By Chris Heath.
Things didn't start or end well for Weston RFC in their Regional 1 South West match with Launceston, as the hosts completed a double over the Seasiders at Polson Bridge with a 62-12 win last Saturday,
The game got off to a disastrous start for Weston when an attempted box kick went backwards in the wind and Launceston wing Ollie Bebbington gleefully caught the ball on the bounce to cross for a superb try.
Fellow wing Daniel Pearce added the conversion from the touchline. The hosts had chances to increase their lead, but solid Weston defending kept them at bay until Pearce's penalty increased the hosts lead.
The Cornish All Blacks then looked to have illegally reclaimed the ball on the floor but were allowed to continue. The move ended with Pearce crossing the whitewash before he added the extras.
Weston then came back into the game with a quite fantastic try started by fly half George Nuttycombe and Archie Tilsley and taken on by once again by outstanding back row forward Jay Davis.
The Kiwi interlinked with Tilsley's centre partner Cameron Maslen and Marshall to race away to score in the corner. Weston should have capitalised on this wonderfully created try but instead let in two soft converted tries.
Second row Albert Horne claimed the cross the whitewash with the first midway through the half followed by Bebbington with his second of the game and Launceston’s bonus point try. Pearce converted both but there was still time for Weston to reduce the arrears barrelling their way to the home line to give Davis his second try, converted by Nuttycombe, to leave the visitors trailing 31-12 at the break.
With the wind at their backs Weston could believe in a second half comeback as they had done it a couple of years earlier in similar circumstances but this time it was not to be and despite left wing Hayden Main going close Weston produced
nowhere near enough in attack to worry the home supporters.
Launceston scored the same number of points as they had done in the first half to run out very comfortable winners with a second from Pearce, full back James Taylor, replacement scrum half Adam Collins, a third from Bebbington and one for captain Tom Sandercock and three Pearce conversions.
Weston remain rooted at the foot of the table now six points adrift of Matson, who have played two fewer games, ahead of Saturday’s game against fifth-placed Brixham who had a narrow 39-38 home win over Barnstaple at 2.30pm.
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