Bill, in course of time, acquired the sobriquet of “Snips” for being so often on hand to apply the finishing touch to other player’s work, which must surely be the trade mark of a successful wing forward! Between them Tim and Bill got the 1st team away to a flying start with 10 wins in the first eleven games results were shared with Salcombe, and Launceston, promoted to first team status, effected a draw 8-8 in the one fixture at Estover. Sid Davis had been joined in the pack by a rock like 16 stone Bernard Baker and dominating in the line out and back row Bernard Maunder. The stand off position was filled, with some distinction, by a thinking, hard tackling Jack Douglas and on the wing a potential match winner in his own right the elusive hard running Cyril Mills: The overall results W21 L8 D3 291-160 gave reason for satisfaction.

The 2nd XV won 12 lost 10 drew 5 with a creditable 227 points 127, whilst towards the end of the season a few fixtures were fulfilled by an Extra “A” XV. In the Devon 7 a side competition the Club beat a Public Schools seven in extra time to succumb 3-6 to Bideford in the semi final. Sadly the season saw the death of Jack Daly Senior, associated with the club as player and committee man since the early 1930s.

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A strongish 1st XV fixture list resulted in early defeats by Camborne School of Mines 3-33 and Torquay Harlequins 3-27 neither of which assisted the points for column. In this game at Camborne, the School of Mines was skippered by one Kennedy, a South African, International and included Scott & Porret the current Cornwall County centre and wing. Salcombe was beaten 16-6 at Estover but won the return 0-6. The School of Mines and Plymouth Albion United completed the double over the Club but the seasons results for the 1st team W16 L13 D1 238-249 were by no means unreasonable.

For the first time on record the Club entertained a touring side over Easter in the persons of the South East Essex Technical College who brought down two teams, the 1st XV drew 6-6 Argaum 2nd XV winning their encounter 10-3. In their first post-war season the 2nd side completed as many fixtures as its senior winning 16 losing 11 and drawing 3 268 pts – 190.

One interesting fixture – especially in view of how matters developed thereafter was Argaum 2nd 12 Launceston Town 6 and the Club won the return 6-0 also, this is believed to be Launceston’s first year in rugby – at any rate since the war. The Argaum 1st team included a hard running hard tackling youthful wing George Rhodes, experienced centre Bill Metters and Jack Daly (Tim’s brother) and a strongly built hard scrummaging forward Sid Davis.

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The opening game, at home, again against the OPOs was, on this occasion, lost 9-13, to be followed by a run of 6 consecutive wins including, sensationally, 6-3 at Salcombe – the first ever recorded win over that club; the return at home was, however, lost by the identical margin. Apart from a heavy 3-29 defeat by Services A and 6-24 v RAF Collaton Gross (internecine warfare, the return was also lost much more respectfully 15-7) the season was pretty successful 19 wins 9 defeats (inclusive of Collaton Cross (2)) and one draw 333-176.

For this season – and many thereafter Tom Hitchins arranged the renting of a large field at Estover, capable and in due course of time doing so – of housing three pitches. The pitch was on land (designated in the Plan for PLYMOUTH as a green belt forever) rented from Mr A G Neal, now the site of Fine Tubes Factory. Wearing one of his other “hats” viz. the Plymouth Amateur Operatic Society – Tom prevailed on a fellow member to use his (the latter’s) influence on Plymouth Breweries to allow the club the use of some outhouses adjoining the George Hotel Roborough and to convert them into changing accommodation (somewhat cramped) and bath and, when consent was forthcoming, the change was by no means to the disadvantage of the Brewery. In some inexplicable fashion Devonport High School Old Boys Rugby Club became entwined in the venture – and indeed lent a hand in the conversion work – in return, subject to Argaum’s priorities, obtained the use of the pitch and the overcrowded changing room. The one drawback of this particular venture was that, at a time when no new cars were available on the home market and petrol was not exactly flowing out of the fountains, the George Hotel was fully two miles distant from the Estover pitch; the one redeeming feature was naturally – Tom, and his pre-war Alvis which incessantly patrolled the George – Estover road bulging at the seams with players, a scene happily recorded in one of Skips inimitable cartoons (below). Of the Club’s game against Old Suttonians at Marsh Mills on December 20th, 1948 the Club trainer “omitted” to arrive with the shirts resulting in a rather reluctant side taking the field “topless” with one or two noticeable exceptions who intelligently provided themselves with top covering of some sort; whether the chill of the season caused them to exert themselves in their semi nude condition more than usual or just an anxiety to keep everyone moving as often as possible the result was the best of the season, 29-3.

1stXV 1947-48: J.Wreford, W.Mahoney, WJ.Farren, J.Daly(snr) C. O’Carroll, D.Dobell; W.Sugden,???,J.Magill, P.Pike, TK.Hitchins; R.Osborne, S.Floyd, FR.Daly, J.Daly, H.Jacques.

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The opening game resulted in 10-3 a win for the Club. The full season record reveals that a somewhat geriatric Argaum side – 6 pre-war players regularly appearing – ended with a record of 16 wins 7 defeats and 2 draws 216-129, the defeats included Salcombe 3-19 and the two draws v OPMs, there were also no less than 9 cancellations. A fortunate addition to the Club’s playing strength was a small RAF Unit at Collaton Cross; particularly one Taffy Morgan a full back in the true Welsh mould who in the Club’s game against Buckfastleigh Ramblers at Buckfastleigh completely dominated the game with his positional play catching and touch finding contributing immeasurably to the Club’s 8-0 success. A fair number of matches in the first half of the season are designated as home this would indicate Central Park with all its lack of changing facilities! This however would not suffice for Tom Hitchins who set about finding a pitch for the Club which led to an (almost) unprotesting pilgrimage through several agricultural deserts ending in semi permanence in sharing a field with a multitude of moles and an open air water heating system activated by an open fire under the boiler which required the attention of the home side at half time, if not earlier:

Early in the season Lester Neale moved to Cullompton to be replaced as skipper by another pre-war player Skip Floyd – amongst other things an intimate of Bill the Bosun. Other pre-war players to survive the season were Roger Lethbridge, Dave Dobell and “Cooper” Coombs. Newcomers on whom the Club were happy to rely on in the following seasons were hooker Joe Kirk, wing forward Bill Farren, centre/stand off half Dick Osborne and scrum half Tim (F.R.) Daly son of Jack Daly of the YMCA days.

1st XV 1946-47: J.Smith, W.Moon, T.Morgan, J.Webb, W.Harris, J.Hammett, T.Bright, D.Crocombe, F.Osborne, DS.Adam; J.Mawle, RJ.Lethbridge, S.Floyd, DI.Dobell, FR.Daly; R.Coombs, WJ.Farren, TK.Hitchins, T.Browne, JJ.Kirk, PW.Hitchins (mascot).

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