Sat 22 Feb 2020, 14:00
Some games are hard to write up. Perhaps the best thing is to quote George Bretag-Norris who told me "If it makes it better we are more upset than you are" although those were not the exact words - but this is print.
Plymouth are somewhat of the sleeping giant of this league. Their stadium is one of the best in the league, only surpassed by Darlington and Richmond. They regularly attract crowds over a thousand and sit several hundred for lunch. Even for this hastily reorganised fixture they had eighty dining. As one of the two Cambridge fans dining -though a few more joined us in the stands - we were made very welcome.
Plymouth have been building all season and this was a great performance that showed just what they were capable of.
It was not that we did not have chances, it was that we failed to take them - on a day where everything seemed to click for the hosts.
Plymouth opened the scoring almost immediately with a well worked try. From the restart kick Cambridge came up fast, Plymouth tried to clear, but Mat Hena charged down the kick and gathered the ball to score.
Plymouth swept back and added a second and a third try. Play was disrupted by a bad injury to the Plymouth centre Connor Eastgate - who lost consciousness after mistiming a tackle on Joe Tarrant. It looked like he would need to be carried off - though he was eventually able to walk off the pitch and was talking coherently.
Cambridge did have pressure towards the end of the half and probably should have scored. Plymouth gave up a yellow card but Cambridge could not take advantage.
The second half had much the same pattern as the first. Plymouth putting us under pressure and forcing a gap in the cover to run in three tries in the first twenty minutes.
When Cambridge did have the ball, we could not put together enough phases. Rhodri Adamson did manage a consolation try after seventy minutes. Though Plymouth had the last word with a seventh try.
I caught up with our former prop Jack Higgins after the match. He was obviously pleased with the Plymouth performance, but had good words for Cambridge's pace and fitness which made for a tough game despite the scoreline.
There will be better days. The boys know they need to pick themselves up and get back on the horse and I am sure they will need no other motivation to do better at Blackheath.
Back in Cambridge, the thirds had a good day, beating Ipswich II 19-17 to move second in the Plate.
Final Score
Plymouth Albion 49 - 10 Cambridge
Scorers
Tries: Hema, Adamson
