LAUNCESTON joint head coach Ian Goldsmith feels ‘we’ve got to be pleased’ after the Cornishmen ended the first month of the season with a comfortable 49-15 success at Ivybridge on Saturday in Regional One South West.

Launceston ran in seven tries at Cross-in-Hand – all converted by scrum-half George Hillson – and led 35-3 at the break, an advantage they were never going to surrender against a young home side that played almost half of the opening 40 with 14 men thanks to yellow cards for Henry Trudgill and Henry Burke.

Although the hosts started well playing towards the car park end and went close early on through full-back Giles Clarke who soon added a penalty after five minutes for 3-0, the visitors soon got on top.

Tom Bottoms scored in the corner to put the All Blacks in front following a fine run by Cam Fogden, and after Charlie Short bulldozed his way over from close range, there was only ever going to be one outcome.

Burke’s yellow card on 31 minutes put the Devonians on the back foot further, and before the break Launceston cashed in as winger Zerran Hammond crossed following a fine lineout move and full-back Ollie Bebbington scored twice.

Ivybridge notched twice within 15 minutes to make it 35-15, but Launceston dug in and then scored before the end through Bebbington and Billy Martin.

Reflecting on the afternoon, Goldsmith said: “First and foremost to come away from home and get five points, you’ve got to be pleased.

“But again it was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde performance.

“The first ten or 15 minutes of the first half we were a bit pedestrian, and just a bit slow.

“But once we got the second try we really went up through the gears and were really clinical.

“Then half-time came which we could really have done without, and whatever they said worked, as they were much better after the break.

“Yes the game was probably done at 35-3, but we spoke about keeping them to three but it never happened.

“We weren’t very good in the second half and our kicking game was dreadful, but we’ve got 16 points from a possible 20, so we’re in a decent position.”

Goldsmith was also quick to praise the performance of Bebbington who has nine tries from just four games this term.

He said: “Ollie is in unbelievable form. Ryan (Westren) said to him when you’re in a vain of form like this to just go out and there and live in it, as it’s not always going to be this good, and he delivered.

“There were also some decent other performances. Tom (Sandercock) was superb in the second half and I thought Daniel (Goldsmith) was really good today as well.”

Launceston sit third in the table, a point behind Lydney and four adrift of Exmouth, and Goldsmith feels that with players to come back, they are well placed to push on.

He said: “Apart from last week’s game (a 36-27 defeat to Exmouth) we’re pretty pleased with how it’s gone.

“When you consider that we’ve not seen James Tucker or Dan Pearce yet as they recover from injury and Jose was out injured today, we’ve not even had a full back line to choose from and we’ve still scored at least four tries in every game.”

Launceston have this weekend off before welcoming new boys Marlborough to Polson Bridge next Saturday (3pm).

Goldsmith added: “We’ll train on Tuesday and then give the boys a week off, particularly as we then go into a block of 12 straight games including a Cornwall Cup tie at Penryn.

“That’s really going to test us as squad, but if we can come through that in good shape and still in the mix then we’ll be very happy.”