LAUNCESTON Ladies returned from Hampshire on Sunday evening empty-handed as Havant did the double on the Cornish side with a 32-17 win.

Despite huge spells of pressure from the Cabettes, a devastating 20-minute spell from the hosts in the second half took the game away from the Cornish outfit and ensured they kept the spoils.

Without a win so far in 2026 and with a number of games being postponed due to the weather, Launceston took to the 4G pitch ready to play some rugby and it didn’t take long for the Cabettes to mount an attack. With the pressure building on the home side, Launceston looked certain to get the early breakthrough, but a quick turnover soon turned into a strong counter-attack which ended in a score for Havant.

Launceston shrugged it off and again went on the offensive but once more just as the Cabettes looked like they would be through, an interception went the length of the pitch to add a converted score against the run of play for an early 12-0 lead.

The score only seemed to add fuel to the fire for Launceston as they continued to have the lion’s share of possession. As the half was coming to a close, their hard work got its reward when prop Libbie Cole found a gap to burst through and dot down. The conversion was short but the timely score bridged the gap at half-time.

Launceston went straight back to work in the second half and after a long spell of pressure, captain Kim Upcott came up with the goods with a trademark five-metre crash over. Caitlyn Hancock added the extras to complete the comeback.

It wasn’t long before the Cabettes were back on the offensive inching their way towards the Havant line. Every yard being earned as the home defence continued to make it difficult. Launceston ground their way to within five metres once more, but a turnover saw an end to their efforts. Havant could clear their lines and after a couple of penalties, found themselves deep in Launceston’s 22 and were soon over the whitewash.

A hammer blow for Launceston as despite all their efforts in attack, Havant scores seemed to come off little possession. A purple patch followed for the hosts as they ran in three tries, making use of their electric backline. A huge defensive surge came as Launceston sought to halt Havant’s momentum and swing it back in their favour.

Some big hitting from Meg Arnold and Alex Hutchings turned the tide and with a few minutes left on the clock Launceston forced their way over for a final score through Abbie Smith.

Cabettes have no fixture this weekend as they look to rebuild and bounce back for their next game, likely to be a rescheduled postponement.

LAUNCESTON: Franks; Armstrong, M Tucker, Smith, Vine; Hicks, Warman; Cole, J Arnold, Upcott (capt); M Arnold, Thomas; Hancock, Harrison, Hutchings. Replacements: Karkeek, Risdon, Eddy, Rowland, G Tucker, Speare, Matthews.

Tries: Cole, Upcott, Smith; Convs: Hancock; Pens: N/A.

Players-of-the-match: Forward – Rhian Thomas; Back – Suz Franks.