REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST (SATURDAY)
Launceston 47 Matson 12
THE All Blacks remain top of the table after seven games after beating Matson in a feisty encounter at Polson Bridge.
The visitors saw six yellow cards and a red, while the hosts also saw Charlie Short controversially sent off and replacement Tom Anderton sin-binned for a push off the ball.
Launceston went into the game off the back of a thrilling victory at previously unbeaten Lydney a week earlier, but had to make a late change as full-back Jose Luis Juarez’s hamstring wasn’t risked.
This meant James Tucker made his first start of the season at 15 with Anderton coming onto the bench. Other changes saw lock Alex Bartlett and outside-centre Billy Martin come in for Dom Ellery (bench) and the injured Ollie Bebbington.
Matson are known for their physical approach and within five minutes were down to 14 men for ten minutes following a tap-tackle on Cam Fogden.
The hosts had plenty of possession and eventually scored when good play by Fogden and Tucker released Ben Bryant to cross in the corner. George Hillson added the first of six conversions, that after another Matson player was sin-binned for flopping on Bryant as he dotted down.
By 25 minutes the second try arrived as man of the match Tom Sandercock broke through on halfway before feeding Martin who ran in from just inside the Matson 22.
It didn’t take long for the next two tries to arrive, both coming from Hillson.
The first saw the hosts win a scrum against the head inside the visiting 22 before number eight Rowley fed Hillson. The former Tavistock scrum-half soon broke through from halfway before running in under the posts.
Matson crossed almost straight from kick-off following some phases, but any hope of an epic comeback were gone when flanker Tom Collier was sent off by referee Scott De Weymarn for allegedly kicking Bryant in the head.
A fifth home try arrived before half-time when Sandercock ran around some poor defending.
At 35-5 the game was all but over, but soon after the restart the hosts were down to 14 men when Short was given his marching orders after the referee adjudged his tackle to be high and to the head.
The second 40 was a stop-start affair but Launceston did cross twice more.
Former captain Lloyd Duke finished off a driving maul, while Martin grabbed his second following a fine move 15 minutes before the end.
Matson got a late score after Anderton was yellowed, but Launceston remain top of the table with 31 points from a possible 35.
They sit a point ahead of Exmouth who won 68-14 at St Austell, while Barnstaple are just three adrift after seeing off Lydney at Pottington Road.
Launceston are in action on Saturday when they visit two-league lower Penryn in the Cornwall Cup.
However they will have to do without Sandercock due to a broken finger sustained in a tackle, while hooker Levent Bulut was forced off with a calf injury which will need to be assessed in the coming days.
One piece of bright news is that flying winger Dan Pearce will hope to be involved in the Castles’ cup clash at Falmouth Seconds having been out injured since January.
LAUNCESTON: James Tucker, Zerran Hammond, Billy Martin, Cam Fogden, Ben Bryant, Tom Sandercock (capt), George Hillson; Mitch Hawken, Levent Bulut, Charlie Short, Dan Goldsmith, Alex Bartlett, Tom Bottoms, Lloyd Duke, Brandon Rowley. Replacements: Leion Cole, Dom Ellery, Tom Anderton.
Tries: Bryant, Martin (2), Hillson (2), Sandercock, Duke; Convs: Hillson (6); Pens: N/A.
Launceston man of the match: Tom Sandercock.