Match Report: Plymouth Albion vs St Austell RFC
Friday 29 August – Brickfields, 1945 KO
Plymouth Albion completed their final pre-season fixture prior to the start of the 2025/26 season, taking on St Austell RFC, who currently compete in the Tribute Ale Region One South West Division.
Friday night at Brickfields, with a healthy number of home supporters on hand, saw the two sides take to the field with the sun still shining. The wind and rain from the previous night’s storm seemed to have little effect on the pitch, as both teams looked to head into their forthcoming seasons on a high note.
First Half
The opening ten minutes were a lively affair, and despite there being no score, Albion piled on the pressure and managed to maintain territorial advantage. Some gallant defending by St Austell and one or two unforced errors by the home side left the fans waiting for the first points of the game.
Those points would follow at the fifteen-minute mark, after a fantastic run by Ben Saunders, which led to a penalty. Saunders opted to kick to touch deep inside the St Austell 22. The subsequent line-out led to the Plymouth Albion ruck driving toward the line until Gabe Mead emerged from the pack to put the ball down for Albion’s first try. Saunders then narrowly missed the kick from a tricky angle, before play resumed.
Following the try, St Austell turned up the tempo and enjoyed some promising possession, yet were still unable to creep too far beyond the halfway line. Just before the half-hour mark, Albion put the pressure on and were rewarded by a well-worked try, as Billy Orchard sprinted to the line on the wing after a neat overlap, eventually dotting down under the posts. That gave Saunders a simple conversion, extending Albion’s lead.
With darkness now surrounding the ground, and the sun all but gone, the floodlights shone brightly as Albion pressed once more. A high tackle on Torin Clarke gave Saunders another opportunity to pin the ball deep into the visitors’ 22. The subsequent drive set up Gabe Mead for his second try of the game, charging through the St Austell defence to score in the corner. Saunders’ tough conversion attempt missed by inches, leaving Albion 17–0 up at the half.
Second Half
Both teams made changes at the break, but Albion quickly re-established dominance. A brilliant individual run from Kyle Spear saw him break three tackles before sprinting under the posts for his first try of the game. Saunders added the extras with ease.
Almost immediately, roles were reversed as St Austell camped out in Albion’s 22, pushing the defence hard. However, Albion turned defence into attack as Ben Parsons intercepted a pass and sprinted the length of the field from inside his own 22 to score in the corner. Saunders nailed the conversion from a tight angle, much to the delight of the home crowd.
St Austell responded with determination and were eventually rewarded for their pressure, squeezing over for a try with 20 minutes to go. The conversion was missed, keeping the score at 31–5.
Albion quickly regained control. Sustained pressure in the visitors’ 22 led to Callum Arnold bulldozing his way to his first try of the game. Saunders again added the extras, stretching the lead to 38–5 with 15 minutes left.
Moments later, a penalty try was awarded to Albion after a promising drive was illegally impeded. Then came three quick tries to close out the contest: one from birthday boy Morgan Stone, another from Ben Sharpe on his debut (converted by Frankie Dart), and finally Joel Broadhurst, who scored right on the 40-minute mark.
The final whistle blew with Albion sealing a commanding 62–5 victory.
From the Coach
Albion coach Ryan Lamb praised both sides after the game:
“I give credit to St Austell, they made us work hard for that first twenty-five, thirty minutes… they gave us a massive workout, exactly what we wanted and including the last three games it’s been brilliant preparation for us going into our first league game next week.”
On debutant Ben Sharpe, Lamb added:
“Sharpe’s been awesome. He’s kept his head down and worked hard. He’s a young lad and it’s great to give him a bit of experience here.”
In closing, Lamb reflected on the progress shown across the squad:
“The lads across the whole squad have played good minutes and it’s the fittest and most powerful we’ve looked coming out of a pre-season, and a lot of that is down to the players coming back in good condition. We’re really pleased, but we won’t actually know until we get down to business next week and the tough challenge of Leeds.”
Looking Ahead
Albion now turn their attention to the start of the National League 1 season, with an opening fixture away at Leeds Tykes on Saturday 6 September. The squad will be keen to carry their pre-season form into competitive action as the 2025/26 campaign begins.
You can now purchase your match day tickets by visiting plymouthalbion.com or simply click here.
