Reading 11 (Try: Chandler. Pens: Cathcart 2.).
North Walsham 43 (Tries: Groom 2, Rossouw, Thorpe 2, Taplin, Godwin. Cons: Dickson 4.).
North Walsham remain a point clear of Cambridge after picking up all five points in this away win at Reading.
James Cathcart gave the home side the lead with a penalty goal before North Walsham went in for a couple of tries with prop Tim Groom and No 8 Kenny Dodds going over and Andrew Dickson converted one of them to make it 12-3 after 26 minutes.
Cathcart pulled three points back and they were back within a point just after the half hour mark when wing Spike Chandler went over.
Eight minutes into the second half hooker Gideon Rossouw went over for North Walsham to move 17-11 ahead. Two more tries before the hour mark saw the bonus point in the bag and they moved into a 29-11 win with full back Andy Thorpe and flanker Luke Taplin going in and Dickson converted one of them.
In the final quarter they wrapped up the win with Thorpe completing a double and centre Chris Godwin scoring tries.
Cambridge 41 (Tries: Fielden, Shanahan, Leigh 2, Whetstone, Lombaard, Dann. Cons: Dann 3.).
Old Patesians 13 (Tries: Parker 2. Pen: Spry.).
DESPITE gaining maximum points from this match Cambridge remain in second place, a point behind North Walsham, while struggling Old Patesians slumped to their five league defeat in six matches.
The Cheltenham based side remain one off the foot of the table three points adrift of Reading who they face on Saturday at Everest Road in the match which will decide the second relegation spot to join Bracknell out of the national set-up.
Old Pats opened the scoring after ten minutes from a penalty by fly-half Ben Spry but the former league leaders came back to score five tries, and a much need bonus point, to lead 29-nil at the interval.
Full back Luke Fielden crossed for the first followed midway through the half with a touchdown from inside centre James Shanahan, converted by fly-half Tom Dann and a third from openside flanker James Leigh.
Cambridge then had skipper Glen Remnant yellow carded for a professional foul but despite being down to 14 men they managed to score two more tries through Leigh and right wing Ben Whetstone.
Dann converted the Whetstone try to give Cambridge a 29-nil lead at the interval. The second half was more even with both sides scoring two ties starting with a touchdown from left wing Johannes Lombaard.
Cambridge were now back to full strength but inside centre Ben Parker then scored two tries for Old Pats, both of which Spry failed to convert, either side of a try from Dann which he also converted.
Rosslyn Park 13 (Try: McCluggage. Con: Mahony. Pens: Mahony 2.).
Lydney 19 (Tries: Beechey, McLaughlin. Pens: Hill 2, Jones.).
Lydney remain third although Westcombe Park are level with them on 78 points, Lydney having won more matches.
Julian Hill gave the visitors the lead with a 12th minute penalty goal. It was the home side that scored the games opening try when right wing Marcus McCluggage went over for his 11th try of the season and Richard Mahony converted. The lead lasted eight minutes before right wing Tom Beechey went over and Lydney were 8-7 ahead. Six minutes into injury time Lydney were down to 14 men when prop Paul Price was red carded for striking an opponent and Park too the lead with Mahony slotting over a penalty goal for 10-8.
Three minutes into the second half they extended their lead with another Mahony penalty goal.
Hill kicked a second penalty goal on 49 minutes and when Craig Jones put over a penalty goal in the 73rd minute Lydney were back in front. They sealed the win when centre Ali McLaughlin went over for a try on 80 minutes.
Deep into injury time Lydney were down to 13 men when they had prop Lee Carter red carded for striking an opponent.
Bridgwater & Albion 75 (Tries: Hancock 3, Soolefai 2, Webber 2, Woodhouse, Edwards, Hastie, Biggins, Isaac. Cons: Manupenu 5.).
Bracknell 14 (Tries: S Nowak, Berti. Cons: Berti 2.).
Bridgwater completed the expected double over the bottom club, Bracknell and, in the process, achieved their highest score of the season.
Bracknell had no answer to the fluidity of the Bridgwater rugby and were totally non-plussed by the movement of the Bridgwater backs. With Stu Woodhouse nominally playing at full back but often popping up at scrum half and with consequential other changes between fly-half and full back there was a real purpose to Bridgwater’s play.
In the first minute, a superb break by Soolefai was eventually finished off by Webber who, finding himself in oceans of space, scored with ease.
To their credit, Bracknell fought back but the home defence was sound. It was no surprise when Bridgwater increased their lead when, following a driving maul, the ball was released to Soolefai who was unstoppable from close range. The third try minutes later followed a superb trade-mark break by Woodhouse. The ball was quickly recycled to Hancock who cruised in for the third try.
Mike Griffiths almost got the fourth try but put a foot in touch. However, he was involved in the bonus point try when Woodhouse again broke blind, handed onto Griffiths who made ground before releasing Webber for a converted try.
Bridgwater continued to play champagne rugby, despite the heavy showers, and Woodhouse get the next try following an audacious dummy.
Soolefai continued to cause havoc in the Bracknell defence and following one searing break, Hancock was bundled into touch near the line. Two more tries from Edwards and Hastie ended the half at 46-0.
The second half started in the same vein with another Woodhouse break, underlining how much Bridgwater have missed his talents for the past two months. The break was taken on by Cormack and Griffiths and Biggins, whose tackle count today was huge, scored easily.
Bracknell did not give up and scored a deserved try by skipper, Novak, converted by Berti.
Two more Bridgwater tries followed in quick succession. A driving maul saw Isaac driven over for a converted try and then a superbly weighted chip ahead by Hastie was gathered by Griffiths who scored with ease.
Berti got a second consolation try for Bracknell before Hancock intercepted a pass in his own 22 and outpaced the defence to score in the corner. Soolefai then crashed over following a wonderful break by Manupenu and almost on the final whistle, Bridgwater ran the ball from their own line, Hancock kicked ahead, re-gathered the ball and scored a great individual try to complete his hat-trick and a crushing win for Bridgwater & Albion.
Westcombe Park 60 (Tries: Stenhouse 2, Hardcastle Marshall 2, Roux, Lindfield, Lewis, Calitz. Cons: Whittingham 6. Pen: Whittingham.).
Dings Crusaders 7 (Try: Edwards. Con: Quartley.).
WESTCOMBE Park maintained their grip on fourth spot in the table with a convincing nine tries to one victory, their fifth win in their last six matches, over a depleted Dings Crusaders side who remain in ninth place.
Winger Sam Greenaway completed a double along with full back Richard Stenhouse while fly-half James Whittingham kicked six conversions and a penalty in his 15 point tally.
Dings, already missing several regulars, lost a three further first choice players when centre Chris Wright-Hider, fly-half Iestyn Williams and lock Mike Jefferies dropped out to injuries and unavailability.
Youngsters Ben Fowkes, Dan Quartley and Llyr Griffiths deputised as the visitors, who won the toss and elected to play into a very strong wind, were soon behind when No 8 Tom Hayman broke away and fed Stenhouse.
He who easily rounded Dings wing Dan Ajuwa for the first score, converted by Whittingham. Flanker Ian Hardcastle was next on the score sheet cutting a great angle in midfield to beat the Dings defence.
Wing Sam Greenaway got the next try when scrum half Alex Parfitt robbed the ball from his opposite number Sam Brown. Greenaway was a constant threat to the Dings back line and he got the first try on the half hour with a clean break from a slick pass by Whittingham.
Five minutes later Dings gifted the home side another try when a speculative kick up field saw Ajuwa lose the ball on his own line for Stenhouse to get his second try to give Combe a 36-nil half-time lead.
It was a little more competitive after the break with Dings, now with the wind at their backs, pressurising the Combe line with Fidler and Fox in the pack and young half backs Sam Brown and Quartley all making lively contributions.
But it was the Combe who got the first score on 51 minutes with centre Gideon Roux getting on the scoresheet as a reward for his excellent performance. Next came Dings solitary score with a try from wing Sylvan Edwards converted by Dan Quartley.
The score remained unchanged until the 70th minute with the home side adding a further three tries in the last 10 minutes with flanker James Lindfield, replacement homer Matt Calitz and replacement wing Chris Lewis.
Southend 55 (Tries: Williams, Hyde 3, C Green, Frost 2, Cook. Cons: Frost 6. Pen: Frost.).
Hertford 10 (Try: Roberts. Con: Barella. Pen: Barella.).
Southend are up to fifth place after this comfortable home win over Hertford running in eight tries.
After a quiet first half this match exploded in the second half as Southend ran riot scoring six unanswered tries.
Hertford went ahead in the 9th minute when full back Adam Roberts went over for a try and Neil Barella converted.
Southend responded and with two tries in six minutes went 14-7 ahead after 21 minutes as wing Lloyd Williams and No 8 James Hyde went over the Hertford line and Andrew Frost converted both. Before half time Barella put over a penalty goal to go in 14-10 down.
Centre Chris Green got the third home try seven minutes into the second half and with Frost converting they went 21-10 ahead. Frost added another three points three minutes later before going in for a try and with Hyde getting a second the home side found themselves 38-10 ahead and the bonus points in the bag.
They went on to score another three tries with Frost completing a double and Hyde a hat trick to wrap up the win.
Cinderford 42(Tries: Halavatau, Gittins Jones, Goatley, Scourfield, Young. Cons: 4. Pens: Trigg 3.).
Havant 20 (Tries: Cruddas, Butterworth. Con: Ngapaku. Pen: Ngapaku.).
Cinderford move up to 10th place after this home win over Havant.
The home side were first on the scoreboard when No 8 Rosario Halavatau went in for a try and Daniel Trigg converted for 7-0.
Havant were level on 18 minutes when hooker Stephen Cruddas went over and Steven Claffey converted and gave the visitors the lead when he put over a 32nd minute penalty goal.
Two tries late in the half as the home side go back in front as second row Joe Gittins-Jones and John Paul Goatley touching down and Trigg added a conversion to make it 19-10.
In the second half Trigg extended the home sides lead with a couple of penalty goals before Havant got their second try from second row Lee Appleby just before the hour mark to make it 25-15.
The next score was important and it went the way of the home side with centre Dewi Scourfield going over and Trigg converting to make it 32-15 after 66 minutes.
Replacement Graham Butterworth went over for the third Havant try on 68 minutes but another Trigg penalty goal and a try from replacement Isaac Young which Trigg converted saw the home side comfortable winners in the end. |
