Chiefs So Close To Shock Scalp

I've been at Argaum since 1999 and never have I been greeted with weather like what met us on Saturday for the Lockie Cup Semi-Final. The windows in the changing rooms rattled with the hailstones and the skies were dark with Thunder and lightening. An extraordinary mumber of scrum caps were being sported, probably simply to protect against the marbles that were being thrown from the clouds.

Services arrived in splendid form. The seconds having some good recent results and the first team, 4th in Western Counties West, were enjoying a week off from league rugby.

The Pre-match routines were hampered by the severe conditions and the normally stoic Bickleigh Down pitch had gathered noticeable surface water which was the main talking point.

From the start, playing down the hill, the Chiefs put pressure on the Blues and seemingly adapting well to the conditions, Ciaran Bennett broke 2 tackles in the midfield and raced 35 yards to score under the posts. Tom Richards potted the extras and Argaum were on the front-foot.

Throughout the first half, Jake Turfrey and Richards repeatedly tested the Services full-Back, (a recent acquisition from Tamar Saracens) and having consistently dropped everything that went his way, would've perhaps preferred to have stayed at home. This helped gain field position and the scrums seemed to go with the put in.

The second half saw Daniel Smith come on. Argaum, now playing against the elements scrapped away for the first 15 minutes of the half, with Services dominating the territory. Injuries started to take their toll, with Scott Galloway and Daniel James coming off, being replaced by Stuart Quarterman and Steve Reeves. This period saw ten minutes of dogged defence from the home side. Scrummaging up the hill in front of their own posts, they couldn't get any purchase. Scrum after scrum they were pushed over, but with Jamie Venner, Will Cox Stephan Jones and Quarterman scrapping for everything on the deck, the blues couldn't get the ball grounded convincingly enough for the referree to award the try.

Conceding defeat, the Devonport side eventually shipped the ball wide and after a few attempts, scored in the corner, missing the conversion.

Further injury struck, this time to Smith, who was Argaum's 2nd front row replacement, meaning Venner had to hook. The weakened scrum continued to struggle in the conditions and 5 minutes from time, a penalty was conceded in front if the posts which was converted to put Services up by a point. This spurred Argaum on, and one way of another, marched back up the field.

It was so tense, what was a very well tempered game could've been spoilt by a decision by the visiting touch judge to raise his flag for in touch an age after the ball was shipped back inside, but Argaum kept their discipline and the pressure on Services 22 during the last play saw one of the Devonport forwards throw the ball off the pitch, resulting in a penalty being awarded.

Up stepped Jones, not Argaum's regular kicker and even for the last kick of the game, the weather was to play a part as the ball wouldn't stay on the tee. Eventually the kick was taken and missed and the Services squad will have been relieved to get to the showers with their place in the final booked.

Read Devonport Services take on the game HERE.