Falmouth 25, Kingsbridge 43

Falmouth fell victim to promotion-chasing Tribute Western division West side Kingsbridge despite a second half revival at the Recreation Ground on Saturday, writes Chris Jones.

Early tries from Kingsbridge and a Jake Vincent hat trick helped to guide Kingsbridge to a well-earned victory and bonus point.

Late scores from Falmouth meant that the Eagles picked up a losing bonus point, meaning they now sit in 10th position on 14 points.

Director of rugby Graham Whitmore said: “The game was decided in the first 20 minutes when we gifted them opportunities and then after that we had to chase the game.”

Kingsbridge started the game strong and found themselves 12-0 up after eight minutes when first James Palmer picked from a ruck and dived over the line before Vincent scored in the far right hand corner four minutes later.

Falmouth put their first point on the board in the 13th minute when Justyn Irons converted a penalty from near halfway to make it 12-3.

However Kingsbridge soon bounced back after George Banfield found Alex Allen down the right wing, who ran in to make it 17-3, before Tom Leman converted to add the extra two points.

Kingsbridge were five points further ahead in the 36th minute when Vincent passed to Leman who scored just to the right of the posts, making it 24-3 to the away side.

The Eagles replied with a try of their own just before the halfway mark when David Jones broke the away before offloading to Tom Edmonds who found Mark Lea who scored in the far right corner to make it 24-8 before the break.

Like the first half, Kingsbridge started strongest and were 36-8 up after 44 minutes, Vincent with his second try of the game and Banfield with his first.

Vincent completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute off the back of a driving maul and Leman converted to make it 43-8.

For the rest of the half it was all Falmouth.

First Tom Simmons scored and Irons converted, before substitute Thomas Job’s powerful run down the right in the 68th minute secured another five points for the Eagles to make the scores read 43-20.

Kingsbridge found themselves down to 14 after 75 minutes when Jack Evans was sent to the bin and Falmouth took full advantage when Matt Brewer scored from a lineout only one minute later. Irons missed the following conversion but by that stage it was of little consequence.

Falmouth: P Varker, AJ Geach, A Searle, T Ward, J Baglow, T Tonkins, M Brewer, T Simmons, M Austin, J Irons (capt), M Lea, D Jones, T Spillar, S Firth, T Edmonds, O Church, T Job, L Humphries.

Packet Pick: M Lea.

Falmouth host Cornish opposition when Wadebridge Camels are the visitors on Saturday (2.30pm).