Tavistock 12, Penryn 45

Penryn ensured that the race for promotion will go to the wire with another bonus point win on the road against Tavistock.

Despite promotion being out of the Borough’s hands and with Saltash receiving three walkover victories from lowly opponents in the Cornwall and Devon league, there is a faint chance going into the final week of the season.

Penryn responded well to last week’s disappointing defeat against Saltash, to come out of a tricky task at Tavi unscathed after scoring seven tries. Things didn’t start well for Penryn either, as the home side raced into an early lead with a try from a turnover.

This seemed to spring Penryn into life and after an uncharacteristically sloppy opening, they hit back. Sam Hitchens cut a superb line in midfield to crash over and draw Penryn level, before Mitchell Vague’s conversion put Penryn into the lead.

The strange mixture of a heavy pitch with blistering heat was making life difficult for both sides, but there was a growing feeling that Penryn were beginning to come into their own.

With play breaking up the Borough went on the counter attack and after some neat hands, Tomas Townsend went over to extend the away side's lead.

The Borough were beginning to dominate up front too and could well have had a penalty try from the scrum.

Instead though, they made do with a try for skipper Grant Randlesome who barged over and a Vague conversion to extend the lead to 19-5 at the break.

The strange conditions took another turn at the start of the second half, as the rain began to pour and Penryn saw the home side come back into contention, as they struck from turnover ball for the second time in the game.

Any fears that a home comeback was on the cards were soon allayed as George Mitchell danced his way through to score the bonus-point try for Penryn, to again give the Borough a 14-point cushion.

It was now a simple case of seeing out the job for Penryn and that they did. The forwards continued their dominance with a series of pick and drives on the Tavistock line, before Kyle Gratrix eventually found his way over. Vague’s conversion made it 33-12 and game over.

Penryn weren’t finished there though and continued to put the hosts to the sword, to create a deserved try for Viv Wilmott who had been a threat all afternoon., with Vague again converting.

With time up, Penryn elected to play on and helped themselves to another fine score. Wilmott was again involved to send Randlesome over for his second of the game which rounded off the scoring.

It was another impressive away maximum for Penryn, who must now wait and hope other results go their way before a final push away at Withycombe this Saturday. 

Penryn: Wilmott, Mitchell, Hitchens, Seviour, Salisbury, Vague, Townsend, Degenhardt, Birkett, Gratrix, Hancock, Trevaskis, Stanfield, Jones, Randlesome. Reps: Goldsworthy, Hellier, Paine.

Tries: Randlesome (2), Wilmott, Mitchell, Hitchens, Gratrix, Townsend. Conversions: Vague (5)