Saturday,?April 21

Tribute South West One (West)

Cornish All Blacks 55

Keynsham 14

THE?Cornish All Blacks gave departing head of rugby, Jimmy Tucker, the perfect leaving present as they thrashed Keynsham 55-14 in their final game of the season at a sun-drenched Polson Bridge.

Following last Saturday’s defeat at Exeter?University, there were a number of changes with Cornwall?under 20s stars Rikki?Bentham and Dan Goldsmith returning to the side in the forwards, while the injured Dan Pearce was replaced on the wing by Harry Dawe.

The perfect weather meant that conditions were ideal for running rugby and it took less than five minutes for the All Blacks to score as Jon Dawe picked up the ball on halfway and went on a scintillating run to score.

Further tries before the break from Ryan Westren, Shaun Crawford and Jordan Duke — the latter after an excellent short lineout routine from close-range — coupled with a penalty meant they could afford to relax.

Their cause was helped even further when Keynsham’s replacement prop Ben Angell was sent-off on the stroke of half-time for stamping on George Bone’s face.

With just 14-men, and a depleted side due to a cup final in the week, Keynsham did well to contain the All Blacks in the second-half although Cinnamond scored after some fine work by Bone before Westren powered over from close range for his 18th try of the season to finish one clear of Pearce in the race for the golden boot.

Winger Ben Hawke had the simple task of scoring twice late on after being set up by Marc Williams and Lloyd Duke as they romped into a 55-0 lead.

But Keynsham ensured there was no whitewash with two late tries from the impressive Kit Timmis and and Brad Newton, which were both converted by Joseph Davies.

Newent’s defeat to Drybrook meant that the All Blacks were guaranteed third before the end of season celebrations started.

Skipper Lloyd Duke admitted that it was a decent way to end the season.

He said: “To score eight tries was a great way to end the season, which has been a pleasing one on the back of the last couple of years.

“Although promotion maybe talked on the outside, we just want to get settled and set a foundation for next year.

“If someone had said before the season started that we’d finish with 18 wins and finish third, especially with having such a young, inexperienced squad, we’d probably have taken it.

“We’ve got seven or eight under 20s and now they’ve got their first year under their belts we can improve and hopefully go one better than we did this year.

“It’s slightly frustrating come the end that we’ve finished quite a way behind the top two as there were at least two or three games were we slipped up and missed opportunities but we can learn from that for next year.”

Duke also praised the improved atmosphere around the club and believes that people are taking more of an interest again.

He said:?“If there’s no club atmosphere then there’s nothing. On the outside, Jimmy’s time may not have been that successful but now the club is completely unrecognisable from where it was when he first took over.

“The town is talking about rugby and we’ve brought an idendity back to the club and people are coming on board again.”

Cornish All Blacks —

Kneebone, H Dawe, Westren, J Dawe, Hawke, Sandercock, Crawford; Bentham, Bulut, R Cinnamond, Williams, Goldsmith, Rowley, L Duke (captain), J Duke

Replacements: Thomas, Bone, Edwards

Tries: J Dawe, Westren 2, Crawford, J Duke, R Cinnamond, Hawke 2

Convs: Hawke 6

Pens: Hawke