Penryn RFC went level on points at the top of the Western Counties West League table on Saturday as they ran in four tries at home to Okehampton.

It was The Borough’s third-straight league win as they joined Torpoint Athletic and Wellington as the only sides with a 100 per cent start to the campaign.

The Borough began this home game versus Okehampton with some open rugby. Lock Sam Heard had to withdraw after a slight injury during the pre-match warm up but otherwise both teams were as per programme. Isaac Fields came in to the second row and Phil Hinchley replaced him on the bench. Last season Okehampton won the September game versus The Borough with a 22 – 12 victory at home. Penryn were a little short on that day, but it gave 17-year-old Rob Banks his first game with the Chiefs. On that day he played at fly-half, but in this time he turned out at full back, opening the Penryn’s score with a blustering run from half way after he caught an Okehampton kick out of defence. There was no conversion, but the home side were leading by five points.

This was an inspired opening by The Borough, but in the 12th and 22nd minutes Okehampton came back with two penalty goals from their fly-half Carl Poynton. It remained 5 – 6 until the 35th minute when the visitors broke out with scrum-half Richard Friend racing 30 yards to score under the posts. Poynton had no difficulty with the conversion and the visitors were in the lead by 13 points to five. Some spectators thought that Friend had knocked on as he gathered the ball, but the referee was unsighted.

For the first 20 minutes of the second half, it began to look as though Okehampton, who took advantage as Penryn went off the boil, were going to get an away win. With an eight point difference it did not even look as though the home side would earn a losing bonus point. But it all changed in the last quarter with the home side running in three excellent tries. The first gave ex Redruth player Nathan Pascoe, playing at No 8, his first try in Penryn colours. Namesake Dave Pascoe converted and The Borough were only one point behind Okehampton. Shortly afterwards left wing Chris Mann scored the third try after excellent passing from the threes and Penryn were back in the lead at 17-13.

In the final ten minutes each side continued to press for a score, and there were some very spirited moves from the visitors. But they were tiring and Penryn’s tails were up. Constant pressure on the Okehampton line, told eight minutes from the final whistle when Banks scored his second try of the game after good work by replacement Phil Hinchley, giving the home side a 24 – 13 win and a bonus point for scoring four tries. There was a tight contest for the middle section of the game. Penryn sparkled in the first quarter, and were superb to watch in the last 20 minutes; overall they were demonstrably the superior side, they played excellent open rugby, and their physicality, organisation and sheer bloody mindedness was unsurpassed.