With Torquay still having an outside promotion chance and Saints determined to banish thoughts of relegation the stage was set fair for a titanic battle at Tregorrick Park.

Saints could not have asked for a better start as centre James Martin showed his pace and power to smash his way through the visitors defence after just 1 minute to touch down with Cavan Boyer adding the extras. (7-0).

Torquay responded well and battered away against a resolute Saints defence for the next 10 minutes before a turnover followed by surging runs from Number 8 George Knowles and Martin paved the way for a scything break by Cavan Boyer who was stopped on the 22m line by a scrambling Torquay defence. Saints were not to be denied and centre Shane Johns tracked play well to pick up and dot down under the posts for Boyer to convert (14–0).

Once again Torquay came back but a penalty conceded for holding the ball in the tackle was pumped into their 22 where a well worked Saints catch-and-drive followed by some excellent attacking play by the backs resulted in a penalty in front of the posts converted by Boyer on 25 minutes (17–0).

Torquay enjoyed a period of good pressure and when a penalty was awarded to them just inside home territory they took advantage of some dozy Saints defending on the half hour mark to run the ball wide for Tony McArthy to touch down for a well-deserved first Torquay try (17-5).

In previous games this may have shaken Saints’ confidence but not today and they responded brilliantly with Captain Miles Davey leading from the front in attack and defence. Veteran winger Ben Chenoweth was starting to make deep inroads in the visitors’ defence but it was try machine Pete Rowe who forced his way over after a catch-and-drive to steady home nerves, converted again by Boyer (24-5).

Then Saints secured their try bonus point in the dying seconds of the first half as influential fly half Callum Wilson finished off a slaloming run by Shane Johns. Boyer’s conversion ensured the Saints went into the half time huddle 31-5 in front.

Perhaps understandably defences were tighter in the opening quarter of the second half. Both sides enjoyed good spells of pressure but it took a yellow card for flanker Sam Rhodes to open up a little space. Torquay flanker and captain Richard Reid exploited the mismatch in back row numbers to dart over the line from a Torquay lineout with 60 minutes gone (31-10).

The Saints pack continue to assert their dominance in the scrum and with Adam Kellow consistently making good yardage in the loose and fellow lock Mark Vian disrupting Torquay's lineout, the visitors were being starved of any quality ball. With the Saints now looking in control, the coaching staff looked to hammer home their advantage by bringing fresh legs off the bench. On 70 minutes Liam Freeman, made a welcome return after a long term injury, came on alongside Cornwall U20 back row Andy Inch and the changes had an immediate effect with both players playing a prominent role in a flowing move that was finished off by a side-stepping Ben Chenoweth, Boyer again converting (38-10).

At the restart Torquay were again under pressure from a rampant Saints and conceded a penalty that Saints was sensibly converted to extend their lead (41-10).

To their credit, Torquay responded well to the set back by regaining the ball from the kick off to lay siege to the Saints line with wave after wave of players smashing away in search of a consolation. However the Saints saved the best to last and from a turnover the home side launched a counter attack with Kellow, Chenoweth and Rhodes breaking out of defence with a wonderful display of inter passing and support running. As the triumvirate moved down the field the ball was shifted to the opposite wing where in neat symmetry James Martin, the centre who had scored the first try in the first minute bagged the final one in the last minute to make the final score 46-10.

Tregorrick Park rose as one to salute a fantastic game where Torquay had played a full part. For the home side this was a victory to savour, a very young and inexperienced Saints endured a torrid time on the South Devon coast back in December going down 41-11 to a very physical Torquay side. To bounce back in such emphatic style undoubtedly helped to ease the trials and tribulations that followed earlier encounter. While the home side will enjoy the moment they know there is still much work to be done before they are mathematically safe from the drop. They will however go into next week’s crucial game at Penryn full of confidence knowing that if they can repeat the intensity and quality of this display it will put them in a great position to grab a vital win.

Man of the Match: Ben Chenoweth - a wonderful attacking and defensive display from the blonde bombshell