Okehampton v Bournemouth

Team Selection: Josh Wickens was originally chosen as full-back but was a last-minute withdrawal as he needed to isolate because of Covid so Chris Jeffes continued. Outside centre Ashley Taylor gave way to Jordan Wayman, making his full 1st XV debut, and replaced the unavailable Ryan Morrell on the right-wing. Grant Hancox, on his return from honeymoon, replaced Connor Hutchison at scrum-half who moved to the bench replacing Sammy Veneroso. The front row was remodelled. The returning Mike Davies replaced Tom Napier at loosehead prop. Alan Manning replaced the ill Luca Firetto at tighthead prop while Ben Kimber was recalled to replace Manning at hooker, making this the fourth place Ben has played in the forwards. The second row remained unchanged but, in the back row, blindside flanker Joe Rees replaced Joe Desmond at No8, Desmond moving to the bench. Coming off the bench, Ben Russell replaced Rees at blindside flanker.

Sunny spells initially with little or no wind but the weather closed in late in the first half to make it overcast with a threat of rain.

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

Bournemouth kicking errors early on put themselves under unnecessary pressure and Okehampton were able to capitalize on the advantage conceded. From a line-out just outside the Bournemouth 22m, which may well have been much further up field, saw the Bournemouth defence penalized in front of their own posts and fly-half and captain Dan Fogerty put his side in front 3-nil after just seven minutes play. Hardly against the run of play but … However, Hancox was soon able to respond with the first of his five penalties and on the quarter-hour kicked a second when referee Sant’Anna ‘reversed’ an Okehampton penalty. Even if Bournemouth couldn’t cross the try-line in the face of a well-organised and determined defence, the scrum-half extended the lead twice more by the same means before the half-hour was up. On the half-hour, Hancox missed a long-range effort, pushing it pass the near post, which, cruelly, proved to be decisive in the context of the game as it panned out. Nonetheless, Bournemouth ended the half with a ‘two-score’ lead at 12-3.

Ironically, it was Hancox hitting the post with another penalty nine minutes into the second half which led to a complete transformation of Okehampton’s fortunes. Bournemouth’s defence was at sixes and sevens as Okehampton kicked the ball long. Bournemouth’s enterprising response ended with the ball being kicked straight out for an Okehampton line-out on the Bournemouth 10m. They were almost in the left-hand corner but weren’t to be denied when they came back right to score halfway out. Fogerty kicked the goal and, suddenly, Okehampton were within two points of the Bournemouth score at 10-12. That setback was compounded when the restart went straight outfor a scrum back. Yes you guessed it, they scored. Going left and kicking further left they won the throw-in just 10 metres out from the Bournemouth line. Inevitably they drove before releasing right and were over under the posts. Fogerty wasn’t going to miss and that comfortable ‘two-score lead’ had evaporated in just four minutes at 17-12.

To their credit, Bournemouth immediately struck back and turned some of that forward dominance into valuable points with loosehead Mike Davies being driven over for his first score for the club and Hancox made sure Bournemouth had regained the lead at 19-17 with just over an hour gone.

However, this more satisfactory situation lasted no time at all. After containing a strong running attack, a Bournemouth knock-on as they countered right was pounced upon by Okehampton and they were over. Fogerty contrived to hit the far post with his kick to leave the score at 22-19 with nearly a quarter of an hour left.

Try as they might, and despite some good possession, Bournemouth could not break down the Okehampton defence. Lock Robert Heath was almost in but the defence was penalized anf, from in front of the posts, Hancox kicked the goal to level up the scores at 22-all with five minutes of actual time left. With Okehampton striving for a winning score, two kicking errors by Bournemouth, going straight out from a clearance kick and not finding touch with a penalty, enabled them to maintain that vital pressure. They were in for all money down the left, but the Bournemouth scrambled defence did well to deny them. Then, with the referee indicating last play, ‘handling in the scrum’ inside the Bournemouth 22m gave Okehampton that lifeline which Fogerty grabbed and to the obvious delight of his fellow players, kicked a very fine goal to win the match. As the ball went between the uprights, Sant’Anna blew for no time and a shell-shocked Bournemouth gathered in the middle of the pitch to reflect on just what had happened.

The loss means Bournemouth slipped one place to seventh in the table on 23 points. The next match is in a fortnight’s time at home to Launceston, KO 3PM.