NO doubt many supporters stayed away from Polson on Saturday with other attractions on TV and as their form of protest about Launceston's poor performance two weeks ago. More fool them; this was a cracking game of rugby played with spirit, verve and skill by both teams which saw the home team return to decisively winning ways. With the bonus point secured well before the hour was played they did take their foot off the gas slightly but the game was then well and truly in the bag, writes Tony Randel. The first 15 minutes were a bit uncertain as each side tested out the other's back three with some indecisive kicking and Cornish All Blacks positional changes from the last few weeks, partly forced by a warm-up time injury to Ryan Westren, took a while to settle in. They gave away three early penalties and had a bit of a let-off when normally reliable Mark Bedworth missed a relatively easy penalty attempt.

From then on the afternoon was definitely All Black. As always the Wharfedale backs were dangerous with ball in hand but Cornish All Blacks defensive tackling was better than it has been all season and the visitors' many attempts to break out were almost entirely stopped before they really got started.

It took 17 minutes to put the first score on the board but that was a classic. The ever present Josh Lord made a break from a scrum in the visitors' 22, passed to Gary Kingdom who quickly off loaded to Hamish Mitchell, making his home debut. Hamish turned the direction of the play with a beautiful long pass to Scott Hobson who had time to make the vital yards before sending Marc Dibble, on his 100th league appearance, over for his first try in the corner.

Wharfedale soon hit back with a Bedworth penalty but before the half hour was up Launceston were in the points again with Marc Dibble's second try. After a period of pressure on the visitors' 22 there came a classic backs' try when Ben Turner sent one of his trade mark long passes to Steve Perry, having a good game at fly half, who whipped the ball out to Mal Roberts, who had played midweek for Combined Services against the Barbarians in the annual Remembrance Day match. Roberts released Dibble for him to scoot over the line in exactly the same place as 12 minutes before. This time Jon Fabian slotted the difficult conversion to bring the score to 12-3.

Although the hosts missed a penalty attempt on 33 minutes they quickly earned another. This time it was sent to the corner. The new laws have made the classic Launceston catch-and-drive much more difficult to score from than previously but this time it worked. A really strong drive involving the whole pack sent the Dalesmen reeling backwards for blood replacement Sam Hocking to come up with the ball. The conversion again went wide but despite one Wharfedale sally from their own half the score remained at 17-3 at half-time.

With the wind and the slope on their side the Cornish All Blacks gave Wharfedale no chance to mount a second half revival. Three minutes into the second period Jon Fabian slotted a simple penalty. Scrum half Ben Turner had been making sniping little forays from the scrum all day and he would surely soon be rewarded. His reward came after the pack had kept the Dalesmen pinned in their 22 by determined rucking and mauling. When he saw the chance Turner seized the ball and ran a classic diagonal straight through the defence for another memorable try.

With the bonus point in the bag and the game turning very much in favour of the hosts they momentarily lost concentration when they allowed Wharfedale to put together their first concerted attack of the day. Fly half Luke Gray gathered a loose ball on their own 22, linked with speedy and powerful Bedworth who made most of the ground to offload inside to number eight Gavin Jones to score between the posts, Bedworth converted to bring the score to 25-10.

That was classic Wharfedale play which we had been waiting for all day! Would it happen again? The Dalesmen have shown in the past that they are never done until the final whistle. They tried again just after the hour with another almost identical run but this time the home defence caught them before any damage was done.

A Fabian penalty a couple of minutes later increased the lead before the usual late flurry of replacements and a yellow card for Wharfedale's number eight Jones. Then came a 'champagne moment

Mike Provis, on his debut, had replaced Mal Roberts numerically to go to fly half whilst Steve Perry reverted to his usual inside centre position. The Cornish camped in the visitors 22, Ben Turner sent a long ball from a ruck straight out to Provis, standing in space well outside the 22, who landed a perfect drop goal with all the calmness, panache and precision of someone who has been playing at this level for years. 31-10 with ten minutes to go.

A 'good day at the office' was rounded off when, almost on the final whistle, a clever grubber kick through the first line of Wharfedale was latched onto by the hungry Launceston pack. They then drove relentlessly forward for Scott Hobson to score and for Jon Fabian to convert.

There are now two difficult games on the road against Cambridge and Blackheath before 1st XV rugby returns to Polson for the meeting with Westcombe Park on December 6. Having three weeks without a home game is hardly ideal but it just goes to prove the need for this league to increase in size to 16 teams next season to get meaningful and competitive rugby on a regular basis.

Cornish All Blacks: Jon Fabian, Marc Dibble, Tom Bedford, Mal Roberts (Mike Provis 54), Gary Kingdom, Steve Perry, Ben Turner (Lewis Webb 72), Keith Brooking (capt) (Jason Bolt 72), Glenn Cooper. Hamish Mitchell, Tim Collier (Bryn Jenkins 65), Scott Hobson, Josh Lord, Tony Roques, and Glen Remnant (Sam Hocking 31-40, 62).

Wharfedale: Adam Whaites, Joel Gill, Andy Hodgson (Tome Wareing 74), Mark Bedworth, Dan Hart, Luke Gray, James Doherty (capt), Peter Hall (Fred Lovatt 70), Scott Frear, Ben Fear (Dave Charnley 70), David Lister (Tom Cockell 65), Antony Capstick, Oliver Renton, Alastair Allen and Gavin Jones; rep not used Simon Moon

Scorers — Cornish All Blacks: tries, Dibble (2), Hocking, Turner, Hobson; cons, Fabian (2); pens, Fabian (2); drop goal, Provis. Wharfedale: try, Jones; con, Bedworth; pen, Bedworth.

Referee: Mr Richard Kelly (RFU).