We have to stick to our goals, says Tavvy boss

TAVISTOCK head coach Mike Lewis is urging his team not to give bottom outfit Totnes the chance to cause an upset.

Tavvy are second in the division, four points off leaders Honiton and could go top tomorrow if they win and other results go their way.

Totnes have won one game all season and Lewis is determined Tavistock are not going to become their second victims.

He said: "Being realistic, they (Totnes) shouldn't be a problem for us, as long as the boys hit their goals.

"I don't know a lot about Totnes and I'm not sure what they might pull out of the bag against us.

"The important thing is that we shut them down early and don't allow them to get any confidence."

Tavistock can record their 14th straight win of the season, and Lewis, who runs the moorlands outfit with assistant Lee Webber, admitted his side's rise up the table had exceeded their aims.

He said: "We didn't imagine before Christmas that we would be in the position, that we are in.

"We're second at the moment and four points off the top.

"In November, we were 20 points off the top of the table.

"We set ourselves the goal of finishing in the top four and we've exceeded this, but we're not going to stop setting ourselves goals or we will go into a decline."

Meanwhile, Tavistock seconds are topping their Devon Merit Table after winning 46-17 at Torquay III.

Tavvy ran in four tries in each half, with the hosts scoring three in reply.

Wing Tom Thursby scored twice, with the others coming from Ben Hadfield, Tom Rickard, Patrick Hobbs, Jake Chinn, Simon Parisio and Richard Edlman. Nick Lane added three conversions.

PLYMOUTH Barbarians' head coach Mark Busfield is sure his team have done enough to keep themselves in the Cornwall-Devon League.

That won't stop Busfield and assistant Jim Meakin trying to put one over Cornish side Veor at Brickfields tomorrow (2.30).

Barbarians, who were promoted as Devon One champions, are fourth-bottom and cannot be caught by the bottom two, the seemingly doomed Torrington and Totnes.

Busfield said: "I think we're safe, but we've got four games at home and I think we're quite capable of finishing the season in mid-table.

"I don't think we understand just what we've achieved this year.

"At the beginning of the season, we aimed to stay in the Cornwall-Devon League and we've done that."

Busfield and Meakin were sorting out their team last night, but definitely out is Dave Clarke, who is in hospital after apparently contracting cellulitis.