Launceston 64pts

Penryn 22pts

One local report was headed "Penryn Crash out in the Cup". Certainly they were well beaten by a well-drilled side that play all of their league rugby in National League Two, but crash out they did not.

Launceston were loud in their praise of the way Borough took up the challenge from a club four divisions below them; in football terms it was like Plymouth Argyle playing Falmouth Town.

It was an entertaining game and it was 35 minutes before Launceston started to get on top. During that first period Penryn took the game very much to the home side. The Cornish All Blacks paid due respect to Borough by fielding a full strength side and eventually were too good for Borough, but the visitors, who were eventually able to raise a full side with the exception of two late injury withdrawals in Ben Short and Tristan Lark, will have gained a great deal of experience from this game at Polson Bridge.

A bright start from Penryn saw them put pressure on a very shaky Launceston defence, who were obviously worried by the ferocity and skill that Penryn showed. In the fourth minute this resulted in a penalty which Martin Strick had no difficulty in slotting over.

The All Blacks responded three minutes later with a try from winger Vasile Ghioc with full back Jon Hill adding the extras. But Nick Brown completely tricked the home side three minutes after that. Borough were awarded a penalty just in side the Launceston half. Brown took a quick tap, cut right through the Launceston defence and scored a superb try under the posts, giving Martin Strick a very easy conversion.

This was to be the last time that Penryn were ahead for the Launceston scrum half Andy Birkett scored an unconverted try after 35 minutes. Nevertheless, Penryn were not beaten yet, although Birkett added another try after 23 minutes to make the score 19 -10.

Four minutes later, with Launceston ensconced in the Penryn half, lock Julian Wilce was adjudged to have stamped on Penryn's Kevin Hughes and was given a red card after the referee consulted with the nearest touch judge.

The Borough came back when left wing James Greville-Smith intercepted a pass in his own 22 and ran the length of the field to score for Martin Strick to add the extra points.

In the last five minutes of the half Launceston went further ahead with tries by centres Eddie Nancekivell and Thomas Bonnefoy. Jon Hill converted both to give the home side a 33-17 half-time lead.

The second half was all Launceston as they ran in five more tries by Dean Shipton, Nick Burnett, Andy Birkett, Steve Rush and Steve Yates. After good work by Sheldon Waetford and Nick Brown, ably supported by Martin Strick, it allowed Jon Tann, newly signed from St Agnes, to score in the corner, giving a final score of 64-22.

It was a pity that Borough had so many points scored against them. There can be no doubt that Launceston were the better team and that they thoroughly deserved their success, but Penryn showed a lot of character; in particular the discipline was exemplary.

"It is perhaps appropriate to suggest," said rugby secretary Mike "that maybe Cornwall should follow the lead of Devon and modify the rules of its competitions.

"In Devon a National League team cannot select a player who has played in any one of the preceding four league games. Exeter do not enter the competition whilst Plymouth Albion field their 'Extras' This is probably inappropriate in Cornwall, but a slight modification might help to improve the situation regarding qualification for the Powergen Cup. As National League teams qualify automatically, Cornwall's two other nominees have recently been the two other highest placed clubs in the Skinner's Brewery Cornwall Cup.

Last season it was finalists Penryn and Truro, but unfortunately both these teams are now out of this year's Cornwall Cup, so it is unlikely that Truro or Penryn, probably Cornwall's best sides outside the national leagues, will now qualify for the Powergen Cup for 2003/4, unless the CRFU decides otherwise.

Elsewhere in Western Counties West Okehampton's shock 38-32 win over second placed Withycombe finally handed the Western Counties title to Borough.

So Borough are back in South West Two after two seasons, and as the promotion and relegation issues begin to be settled it looks like an exciting mix of teams from Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire, although the final makeup will not be known until after the play-offs in April.

Scorers - Launceston - tries: Ghioc, Nancekivell, Bonneyfoy, Shipton, Burnett, Rush, S Yates, Birkett (3); cons: Hill (7). Penryn - tries: Sheldon Waetford, James Greville-Smith, Jon Tann; cons: Martin Strick (2); pen: Martin Strick.

Penryn: A Richards, (Pellow 66), C Mann, S Waetford, N Brown, J Greville-Smith (P Webster 66), R Hambly, M Strick, D Jacques (M Coulls 65), J Tann, A Day, D Stanley, D Crockford (D Vicary 60), A Jordan, A Lawton.

There is no 1st XV game this weekend, but a strong 2nd XV will take on Redruth 2nds at the Memorial ground, kick-off 2.30 pm.

Penryn 2nd XV (from): J Holroyd, D Pellow, P Webster, K Kitto, A Bowers, R O'Kane, C Morbey, S Saavas, T Lampshire, S Trevor, S Patterson, J Stapleton, A Giles, A Lawton, D Crockford, S Uphill, D Laity, S Allen, S Richards, M Berks, C Wands.