply, initiated via a sharp break from fly half Dan Fogerty. He fed half back partner Joey Bruce in close support and the Okes number nine stepped past the last line of defence to cross for the Okes opening score. Richie Friend landed a solid conversion and the hosts were up and running. Home confidence was visibly restored by this fine try and home vocal support was raised several decibels at the same time. It was already becoming apparent the that the Okes would look to attack the visitors from all parts of the pitch, identifying their tendency to concede tries this campaign.Whilst the visitors were keen to turn the screw at scrum time, backed up by an effective kicking game, particularly via visiting scrum half Colling's boot. Entering the second quarter of the match, the visitors attacked blind after another strong scrum, Oke's scrambling defence eventually conceding a close range penalty. Unsurprisingly the Cornish All Blacks opted for the set scrum and in a rarely seen occurrence, drove the Okes back over their own tryline to plunder their first try, and regain the lead after Cole's excellent kick from wide out made it 10-7 to the visitors.

The match was already tuning into an open, end to end classic encounter. The Okes soon responding as they sought to regain the advantage. A penalty allowed the Okes to punt close to the Blacks twenty two and a home lineout ensued. Overall the Oke's lineout, bar a couple of errant efforts, was much improved on last week. Gareth Evans, now thrust into the action as a replacement after his late arrival, threw the lineout short catching the visitors by surprise. The ball was taken by home captain Tom McGrattan and Oke number eight threw a sweet dummy towards Evans before setting off towards the tryline. After a nice step he caused havoc in the Blacks defence, racing over to restore the host's lead and bringing the home crowd to it's feet once more. Friend was again successful with the extras to make it 14-10 on the half hour mark. Back and forth this ding- dong encounter continued, the All Blacks taking little time to get back on the scoreboard as the Okes tendency to fail to deal effectively with the restarts continued to cause unnecessary pressure. A set scrum and another Launceston penalty soon arose as a result, and it was left to fly half Coles to make it a one point ball game with another three point effort for the visitors.

True to form the Okes came once more, unfortunately winger Luke Honeychurch was injured taking the ball up during another Okes attacking sortie and he was replaced by Kieran Lee from the bench. As the match entered the last five minutes of a breathless first half, the home side's pack began to assert itself, as the Okes camped in clubhouse corner after a succession of penalty awards. A yellow card looked likely as the Cornishmen strove to keep out increasingly ominous home mauls. Somehow the visitors resisted Okes initial efforts, but their respite was an all too brief one. Further waves of Oke attacks finally created the opening. Hooker Gareth Evans made early inroads and when the ball reached Tom McGrattan in the wide channels, he produced a sublime offload to send replacement wing Kieran Lee scooting over in front of the clubhouse for the Okes third try, and a crucial one, arriving as it did, just on the cusp of the changeover. Richie Friend maintained his fine form with the boot to convert from the vicinity of the touchline, and although there were slight issues again at the restart, the interval soon arrived with the Okes 21-13 ahead with the benefit of the slight slope and breeze to come in the second forty.

The Okes knew the All Blacks would come out firing as they sought an early score. Brad Curtis entered the fray to replace Karl Pearce in the row and the home side were forced to defend resolutely as the visiting pack asserted early pressure. The home side conceded an early penalty, but were relieved as the previously unblemished boot of Coles erred right, and subsequently flew wide of the uprights. The hosts regrouped and little seemed on as they obtained possession at a set scrum, initially located between their own twenty two and the ten yard line. As the scrum wheeled slightly right, the Okes again demonstrated their clinical attacking edge with an incisive move up the short side. Number eight Tom McGrattan picked up and set off blind from the base. A sharp one, two, three ensued as the skipper fed scrum half Joey Bruce hitting the line at pace.The Okes nine raced downfield before expertly locating winger Kieran Lee on his outside. The wideman needing no second invitation to scorch down the five meter channel before crossing for a superbly orchestrated score, that not only extended the Okes lead, but also brought forth the try bonus point to boot. For once Friend was off the mark with the extras, but at 26-13 it was now becoming an increasingly tough ask for the visitors from across the border.

As all good sides do, the visitors came again. However a combination of errors and staunch home defence, with Bevon Armitage and Sam Turner particularly prominent throughout, allowed the Okes to commence the third quarter with their thirteen point advantage fully intact. Once again a penalty award was then the catalyst for another concerted period of home pressure. A kick to the corner and several phases of close range thrusts were thwarted, before Gareth Evans looked to have crossed under the bar but the ball was deemed held up. A scrum was the result and a penalty soon followed. Everyone expected the Okes to take the simple points on offer to extend their lead to more than two scores, as the bonus point was already banked. However the home side had different ideas and went for the match sealing fifth try, by opting to scrummage once more. Several resets and a spilt ball allowed the visitors to exit with the aide of a penalty award, to temporarily relieve the ever increasing pressure on their defence. The match was now into its last ten minutes and the action showed no sign of abating, both teams continuing to give it their all in defence and offence alike.

It was only fitting that the finale lived up to the oval ball feast that had preceded, and the Okes provided it with a sweet final score to seal an impressive victory. A clearing kick was fielded by Bevon Armitage, who fed fellow player coach Gareth Evans and the hooker set off on a rampaging run taking play deep into the Launceston twenty two. Seeking support, he found the ever willing Kieran Lee on his right shoulder and the wingman seized the opportunity to race over for the Okes fifth try, sending the home crowd into lubricated raptures. Surprisingly the conversion came back off an upright but it mattered little. The match was now won. However there was still time for another piece of classic action in the dying seconds. All Blacks replacement Dan Pearce picked off a loose pass and set off from his own twenty two on a seemingly inevitably successful journey to the Oke try line. Typifying the fierce spirit shown through, and a dogged determination not to concede. Oke centre Rhys Palmer set off in hot pursuit, and somehow reeled in the flying winger with a superb last gasp cover tackle right in front of a clubhouse corner crowd looking on in admiration and astonishment. Despite a late yellow for Armitage there was no taking the gloss off the occasion when the final whistle soon followed, rounding off a memorable day for all involved at ORFC.

All eighteen Okes players contributed to a fine victory over the league leaders ,themselves a side that fully played its part in this enthralling encounter and one that will no doubt be looking to bounce back when they host another local rival in the shape of St Ives next Saturday. For Okehampton RFC it was great day, with the twos gaining another fine league victory at Crediton and the colts only thwarted by a last gasp try against league rivals Barnstaple. The Okes can be rightly proud of doing the double over their main challengers for the title, but its imperative the focus is now fully set on another tough away encounter next week , encapsulating a first ever trip to Regenstholme to take on the challenge of an improving ,once mighty Lyndey side. KO will be 2.30 PM, why not come along and take in more maroon and amber action as this fascinating season continues apace...

Okehampton RFC

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