REDRUTH 19

ALL BLACKS 13

(National Two)

There has to be a first time for everything. On a very wet and blustery afternoon at The Rec, Redruth inflicted their first-ever League defeat on Launceston to keep their 100 per cent record for the season and take them to the top of the National One league table.

It was a scrappy game – interspersed, also, with moments of bad feeling – in which neither side played their best rugby, as is so often the case in local derby games where a sizeable crowd – 2,000-plus on this occasion – were expecting greater things, writes Tony Randel.

The weather cannot be entirely blamed for the rather disappointing game as both sides started rather nervously and neither really got into their stride.

The penalty count was high, caused as much by ill-discipline on both sides as direct pressure from one side or the other.

Redruth appeared to have more of a game plan to suit the conditions than did Launceston and were ahead by a well deserved eight-point cushion at half-time as they worked the wind well and kept the Cornish All Blacks pinned back in their own 22 for long periods.

Redruth has a chance to open the scoring after five minutes when Scrivener attempted a long range penalty but he misjudged the difficult wind and the ball drifted left of the posts.

He made up for this error to put the first points on the board after 21 minutes when Cornish All Blacks were penalised for not rolling away.

Launceston's first real scoring chance came soon after when Ryan Westren broke down the centre but his pass which sent Marc Dibble away was forward.

Redruth opened the gap further on the half-hour when scrum-half Mark Richards held his scrum firm until he had a chance to gather and scoot down the blind side before passing to winger Vinnicombe to score in the right corner.

Further half chances came to both sides before the interval but neither side made anything of them.

Turning round with the hosts 8-0 up was a fair reflection of the first-half but would it be enough with the Cornish All Blacks having wind advantage for the second period?

Launceston took the game right into the Reds 22 from the kick-off.

Despite setting up three forward drives in quick succession they were unable to get over the line.

In the end Redruth broke out of their 22 and further extended their lead when Tim Collier was sent to the sin-bin for injudicious, and certainly unnecessary, verbals.

Launceston kept on battling but did not use the wind or their slight superiority in the forwards to their advantage.

It took until 52nd minute to put the first points on the board with a Staniforth penalty when two Reds forwards came in from the wrong side of a ruck.

What might have been the start of a Launceston come-back did not materialise.

Indeed, in 55th minute Redruth again exploited the blind side after a good turn-over ball when Richards this time fed P J Gidlow to crash over the line.

Launceston's position at the top of the table looked in grave danger at 16-3 adrift.

Scrivener and Stani-forth traded penalties but the gap remained the same until 78th minute when Steve Pape was driven over for the try to be converted by Staniforth to narrow the gap to six points – with the news that the referee was going to play seven minutes of stoppage time!

Cornish All Blacks spent all that time in the Reds 22 but despite throwing everything into those last few minutes could not get over the line.

In the end, the Launceston lads had to be content with the losing bonus point while Redruth went top of the table to the obvious and very vociferous joy of the highly partisan crowd at the Rec.

Redruth: tries, Vinnicombe, Gidlow; pens, Scrivener 3.

Cornish All Blacks: try, Pape, con, Staniforth; pens, Staniforh 2.

Redruth: Rob Thirlby, Lewis Vinnicombe, Craig Bonds, P J Gidlow (capt), Nathan Pedley, Marc Scrivener (Paul Thirlby 77), Mark Richards, Darren Jacques Ashley Morcom 71-80), Owen Hambly, Ashley Morcom (Peter Joyce 54), Damien Cook, Luke Collins, Dave Roberts, Chris Fuca (Richard Carroll 60), James Mann; reps not used, Jamie Tresidder, Neil Corin.

Cornish All Blacks: Mal Roberts, Marc Dibble (Hamish Smales 68), Ryan Westren, Steve Perry, Jon Fabian, Adam Staniforth, Lewis Webb, Keith Brooking (capt), Glenn Cooper (Darren Semmens 60), Danny Porte (Jason Bolt 72), Tim Collier, Mike Myerscough, Josh Lord, Tony Roques (Glen Remnant 47), Sam Hocking (Steve Pape 66).

Referee: Mr Terry Hall (RFU).