As expected, Torquay were well up for this game on their home turf and their very handy backs moved the ball well to see them take the lead in the 8th minute with a converted try on their left wing, 7 - 0 to Torquay.

Almost immediately momentum swung in the Ashes favour with three brilliant tries coming from a classic wingers break by James Moriarty then literally a close up burst through the middle from seven metres out to see Finn Jones dot down between the posts, the third try for this half came from sheer hard forward slog by Liall Honey. All three tries well converted by our reliable Jack Pritchard. Torquay 7 - Saltash 21.

Tics did not sit back however and two minutes before the break came back to score an converted try from some impressive forward play.
Half time: Torquay 14 - Saltash 21.

The second half started well for the Ashes with Moriarty going over for his second try in the 45th minute 45, again converted by Pritchard.
Torquay 14 - Saltash 28.

The next 20 minutes involved Saltash in great attacking form but Torquay defended very well and at the end of the 20 minutes the Ashes only came away with a Pritchard penalty to nudge the lead out to Torquay 14 - Saltash 31.
From minute 67 the game started to shift in Torquay‘s favour with a converted try at minute 68 making the score Torquay 21 - Saltash 31.

The Devon side maintained the pressure and managed to get a further converted score at minute 72 taking the score to Torquay 28 - Saltash 31.

From there until the final whistle the game was end to end and it felt like the final whistle was never going to be blown but the Ashes hung on in and managed to take the win.

For the Ashes it was their first and well-deserved victory this season so far. It was a very entertaining game very evenly matched and it could’ve gone either way in those last 10 minutes.

Players of note, Henry Taylor, Ryan Cruikshanks, Jack Pritchard, George Howlett and of course all the forwards!

Thanks to Chair Noel Hill for covering the notes for the match.