Cambridge 12 (Tries: Fielden. Lombaard. Con: Lewis.).
North Walsham 22 (Tries: Thorpe, Penalty try, Rossouw. Cons: Dickson 2. Pen: Dickson.).
The big game of the day went the way of North Walsham in front of a bumper crowd of over 1100 with North Walsham bring around 300 spectators to Grantchester Road.
The home side were first on the scoreboard with winger Luke Fielden touching down in the 8th minute for a 5-0 lead. Three minutes later the visitors were on the scoreboard with a penalty goal from Andrew Dickson. They took the lead in the 19th minute when full back Andy Thorpe touched down and Dickson converted to make it 10-5.
Just after the half hour mark North Walsham were in control with the referee awarding them a penalty try and Dickson converted to make it 17-3 which they took into the half time break.
The home side were back in it just after the hour mark with Fielden completing a double and with Lewis converting they trailed by five, 17-12.
North Walsham secured the win on 68 minutes when flanker Tim Malone was driven over to go 10 points clear at 22-10 in what was the final score of the match.
So both sides are level on 87 points with four matches remaining, Cambridge are ahead with more wins, 19 too 18, and they have a slightly better points difference.
Bridgwater & Albion 11 (Try: Isaac. Pens: Manupenu 2.).
Westcombe Park 35 (Tries: Eksteen 2, Hayman 2, Whittingham, Van Dyke. Cons: Con: Whittingham. Pen Whittingham.).
Bridgwater & Albion came down to earth with a bump when they were comprehensively beaten by a strong Westcombe Park team. The visiting pack were much to strong for the home side, missing regular lock forwards Dan Taylor and Marshall Cormack, giving the visitors almost unlimited possession.
The early play was all in the Bridgwater half of the field. Westcombe Park forwards drove almost 50 m in two plays to set up a platform on the Bridgwater line and Eksteen crashed over for the first of his two tries.
Bridgwater continued under pressure and only despairing tackles by full-back George kept the visitors out. Eksteen scored his second try, converted by Whittingham, when Park stole a Bridgwater line-out.
Bridgwater opened their account when Manupenu kicked a 40m penalty following a high tackle on Soolefai.
Griffiths and George made good breaks for Bridgwater but they came to nothing. All they had to show was a second penalty for Manupenu.
In the final minutes of the half, Westcombe Park scored twice, each time Hayman finished off spells of forward pressure to give them a 6-22 interval lead.
Bridgwater continued to try and play expansive rugby with the little ball they had and Satala started the half with a great break. His kick ahead bounced awkwardly and the danger was cleared. Mitchell, a live-wire winger, almost scored for Park but George again made the last-ditch tackle. However, Westcombe Park remained in the Bridgwater half and it was no surprise when Whittingham glided through the defence for a try he could not convert.
Soolefai made a couple of good breaks that came to nothing for the home side and between these, Whittingham kicked another penalty for the visitors.
More Westcombe Park pressure gave replacement Van Dyke an easy run to the corner.
Bridgwater woke up in the final minutes and attacked the visitors line. Good passing and patient recycling gave Andy Isaac the chance to cross in the corner for an unconverted try.
Bridgwater need to acquire a couple of lumpy forwards to enable them to compete with these physically bigger teams and allow their backs to show their potential.
Old Patesians 31 (Tries: Nock, Botha, Dawson, Fenley, Parker. Cons: Nock 3.).
Lydney 43 (Tries: Beechey 2, McLaughlin, Jarvis, Jenkins 2, Liggett. Cons: Hill 4. ).
Lydney are back up to third in the league table after this away win at Old Patesians running in seven tries whilst the home side also took a try scoring bonus point.
Old Pats were in front at the break with three tries as fly half Robert Nock and flankers Howard Dawson and Shaun Botha touched down and Nock slotted over a couple of conversion. Lydney also scored three tries with back Tom Jarvis, Tom Beechey and Ali McLaughlin touching down and Julian Hill adding the one conversion.
The homes die went further ahead three minutes into the second half with scrum half Bruce Fenley going over to make it 24-17.
The game then changed in a six minute spell with Lydney scoring three converted tries with Beechey completing a double and flanker Dean Jenkins getting a double to make it 38-24.
Lydney went further ahead on 71 minutes with scrum half Leon Liggett going in but it was the home side that got the final try of the match with centre Ben Parker touching down in the 78th minute.
Rosslyn Park 7 (Try: Daw. Con: Mahony.).
Havant 27 (Tries: O’Shea, 2, Avery 2, Morgan. Con: Cobbe.).
Excellent away win for Havant who out scored the home side five tries to one as Park suffered just their second home loss of the season.
It was Park who took the lead with prop Chas Daw going over for a 16th minute try and Richard Mahony converted for 7-0.
Havant responded with two tries in four minutes to move 10-7 ahead after 25 minutes with tries form centre Matt O’Shea and second row Matt Morgan and took that lead into the break.
Winger Cam Avery gave them the perfect start to the second half with a try after just two minutes to make it 17-7 with Owen Cobbe adding a conversion.
Avery completed a double on the hour mark to secure the four try bonus point before the rounded off the win with O’Shea completing a double in injury time.
Reading 31 (Tries: Sparks, Murdoch, Lynch. Cons: Cathcart 2. Pens: Cathcart 4.).
Hertford 23 (Tries: Wilson, Mapletoft. Cons: Mapletoft. Pens: Mapletoft 3.).
Reading needed to win and did and now find themselves five points behind Cinderford in the table and safety.
They were quick out of the blocks with a try from flanker Graham Sparks in the opening minute and with James Cathcart converting they were 7-0 ahead.
Cathcart made it 10-0 with a 13th minute penalty goal before adding a second conversion after full back David Murdoch went over in the 20th minute.
Cathcart then added a couple of penalty goals and Reading were 23-0 ahead after 38 minutes.
The visitors did manage to get a try late in the half with centre Craig Wilson going in and Mark Mapletoft converted.
In the opening 1 minutes of the second half Mapletoft put over three penalty goals to reduce the home lead to 23-16.
That though was the end of the scoring for 20 minutes till the home side got their third try in the 72nd minute with left wing Sean Lynch touching down and making it 28-16.
Back came Hertford in the 76th minute when Mapletoft went over for a try which he converted to get the visitors to within five of Reading. Reading sealed the win when Cathcart put over a fourth penalty goal and stopped the visitors taking a losing bonus point. |
