The Wanderers started their season in the Devon Participation Merit Table with a fixture away to Torquay Athletic RFC 2nds. With Torquay’s first team away the match was played on the home pitch on the seafront, which is an excellent pitch and good facility.

As there were 4 debutants (Joe Staniforth, Nick Carter, Chris Luscombe and Ben Venner), no natural scrum half and the return of Darren Ford from a season off, coach Paul Brown was skeptical as to how the Argaum boys would get on. Especially as this league is a level up from what they have played previously.

With the warm up complete, drills practiced and team brief done, team captain Tom Underwood won the toss and elected to receive the kick off due to the bright sunlight being behind the Argaum goal. However this was the only decision that would go argaum’s way for the next 55minutes of rugby.

From the start Torquay came out the blocks and took the fight to the Wanderers' defence. After 10 minutes Torquay broke through to score under the posts. Argaum replied by taking the game to Torqauy and Tom Underwood broke through the line to touch down under the posts. The ref then awarded the home side a scrum 5m out for reasons best known to himself and the try was disallowed.

Some scappy rugby then followed and tempers flared as several high dangerous tackles went unpenalised. During the rest of the half Torquay touched down twice more, only 1 of which was converted. Half time: TARFC2nds 19 – 0 Argaum Wanderers.

Whatever coach Paul Brown put in the water bottles seemed to do the trick as after the restart Argaum were organized, used the faster backs and winger Ryan Phillips made some impressive dancing runs. With the forwards setting a decent platform for the backs a try looked on until Brad Westell’s pass was intercepted and the Torquay winger who made an 80 yard dash to under the posts, raising painful memories of a similar costly mistake in the Ellis final some months earlier.

With only 25 minutes remaining and a score of 26-0, many teams would sink into a slum of self-doubt. But not the Argaum Wanderers. With a penalty awarded and the Torquay captain sent to the bin (not before time one might say) the forwards took center stage and started to dominate the set pieces. From a lineout move straight out of the Graham Dawe handbook of Game winning moves the forwards drove over the line with new boy Joe Staniforth touching down. Dan Sergeant’s conversion bounced of the crossbar but fell pitch side.

10 minutes later the forwards found themselves in a similar position and as if history repeated itself Staniforth touched down again. Torquay had literally no answer to the Argaum lineout and once again Sergent was unable to add the extras. Immediately from the kick off some slick play allowed Adam ‘Goody’ Wood to brake through the defense and touch down under the post, this time Segent dropped goaled the extras.

Torquay having to restart for the second time in 2 minutes saw Argaum take the play straight back to the hosts and with the score now at 26-17 a comeback was very much on the cards. Argaum were awarded a penalty in their own 22 however instead of allowing the game to continue the referee decided enough was enough and blew to finish the match.

Although the game ended in defeat for the Wanderers, many positives can be taken. Particularly the discipline of the second half when 26-0 down and the set piece drills working well. Next up, Kingsbridge 2’s, no doubt a very difficult challenge.

Special mention should be given to Chris Luscombe for only his 2nd ever game of rugby coming on in the second row for Darren ford and also to Mike Wood for stepping up from the Drifters, both putting in a good performance.

Team:
1. Rhys Jobbins
2. Calum Mills
3. Micheal MaCormac
4. Paul Symons
5. Joe Staniforth
6. Nick Carter

7. Adam Wood

8. Darren Forda
9. Owen Beli
10. Tom Underwood
11. Mike Wood

12. Dan Bolt
13. Brad Wessel

14. Ryan Phillips

15. Dan Sargent

Subs: Chris Lacombe, Ben Venner