The weekend saw Cornwall Under 20s face a strong disappointment in their season opener against Devon Under 20s, losing with a final score of 7 – 41.

The loss marked a well-rounded triumph for Devon, who not only dominated the entire match but also retained the coveted Brunel Cup.

Cornwall were presented with an early penalty opportunity, however Jack Statton’s attempt missed the mark.

Devon countered, prying their way towards the Cornish line.

This offensive led to their first try, scored by flanker Isiah Akinrowo.

Despite the gloomy start, Cornwall regained some ground with the scrum.

Gaining a vital penalty, Statton’s proactive corner kick allowed hooker Pete Harris to secure their solitary try with Statton converting.

However, this flicker of resurgence was short-lived as Devon regained control of the game buoyed by the work of fly-half Matt Smale.

The rewards of this domination evidenced itself when prop Dan Butt broke through a tackle to score, with Smale adding the extras and a subsequent penalty.

The Cornwall side saw one of their players sent to the sin-bin, further weakening their defensive front.

This allowed Joef Webber to get Devon's fourth try, again converted by Smale.

Devon started the second half strongly with a fourth try despite being a man down themselves, with Smale again adding the extras.

The introduction of Devon's replacement front row only worsened Cornwall's set-piece woes.

The game was wrapped by tries from wing Austin Crow and skipper George Pooley, with a Stark Leighton conversion, thus awarding a richly-deserved victory to an unstoppable Devon side.

Final score: Cornwall U20 7 - 41 Devon U20.

Richie Kevern, head coach for Cornwall, expressed discontent following the game.

Left reflecting on a lackluster performance from his charges, Kevern highlighted the vulnerabilities within their set-piece as one of the main issues.

The poor performance of the Cornish lineout and the scrum deteriorated after sixty minutes when Devon introduced their replacements were significant aspects for him.

Kevern encouraged the team to engage in self-reflection and strategic revamps before they face Somerset next month.