LAUNCESTON produced another fine pre-season performance as they won 14-12 at newly-promoted Devonport Services on Thursday night.

The All Blacks headed down to Plymouth to take on last year’s league opponents, and despite falling behind early, earned victory against the current Regional One South West champions thanks to second half scores via Brandon Rowley and a penalty try.

The match was played at Tamar Saracens due to floodlight works at the Rectory and with the light fading following the match earlier in the night between the host club and Launceston Castles which the Saracens won 12-0, it was reduced to an hour.

But it was Devonport that started the brighter as they bashed away in the visiting 22 for the opening ten minutes, a feat made easier by an early yellow card for prop Ethan Pearce-Cowley.

But despite plenty of drives, lineouts and scrums, Launceston held on.

However, after briefly attacking, they conceded just beyond the mid-way point of the half as following a lineout ten metres out, the hosts motored their way forward before former All Black James McFarlane dotted down.

From there on Launceston earned a foothold in the game and regrouped.

They strung together plenty of phases with the lineout functioning well.

The closest they came to levelling the game was when full-back Jose Juarez intercepted a pass in his own 22 and got to within a whisker of Devonport line before being tackled.

The second half started with Launceston on top and receiving plenty of penalties.

They got their reward ten minutes into the half as number eight Brandon Rowley scored to the left of the posts following a five-metre lineout.

But within five minutes the home side were back ahead as Mark Friend broke through a tackle to score in the corner. The conversion was missed.

Launceston continued their charge and with less than ten minutes to go they went back in front.

From a five-metre lineout, prop Mitch Hawken looked set to score, but he was tackled high with the referee awarding a penalty try.

They saw off the rest of the game with ease.

Reflecting on the workout, Launceston joint head coach Ian Goldsmith said: “We pretty much picked up from where we left off against Redruth.

“Considering it was a Thursday night, we were playing at a neutral ground and we didn’t have a physio, so for us to play like we did was a superb effort.”

With just this weekend’s trip to Okehampton left before next weekend’s league opener against Brixham, Goldsmith feels they are on the right track.

He said: “We are in pretty good shape as we’ve performed really well twice, once against an established National Two side in Redruth who have a big pack, and then against a Devonport side that were comfortably the best team in our league last season and who cause plenty of problems with their attack.”

Attention now turns to Saturday where the Colts, Castles and first team are all going to Okehampton.

The colts start at 12.30pm, followed by the Castles (2.30pm) and then the first team match at 4.30pm.

Goldsmith added: “On paper we should win, but they did the double on us last season and our recent record against them isn’t very good.

“But they love to play us so it’s a really good choice of opposition and everybody from both clubs is looking forward to it.”

LAUNCESTON: Jose Juarez, Zerran Hammond, Ben Bryant, Cam Fogden, Ollie Bebbington, James Tucker, Tom Sandercock (capt); Ethan Pearce-Cowley, Levent Bulut, Charlie Short, Dan Goldsmith, Tom Bottoms, Dom Ellery, Lloyd Duke, Brandon Rowley. Replacements: Mitch Hawken, Alex Bartlett, Seb Cox, Jamie Chapman.