A loss to Douglas Rugby Club in the Manx Cup at Ballafletcher on Saturday was perhaps not unexpected given the gulf in respective national league positions.

But Vagabonds were disappointed not to get closer than the final margin of 7-81, having earned a recent boost from the league win against Colne & Nelson.

The first 10 minutes against Douglas on a dry and dusty pitch were a tussle, especially up front, until Douglas second-row Craig McGee picked a choice line through midfield and simply outpaced the cover to score under the posts.

Nathan Robson converted and added a penalty, but Vagabonds were on par with Douglas in the tight, squeezing out a couple of penalties of their own at the scrum as front-row man Jo Louw piled on the pressure.

Douglas re-asserted control with strong runs from Richard Bell and Conor Garland, and Ollie Howard jinked in for two tries, while Craig Martin showed blistering pace to outgun the defence, Robson cruised over and Aaron Mason barrelled in for try number six.

Once Robson added a penalty and three conversions, one a touchline howitzer, the Vagabonds penalty try meant by half-time Douglas were out of sight at 7-41.

The second 40 minutes continued in much the same vein, even with Vagabonds man of the match George Hotchkiss doing his utmost to put a spoke in the runaway Douglas wagon.

Robson went over for his second, skipper Brendan Kelly at scrum-half darted in and flanker Harry Cartwright careered 70-metres up the right wing to rub salt in the open wound.

Injuries caused Vagabonds to empty the bench and coach Franzy Germishuys joined the fray, only to see scuffed Vagas’ kick-offs give up midfield positions which Kyle Martin and Cal Dentith ran in for tries 10 and 11.

McGee book-ended his contribution with the final try and Douglas man of the match Robson piled up 31 points including nine conversions.

A third man of the match award went to the excellent young referee Joe Quinn, mentored by senior Isle of Man referee Joe Phelan, barely noticed by spectators off the pitch and with calm authority on it.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT