LAUNCESTON joint head coach Ian Goldsmith pulled no punches after the All Blacks slipped to a surprise 38-19 reversal at Sidmouth on Saturday in Regional One South West.

It looked good for the visitors when they led 12-7 at the break and 19-12 with just 18 minutes left on the clock, but a four-try burst from the Chiefs ensured the first ever meeting between the two clubs went the way of the East Devon side.

What made the collapse even more surprising was that the visitors had the slope in their favour in the second half, although they were missing key personnel both before and during the game.

Goldsmith admitted he felt the team thought they could just go out there after the break and the win would come, a thought only added to when Lewis Hole was sin-binned inside a minute of the restart for a high tackle on outside-centre Billy Martin, but also praised Sidmouth’s performance.

He said: “We were leading at half-time and when they got the early yellow card in the second half you thought we’d go and get some points, but it just didn’t happen, where as in the second half they went and made it happen, so fair play to them.

“Defensively we got a bit narrow and didn’t spread the width well enough, but fair play to them, when we attacked they were well connected and spread the field well.

“As the game wore on we looked toothless in attack although losing Jose (Luis Juarez) to an ankle injury after a few minutes meant we lost one our big attacking threats.”

Launceston’s defensive efforts were superb in the first half at Blackmore Field as time and again they repelled Sidmouth pressure, but once Jake Smith levelled the scores with a try which he converted himself, on 62 minutes, the heavens opened.

Goldsmith said: “In the first half our boys showed plenty of ticker and fortitude to keep them out, but it felt like in the second half we just thought it was going to happen and nobody from our side really went and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

We were winning 12-7, so it certainly wasn’t a case of personnel, but they went on the attack and capitalised.

“In the last 20 minutes we didn’t really win any collisions and their boys out wide got on the front foot.”

Launceston were beaten by new leaders Exmouth back in September after winning their first two before going on a four-match unbeaten run, and Goldsmith hopes for something similar when they welcome promoted Royal Wootton Bassett to Polson Bridge on Saturday (3pm).

He said: “We need to make sure we respond in the right way as there’ll certainly be a fair of discussion between now and Saturday.

“Our response to losing to Exmouth was brilliant, so Ryan (Westren)and I will expect the boys to respond accordingly.”

Their Wiltshire visitors have had a steady start since returning to Step Five over the summer, and beat Launceston’s Cornish rivals St Austell 50-38 on Saturday, a result which left them sixth in the table with four wins and as many defeats from their eight outings.

Goldsmith added: “Royal Wootton Bassett are a side who like to go ‘coast to coast’ so to speak in that they like to attack out wide, so we need to make sure we get our defence right and make sure we look more potent and threatening in attack.”

Elsewhere around the club, the Castles were handed a home walkover by Falmouth Seconds while the ladies saw off Hornets 29-5 in Women’s NC 1 South West (West) on Sunday.