Huge scare for Hartpury but Williams treble proves in vain
PLYMOUTH Albion nearly caused the upset of the season in National One but despite being narrowly beaten by Hartpury College at Brickfields, they had the consolation of taking two points from the match.
Plymouth also became the first team this season to deny the runaway league leaders a try-scoring bonus point.
A clearly pleased Albion head coach and fly-half Kieran Hallett said: “We outmuscled Hartpury up front and that was a game we should have won.
“Our second-half performance was outstanding and there was only one team in it after half-time. To nil Hartpury in the second 40 was exceptional.
“What did for us was conceding 14 points out of nothing just before halftime.
“Both teams set out to throw the ball around and I’m immensely proud of every Plymouth player.”
In perfect playing conditions Plymouth started the game brightly and took the lead in the seventh minute.
After taking a scrum against the head inside the visitors’ 22, the ball was fed to centre Seta Raumakita who brushed off the final tackle to score the opening try which Hallett converted.
When Plymouth were penalised for not releasing, Hartpury fly-half Jacob Perry opened his side’s account with a 40-metre penalty.
Midway through the first half Plymouth gave away a penalty under their posts, which Perry stroked over to reduce the deficit to one.
After a period of pressure Hartpury took the lead when centre Steve Leonard scored under the posts and Perry added the simple conversion.
A Hartpury break out from inside their own half looked like producing a second try but a superb tap tackle by Plymouth wing Matt Crosscombe prevented Jonas Mikalcius from scoring. Plymouth replied in style and added a second try when flanker Dan Williams finished off a well-constructed catch and drive move.
Hallett missed the conversion and when Plymouth failed to gather the restart Hartpury
flanker Mat Gilbert crossed by the posts with Perry adding the extras.
Hartpury once again scored from the restart when scrum-half Harry Randall outpaced the home defence for try number three.
Perry converted to send Hartpury into the interval leading 27-12.
Plymouth opened the second half scoring when after a break by hooker Tom Cowan-Dickie, Williams got his second try which Hallett converted.
Albion threw everything at Hartpury and got the try- scoring bonus in the 77th minute when Williams powered over for his hattrick try which went unconverted.
Hartpury then held out a rampant Plymouth to keep their unbeaten record intact.
Hartpury skipper Rhys Oakley said: “It was tough out there. Our set-piece struggled but you have to give Plymouth credit for that.
“A couple of tap tackles denied us tries and if we had finished those off it would have been a different story.”