Sat 14 Sep 2019
A very good opening to Tics' home League campaign with a convincing six try tally; three in each half.
This in front of a good crown, swelled by many Juniors with their parents and in the presence of Torbay MP Kevin Foster, who watched the full 80 minutes.
Torquay showed three changes from the narrow away loss at Lanner, with both new recruits Neil Johns and Martin Harrison-Browne being unavailable. Their places went to Gavin Blacoe, whose accurate and zippy distribution from the base very much kept the home side on the front foot and able at times to play with pace.
Home on leave Isaac Fahey (a Captain for part of last season) took up a place at lock. Also returning was back' Tom Drake, following completion of the cricket season.
At the first scrum Tics' eight pushed their opposite numbers back to set up a platform for an attack. Fahey made a burst into the 22' after which Torquay secured a scrum penalty kicked to touch 10 metres from the try line on the right. A Tom Whitford catch, quick set up and a powerful rolling maul brought a try after 5 minutes, with Lewis Harben touching down and Mawgan Penrice converting from his “wrong side.” 7 – 0.
From the re-start fly half Jake Bury took a catch and set off down the narrow side channel, making fully 40 metres. Torquay then tested the visiting defence on both wide flanks, playing some quick touch passing, before reverting to drives down the middle, thus gaining a scrum 5 metres out. However, this time Liskeard got a shove on and Tics knocked on.
Then a grubber through by Penrice forced an error from the covering full back leading to another attacking lineout on the right 12 metres out. The outcome was a replica of the first try, with Harben again the scorer. Last week the side had rather fluffed its lines early on against Lanner and could not convert from at least three early attacking lineouts. Clearly work on the training field had put that hangover to bed and Tics were now 12 – 0 up inside as many minutes.
Then a good inside break by centre Ashley Rescoria made ground and brought a penalty on Tics' 22 converted by fly half Nick Parker for 12 – 3 after 17 minutes.
Andy Gormley was enjoying a good defensive display and having already held up his opposite number to gain Torquay a scrum put-in he then bundled another attacker into touch.
Another penalty to Torquay and another kick for position gave a third close in lineout to the home side. This time the ball was spread left and jack Keiller made inroads to the 22' as he cut towards the posts. At the break down Sonny Rowe was quickest to react and dived over for a third try and an easier conversion for Penrice lmaking it 19 -3 after 25 minutes.
Liskeard then attacked inside the home 22' for only the second time and once again became the recipients of a penalty in front of the posts when the tackled man was not released. Parker again stepped up to make it 19 – 6.
On the re-start, as the Cornish pack continued to look somewhat hesitant Tom Whitford ran through with a high leap for an excellent take – something he would repeat from a re-start later in the second half. Liskeard cleared their lines deep into Tics' half but Drake and Penrice worked the ball wide to left wing Luke Hedges, who showed speed off the mark with a long run past two defenders; only to be tackled into touch five metres short by the covering full back. Torquay's set pieces were going well and the side looked inventive and incisive on familiar home turf.
It was therefore against the run of play and on the occasion of Liskeard entering the home 22' for only the third time in minutes added on that a try scored gave the visitors some hope going in to half time just 19 – 13 in arrears. The try came following an attacking lineout spread out wide to the right and then back the other way with full back Kieran Underhill juggling the ball as he incurred into the backline, but managing a pop pass to Oliver Aggis, who had always looked lively in possession and managed to work his way to the line.
Having received a first half knock centre Jack Keiller was replaced on the resumption by Jonny Brown. After 2 minutes a kick ahead by Bury took a lucky bounce into touch just five metres short of the visitors try line. However, an overthrow to the back of the Liskeard lineout saw home flanker George Helmore gratefully catch and make the short distance to the line for a bonus point score, so it was 24 – 13 in the 45th minute.
Despite this Liskeard then worked their way into the game, with Rescoria again causing some alarms. The match was entering its final quarter, but a brace of tires in quick succession by Tics killed off any realistic hopes of a Cornish comeback.
Fahey had just been replaced, due to a knock with Nick Wright coming into the front row and Adam Dart moving back to lock. A breakout by Penrice from his own half took play right up to the red zone, but he was tackled just short. In good back row tradition both Harben and Helmore had sprinted forward in support. Harben benefitted through a knock-on unseen by the Referee who was struggling to make ground due to the speed of this attack. No whistle came and Helmore was on hand to take Harben's pass and score his own second try. Penrice converted for 29 – 13 in the 62nd minute.
When the visitors re-start kick failed to go the required 10 metres a scrum back ensued with a Tics' put in. Harben picked up quick heeled ball and took the fight to the opposition with a bustling run, finding Blacoe on his right to take a try scoring pass under the posts. The conversion extras made it 36 – 13 with fifteen minutes to play.
Then as Gormley lay injured having been clattered on the nose play continued and scrum half James Noel-Johnson recognised that space had opened up wide on the left and he ran diagonally from the 22' to score to make it 36 – 18 Thereafter Torquay enjoyed two further attacks and Liskeard one, but defences held firm and the match ended with the score remaining 36 – 18.
Torquay Team:
15 – Mawgan Penrice, 14 – Luke Hedges, 13 – Andy Gormley, 12 – Jack Keiller, 11 – Tom Drake, 10 – Jake Bury, 9 – Gavin Blacoe,
1 – Adam Dart, 2 – Craig Withers, 3 – Sonny Rowe, 4 – Tom Whitford (Captain), 5 – Isaac Fahey, 6 – Shane Wakeham, 7 – George Helmore, 8 – Lewis Harben
Replacements: Jonny Brown, Nick Wright and Harvey Piper (all played).
