DHSOB boss Mike Freeman has confessed he is disappointed his team has been 'relegated' to Devon Two.

The Old Boys finished fourth in a new Devon One South and West last season, which put them into the post-season play-offs.

DHSOB were unable to progress beyond the play-offs against opponents from Devon One North and East.

This season, after complaints from clubs about too much travelling to far-flung opponents they were never going to beat, local rugby officials reverted to the 'old' Devon One and Two system which had been in place the season before.

Freeman, the Old Boys' director of rugby, made it clear he respected this season's Devon Two opponents.

But he added: "We're not averse to there being a Devon One and Two again and we will enjoy it in Devon Two. I know it's going to be a very competitive division and we'll have some good games against our opponents.

"But, having finished fourth last year, we're feeling a little hard done by that we're not in Devon One, because we feel we merited a place in it.

"Having said all that, we have got a very young team and perhaps a season in Devon Two will allow us to develop them as players a bit more."

Freeman, a Plymouth Combination committee member, said he had not been wholly against the system which was brought in last year.

He said: "The first half of the season, where everybody played each other to get into the play-offs, was good, because there was something at stake.

"But the big mistake, I feel, was allowing the teams to take the points they had won in the first part of the season into the second.

"That meant some teams were so far ahead from the start they were never going to be caught and clubs got fed up with travelling a long way to play a team they were never going to overtake."

Losers in the play-offs race took part in a merit table without any incentive to even turn up for matches, let alone win them.

"The second half of the season was where everything fell down," said Freeman.

"In my view, the top two teams from each of the two divisions should have played each other to get into the Cornwall/Devon League."