Team Selection: Josh Wickens, having missed on making his 1st XV debut a fortnight ago, gets his chance at full-back, replacing Chris Jeffes who is with the twos. Two other changes in the backs sees the return, after injury in both cases, of Adam Higgins replacing the unavailable Markus Burcham at inside centre and Oli Grainger-Williams replacing Robbie Johnson on the left wing, Robbie being with the twos. The front row is unchanged but, in the second row, Matt Warwick is preferred to Connor Scott who is also with the twos. The back row is also unchanged. On the bench joining Joe Desmond, Henry Turner comes in as front row replacement instead of Riad Lynch who is with the twos and Sammy Veneroso is the back replacement instead of Connor Hutchison who is also with the twos.

Mild and overcast with no wind. Underfoot it ‘took a stud’ – ideal playing conditions.

Launceston kicked-off from right to left as viewed from the stand and to their right.

An uncertain Bournemouth defence allowed the ball to bounce, twice, and Launceston took full advantage. Recovering the ball, they ‘worked’ it left but early match enthusiasm rather spoilt things for them as they were penalized for ‘being off their feet’ in the contact. From just outside his own 22m, the left-footed scrum-half Grant Hancox found touch to his right for a Bournemouth line-out on Launceston’s 10m. Good defensive work by the visitors, a feature of their effort all afternoon, ‘turned the ball over, and they kicked right. The ball was fielded by left-wing Oli Grainger-Williams who cut back infield looking for a defensive weakness. He linked with Adam Higgins and the inside centre made a ‘dent’ but the ball was ‘lost’. Launceston attacked left but they, in turn, lost the ball and Bournemouth countered left. Again, the ball was turned over and Launceston kicked right. With his first touch of the ball in a Bournemouth shirt, full-back Josh Wickens fielded the ball and, with ‘quick’ feet, beat a couple of players to link with captain Alan Manning. The tighthead, in a much more forward-like manner, made a good break. He linked with the supporting Higgins who chipped the ball right. However, the chasing players were penalized for ‘diving in’ and the advantage was lost. Fly-half James Tucker found touch to his left for a Launceston throw-in outside their own 22m.

A long throw to the back of the line-out saw them set up a strong attacking movement going right. When they came back left Bournemouth were penalized in the tackle. Tucker failed to find touch to his right, the ball fielded by Grainger-Williams. The winger came infield where he linked with Ben Meaden and the fly-half kicked into the Launceston 22m. A good chase by the backs induced the Launceston defence to ‘hold on’ and were penalized by referee Ben Simpson. To add to their woes, a Launceston player was forced to retire with an apparent shoulder injury suffered in the contact. After a couple minutes wait, Hancox kicked the goal from some ten metres, which is, perhaps, a foot or more longer than ten yards, and Bournemouth led 3-nil after some 10 minutes.

10m: 3–0 Hancox/9/p.

Tucker restarted left and the ball was fielded by Joe Rees. Characteristically, the No8 took the ball into contact from where Hancox kicked. Launceston returned the compliment but Wickens’s like effort went ‘straight out’ for a Launceston line-out outside the Bournemouth 10m. Launceston spurned the offer made by not throwing the ball in straight and Bournemouth had the put-in at a scrum instead. Under some Launceston pressure, it was all very untidy when the ball emerged at the back of the scrum and Hancox did well to tidy the mess up and managed a good kick down field. Blindside flanker Ben Russell following up helped ‘win’ a scrum for Bournemouth outside the Launceston 22m down the Bournemouth righthand side. This good work was undone however, when Bournemouth were penalized at the scrum and Tucker was able clear down field. Not finding touch, Hancox fielded the ball and kicked back but Tucker found a good touch to his right for a Bournemouth line-out inside their 22m. Initially Bournemouth drove off the line-out before releasing the ball to Hancox and the scrum-half found touch to his left in the somewhat safer territory inside the Bournemouth 10m. Russell was quickly on the Launceston scrum-half at the line-out but Launceston still managed to get the ball away left. They kicked back right fielded by Meaden who ran infield. When the ball was worked back left, Wickens came into the line as a vital extra man. When Launceston defence prevented any further progress, Bournemouth again resorted to Hancox’s boot. Launceston kicked the ball back fielded by Wickens and the full-back went left looking for a gap in the defence but found the defence secure. Nonetheless, Bournemouth retained the ball, and it gave Hancox another chance to kick. However, Simpson had been ‘playing advantage’ and when he judged none had been gained, he came back to the point of an earlier Launceston infringement on their 10m line. Hancox duly banged the ball over and Bournemouth had doubled their lead at 6-nil with a quarter of the match gone.

20m: 6-0 Hancox/9/p.

Tucker restarted right fielded by Hancox. The scrum-half kicked and a good chase almost manged to recover the ball but Launceston retained possession and worked the ball left. When they came back right, they kicked and the ball went off a Bournemouth player into touch for a Launceston line-out on the half-way line. Launceston looked dangerous as they attacked first left then right through their threes with some good possession rugby. The Bournemouth defence prevented the breakthrough but when Launceston came back left once again, they were awarded a line-out on the Bournemouth 22m. As they drove off the line-out, Launceston ‘crabbed’ right before releasing the ball back left where Bournemouth managed to ‘steal’ the ball, but Simpson penalized them for being ‘off their feet’. Tucker found a good touch to his left on the Bournemouth 5m but I’m sure the fly-half was not best pleased when Bournemouth ‘nicked’ the ball at the line-out. Bournemouth went left but promptly got themselves penalised which must have helped Tucker’s humour. It was further improved when he found touch where they were a few moments ago and this time his forwards did what they should have done in the first place and secured the ball. They drove off the line-out, fiercely resisted by their opposite numbers as one would expect. However, Launceston retained possession and their shove ultimately proved irresistible and they were over. Tucker couldn’t put the icing on that particular cake but at least the visitors were on the scoreboard if still behind at 5-6 with nearly half-an-hour gone.

27m: 6-5 Launceston/t, James Tucker/10/c miss.

Hancox restarted left and a good chase by Grainger-Williams put Launceston under some pressure but the Launceston scrum-half, Adam Collings, did well to get his clearance kick away. The ball was fielded by Grainger-Williams who linked with his fellow threes going right in a promising attack but, when play came back left, the ball was knocked on in the contact and Launceston had a scrum on their 22m. Their scrum struggled to contain the Bournemouth shove, but Collings managed to get the ball away right for Launceston to kick back left for a Bournemouth line-out on the Launceston 10m. Play was held up for a while as a Launceston player received some TLC but he was able to continue. Bournemouth went left and a whizzing pass wide by outside centre Jordan Wayman was well taken by Grainger-Williams, but Launceston turned the ball over when the winger went into contact. Launceston kicked right for a Bournemouth line-out outside the Launceston 10m. Hancox made a great break from the line-out, taking play into the Launceston 22m where he linked with Adam Higgins. The Launceston defence was unable to prevent the inside centre from having the easiest of tasks to run the ball in under the posts for his first score of the season having just returned from injury. It is not for me to say it is easy, but Hancox made the conversion look so and Bournemouth had scored their first try and increased their lead to leave the score at 13-5 after 34 minutes play.

34m: 13-5 Higgins/12/t, Hancox/9/c. Adam Higgins scores on return from injury.

Tucker restarted left to be fielded by Hancox who kicked. Enterprisingly, Launceston ran the ball back up to the half-way line but got themselves penalized. From two metres inside the Launceston half and in the middle of the pitch, Hancox thumped the ball over for his fourth goal of the afternoon and increase his side’s lead to 16-5 after 36 minutes.

36m: 16-5 Hancox/9/p.

Tucker restarted left field by lock Matt Warwick to feed Hancox who kicked. Launceston countered left by running the ball back to the half-way line where Bournemouth were penalized in trying to thwart the threat. Tucker kicked to his left and Launceston had the throw-in on the Bournemouth 22m. Bournemouth recouped the situation by nicking the throw-in through hooker Ben Kimber and Hancox kicked clear. Right-wing Ashley Taylor chased the ball down to tackle the receiver, but Launceston managed to get the ball going right. Bournemouth managed to win the ball back, but Simpson had again been playing advantage and brought to play back to where Launceston had earlier knocked the ball on outside their own 10m. From the scrum Bournemouth attacked first left but when the ball came back right into Taylor’s hands, he outsprinted the defence to score Bournemouth’s second try in the corner. Hancox struck the ball sweetly to register his fifth goal and Bournemouth were 23-5 to the good after 42 minutes.

40+2m: 23-5 Taylor/14/t, Hancox/9/c.

Tucker had barely time to restart before Simpson blew his whistle to indicate the end of the half.

40+3m – HT: 23/2t2c3p v 5/t.

From Bournemouth’s restart, Launceston attacked left and a strong run by Launceston’s left-wing Dan Pearce took play into the Bournemouth 22m where the home side were penalized trying to neutralise the threat. From some 15 metres out and in front of the posts, Tucker reduced the arrears by three to leave the score at 8-23 just a couple or so minutes into the half.

42m: 23-8 Tucker/10/p.

Bournemouth restarted left and Launceston kicked the ball back to be fielded by Meaden. The fly-half did well in running the ball back and Launceston got themselves penalized just three or so metres short of their own 10m. From left of the posts, Hancox scuffed his kick and, although he hoped he might have fluked it, the ball faded right and hit the right upright to bounce clear for Launceston to complete the clearance by kicking right for a Bournemouth line-out.

44m: 23-8 Hancox/9/p miss.

The Bournemouth forwards drove off the line-out before releasing the ball right, but a forward pass gave Launceston the put-in at a scrum in front of the posts on the 5m. Bournemouth were penalized at the scrum, but scrum-half Collings was ‘yellow carded’ and the penalty reversed.

46m: 23-8 Adam Collings/9 ‘yellow carded’.

Bournemouth opted for another scrum. This time they scrummaged without mishap and the ball was released left for outside centre Jordan Wayman to go over for his first score for the 1st XV. Hancox kicked the goal and Bournemouth had a ‘four-score’ lead at 30-8 with less than ten minutes of the half gone.

49m: 30-8 Wayman/13/t, Hancox/9/c. Jordan Wayman scores for his first time on his second start.

Tucker restarted left fielded by Hancox who kicked. Launceston ran the ball left back to the half-way line, but a determined Bournemouth defence forced them into touch for a Bournemouth throw-in on their own 10m. Bournemouth drove off the line-out splintering the Launceston counter but got themselves penalized. Launceston took the penalty quickly running right and into the Bournemouth 22m. With Simpson indicating a penalty to Launceston, and playing advantage, Launceston came back left and weren’t to be denied eventually scoring their second try. Tucker’s conversion made Bournemouth’s lead decidedly less secure at 15-30 after 15 minutes of the half. Plenty of time to win and lose what was becoming an ever-closer encounter.

55m: 30-15 Launceston/t, Tucker/10/c.

The chase by Bournemouth saw them recover the restart but when they went right Launceston turned the ball over and they had a the put-in at a scrum on their own 22m. The Bournemouth shove was rewarded with a penalty and with some of us on the touchline wishing for Hancox to ‘take the points’, Bournemouth went for broke with a quick penalty and promptly lost it left for Launceston to clear the danger and Bournemouth line-out outside the Bournemouth 10m. Bournemouth secured the throw-in and released to Hancox who kicked. The upshot was Bournemouth got themselves another line-out but this time on the half-way line. Bournemouth threatened first left then back right but contrived to lose the ball for Launceston to counter right. Good tackling saw the situation saved and Bournemouth had another line-out but were now back on their own 22m. Hancox’s clearance kick was well chased down, but Bournemouth were penalized, and Tucker made sure they paid for it by finding touch to his right on the Bournemouth 5m. Danger clearly threatened. The ball was secured at the back of the line and the Launceston forwards drove for the line, but their opposite numbers were up to the challenge and in fact won themselves the put-in at a scrum. Hancox cleared left and the ball was again enthusiastically chased down by the willing Grainger-Williams. Launceston, however, managed to get the ball away left but Bournemouth turned the ball over midfield at the expense of a Launceston scrum. Nonetheless they were then awarded the put-in at a scrum and went right. Taylor had a strong run down his flank. A Hancox kick was recovered, and the ball was delivered left into Grainger-Williams’s hands who had another typical mazy run down his flank deep into enemy territory. Wickens was there in support and the full-back was through to score on his debut. From in front of the posts, Hancox kicked his seventh goal of the afternoon and surely Bournemouth were safe at 37-15 with 32 minutes of the half gone.

72m: 37-15 Wickens/15/t, Hancox/9/c. Josh Wickens scores on debut.

Tucker restarted left but as Bournemouth countered coming left the ball went forward for a Launceston scrum in midfield on the Bournemouth 10m. Bournemouth were penalized at the scrum and Launceston took a quick penalty and went left. Bournemouth managed to recover the ball but apparently illegally and Tucker kicked left to find touch on the Bournemouth 22m. Launceston attacked first left then back right. A clever little Tucker chip had the Bournemouth defence scrambling deep in their own half, but they held firm and earned themselves a penalty. Hancox found touch to his right outside the Bournemouth 22m. The Launceston counter drive at the line-out took them into the Bournemouth 22m. Retaining good possession, they weren’t to be denied and eventually drove over with 39 minutes of the half gone. Tucker’s conversion made the score 22-37.

79m: 37-22 Launceston/t, Tucker/10/c.

Simpson played a couple or more minutes but there were no further alarums from a Bournemouth perspective, and they had, at last, brought a disappointing losing streak to an end.

80+2m – FT: 37/4t4c3p v 22/3t2cp

The visitors ‘won’ the second half 17-14 (two tries each) but it was insufficient to overcome that first half deficit. The win means Bournemouth move up one place to sixth in the table on 28 points and Launceston remain 8th with 20 points. The next match is next week away to 9th placed Old Centralians, KO 2.30PM.