The Review: Winning records go and morale-boosting victories underpin Round Six
Some of the early frontrunners continued to canter along in Round Six, but others stumbled, while there was also a cluster of welcome wins across the leagues. (Photo Credit: Gareth Lyons)
National One
Plymouth Albion (1st) maintained their perfect start to the season with a hard-fought 31-21 victory over Sale FC (4th) in the North-West.
Albion’s unbeaten record looked under threat early on as Sale centre Osian Roberts crossed twice inside the first 11 minutes to put the hosts 14-0 ahead.
Sam Daly then got Plymouth on the board before Morgan Eames levelled the scores while Sale’s David Opoku-Fordjour was in the sin-bin.
After the break, a brace from Noah Fenton and an Iwan Jenkins penalty put Albion in control at the Morson Stadium. Alfie Longstaff’s late try proved little more than a consolation for Sale as Ryan Lamb’s side march on.
Six wins from six, with no bonus points conceded, keeps Plymouth top while Tonbridge Juddians (2nd) remain hot on their heels after also claiming a sixth successive bonus-point victory.
TJs edged a 36-32 win at Bishop’s Stortford (6th) but were made to work hard for their latest success.
Leading 22-20 at half-time, the visitors extended their advantage through quick-fire tries from Connor Lloyd and Sam Morton-Smith. Seva Keva hit back for Stortford before Tom Hitchcock finished superbly in the corner to set up a tense finale.
With the hosts pressing, Morton-Smith produced a crucial try-saving tackle before TJs repelled one final wave to secure another narrow win.
Camborne (3rd) climbed into the top three with a 59-26 victory at Cambridge (14th), extending their winning run on the road to four matches.
Cambridge capitalised on Herbie Stupple’s yellow card to draw level at 19-19 through Harry Tunningley and Ruaridh Dawson. However, Camborne took control from there, with Sam Matavesi completing his hat-trick before Joel Matavesi, Frankie Nowell, Matt Shephard and Ben Power all crossed.
Dawson’s second try secured a bonus point for bottom-of-the-table Cambridge, but their search for a first win continues.
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London Scottish (11th), meanwhile, claimed a morale-boosting 64-40 victory over Sheffield (13th) at The RAG.
Centre Connor Moyse scored a hat-trick in a 10-try display, but Scottish’s second win of the campaign was far from straightforward.
Leading 45-26 approaching the hour, the hosts saw their advantage cut to five points following tries from Rhodri Campbell and Jack Delaney, but three further Scottish scores, including Moyse’s third, eventually settled the contest.
Rams (9th) also secured their second win of the season, beating Bury St Edmunds (12th) 27-7 at Old Bath Road.
Axel Kalling-Smith crossed twice in the first half before a brace from the returning Zach Clow – and a Willo Bicknell try – helped Seb Reynolds’ side to consecutive home victories.
Elsewhere, there was away-day joy for Leeds Tykes (5th) and Rosslyn Park (7th).
The Tykes recovered from 21-7 down to beat Dings Crusaders (10th) 40-35 at Shaftesbury Park.
Matt Salisbury completed his hat-trick as Ben Turpin, Kristan Dobson and Tom Williams also crossed during a blistering 16-minute second-half spell that put Leeds 40-21 ahead.
Fred Cartwright and Archie Stanley responded late on for Dings, but Leeds saw out the win.
Rosslyn Park, by contrast, made a flying start at Birmingham Moseley (8th) to secure a 31-21 triumph.
Max Trimble scored a hat-trick inside the opening 16 minutes to put Park in control. Moseley fought back to 24-14 shortly after half-time, but Tom Bell’s try helped the visitors to victory despite two yellow cards in the final quarter.
National Two North
Sheffield Tigers (11th) claimed their first win of the season with an entertaining 40-31 victory over Wharfedale (12th).
James Norman and Will Bennett crossed for the Tigers, with Joe Adams and Oli Cicognini responding for Dale, before the visitors took control.
Will Goff, Louis Redfern-Brown and Tom O’Brien all scored before the break to give Sheffield a 33-14 half-time lead.
A brace from flanker Freddie Welbury brought Wharfedale back into contention, but Silas Talbot’s 71st-minute try proved decisive despite Ben Crowe being in the sin-bin. Robbie Collinson added a fifth try for Dale, who missed out on a losing bonus point.
Heath (8th) also picked up a confidence-boosting victory, claiming the derby-day bragging rights with a 49-24 win over Huddersfield (14th).
The newly promoted Yorkshire pair had registered one win apiece before Round Six, and it was Huddersfield who led 17-13 at half-time following tries from Lewis Workman, Ethan Myers and Kian Stewart.
Clifford Howard put Heath ahead shortly after the restart before Huddersfield’s indiscipline proved costly. A penalty try and Tom Hainsworth’s yellow card were followed by another sin-binning, this time for full-back Tom Parkin, as Seb Jeffers and Tom Clough extended Heath’s lead to 39-17.
A Chris Johnson penalty kept the scoreboard ticking before a second penalty try, and a second yellow for Hainsworth, wrapped up the win. Will Milner’s late score secured Huddersfield a try bonus.
At the top, Hull Ionians (3rd) saw their unbeaten start come to an end as Chester (4th) stormed to a 69-45 victory at Hare Lane.
The I’s led 24-19 at half-time, but second-half tries from Callum Atkinson and Jonathan Hanson put Chester in front.
A yellow card for home fly-half Sam Rogers allowed James Sanderson to level the scores, but Chester then took the game away from their visitors, running in five tries during a devastating 20-minute spell.
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Christian Hone, Josh Woods, Hanson and Tom Ellis were among the scorers, with Hanson and Ellis completing their hat-tricks as Chester made it five wins from six.
Hull Ionians’ defeat leaves Sedgley Park (1st) as the division’s only unbeaten side after they secured a sixth successive bonus-point victory at Billingham (9th).
For the third week running, Scott Barrow’s side scored double figures in terms of tries, crossing 11 times at Greenwood Road in a 73-12 win. Scrum-half Mason Winterburn scored four, while Tom Hesketh helped himself to a hat-trick.
Sedgley Park are now four points clear of second-placed Darlington Mowden Park (2nd), who also enjoyed a convincing away win, beating Harrogate (7th) 72-0.
The North-East side scored 12 tries, with emerging talent Alfie Warwick registering a hat-trick as DMP secured a fifth consecutive victory.
Preston Grasshoppers (5th) returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 47-38 victory over Otley (13th) at Cross Green.
Following a lengthy stoppage for an injury to lock Tom Thorpe, Otley overturned a 19-7 deficit to lead 26-19 through tries from Corey McCormack, Alex Jones and Leon Mudd.
Preston’s Sam Kyle-Clay exchanged scores with Alfie Hewitt before three tries in 13 minutes proved decisive, sending Hoppers 47-31 ahead. Anthony McCormack added Otley’s sixth try late on.
And Tynedale (6th) made it three wins in a row by beating Fylde (10th) 41-29 away from home.
With the scores locked at 17-17, second-half tries from Jack Edwards, Will Graham and Joe Hanning swung the contest in Tynedale’s favour.
Fylde responded through Ben Turner to secure a try bonus, but Will Ainsley crossed late on to complete another successful away day for Peter Southern’s side.
National Two East
Guernsey (4th) suffered their first defeat of the season in Round Six as Dorking (5th) claimed a 26-19 victory at The Big Field.
After Ciaran McGann had opened the scoring, tries from Harry Elbrow and Jasper King gave Dorking a 12-5 half-time lead.
Following a fractious end to the first half which saw Tom Newman and Joel Broadhurst sin-binned, Dorking seized control, with Finn Osborne and Max Coyle scoring before the hour.
Guernsey responded through Joe Callery while Harry Barker was in the sin-bin, before Michael Cantle’s 71st-minute try brought the visitors within a converted score.
Dorking back-rower Will Scholes was then shown a yellow card, but Armand Roux’s side stood firm, winning a crucial scrum against the head in their own 22 late on to secure a fourth successive victory.
Guernsey’s defeat leaves Oundle (1st) as the division’s only side with a 100 per cent record after their 38-19 win over Westcombe Park (13th).
Despite an encouraging start from Westcombe Park, Ben Brownlie’s first-half hat-trick helped Oundle establish a 26-5 lead at the break.
Alessandro Minns crossed shortly after the restart, but Rian Hamilton extended Oundle’s advantage.
The hosts were then reduced to 12 men as Kieran Frost, Ewan Baker and Hamilton were all sin-binned, but replacement scrum-half Finlay Ogden was able to cross for Oundle’s sixth try which ultimately sealed their sixth win in a row.
Old Albanian (2nd) moved into second place as they returned to winning ways with a 57-24 victory over Jersey (12th).
After last week’s defeat in Guernsey, OAs responded with a nine-try display and led 22-7 before Tobias Osborne crossed for Jersey just before half-time.
But five further second-half tries from Cameron Gray, Alex Noot, Man of the Match Rafferty Hewitt, Elliot McPhun and Alex Mason sealed the OAs win. Jersey were able to secure a try bonus through Jack Macfarlane and Deppinder Dyal.
Esher (3rd) are level on 26 points with Old Albanian after beating London Welsh (11th) 52-26.
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The EEEs recovered from 19-7 down to draw level before former Esher player Harri Lang exchanged scores with James Botterill.
But the hosts then pulled clear in the final quarter, with Darragh Walsh scoring twice alongside tries from Josh Thorne and Harry Faulkner as Esher secured a fifth consecutive victory.
Canterbury (6th) made it back-to-back home wins but had to dig deep to edge bottom-side Leicester Lions (14th) 34-31.
First-half tries from Ahren Crowley, Neil Machiels and Matt Price, who crossed twice, gave Leicester a 26-19 interval lead.
Canterbury then capitalised on Ethan Godefroy’s early second-half yellow card, with Garry Jones and Will Waddington both scoring during his absence.
However, when Machiels was sent to the sin-bin, Price completed his hat-trick to level the scores at 31-31 but Owain Collins was the man to hold his nerve from the tee, landing a penalty 12 minutes from time to secure the win for Canterbury.
Colchester (7th) also enjoyed home comforts, edging Henley (8th) 26-17 at Raven Park.
Trailing 12-7, Colchester produced another strong second-half showing, with tries from Findlay Gilmour, Ted Reid and Louis Martin turning the game around.
Ashton Phillips crossed six minutes from time to set up a tense finish, but Colchester held firm to claim their third win of the season.
And Barnes (9th) recorded their first victory since the opening day by beating Havant (10th) 44-29 away from home.
Will Nicholson, Paul O’Dell, Giles Bromley-Martin and Caelan Stanton all crossed before half-time to give Barnes the bonus-point.
Havant responded through Dylan Evans before Jack Park’s penalty made it 27-12. Quick-fire tries from Havant’s Sean Shepherd and Wes Dugan then cut the deficit to a single point.
Mulalo Sadiki created some breathing room for Barnes after the hour, but a Reuben Knight penalty kept the contest alive with six minutes remaining.
However, late scores from Malcolm Nimmo and Park finally settled the visitors’ nerves and secured a welcome win for Jack Heald’s side.
National Two West
Luctonians (4th) suffered their first defeat of the season as Loughborough Students (9th) claimed an impressive 50-31 victory in the Midlands.
Martin Webdale’s side built a 28-14 lead through tries from Owen Gillett, Oscar Cawley, Luca Stickings and Matthew Branch-Holland.
However, Luctonians hit back either side of half-time, with John Kelly and Rhodri King cutting the deficit to just two points.
But three tries in the final quarter settled the contest for the African Violet. Freddie Brown and Jeke Bulanauca crossed, while Stickings completed his brace, securing Loughborough’s second win of the campaign.
With Luctonians beaten, Redruth (1st) opened up a three-point gap at the summit following a commanding 38-14 victory over Hornets (10th).
The Reds dominated the first half, scoring five tries, including three from hooker Tom Cowan-Dickie, who took his season’s tally to 10.
Connor Gilbert powered over after the break, while George Williams and Tom Read crossed for Hornets. Redruth nevertheless went on to secure a sixth win from six.
Taunton (2nd) are now Redruth’s closest challengers after a thumping 59-12 bonus-point victory over Lymm (6th).
Freddy Elliott and Ben Parsons both scored twice as the Titans ran in nine tries, six of them after the break.
Already 21-0 ahead at half-time, Taunton added further scores through Parsons, Oli Schuster-Wood, Elliott, Ben Oliphant-Thompson and Henry Batty.
Next up for Taunton are Hinckley (3rd), who climbed into third place after overcoming bottom side Exeter University (14th) 38-19 in Devon.
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Hinckley recovered from 12-5 down through tries from George Tongauiha, Alex Catcheside and Sam McNulty to lead 26-12 on the hour.
Archie Kane replied for Exeter, but further scores from McNulty and Ed James secured a fifth consecutive win for the visitors.
Clifton (5th) produced a devastating second-half spell to beat Bournville (12th) 68-38 away from home.
The Lavender and Blacks led 26-12 at half-time before unleashing five tries in 14 minutes after the restart.
Max McCarthy, captain Zak Hamid, who completed his hat-trick, and Dylan Power, with two tries, all crossed during the decisive spell.
To their credit, Bournville responded with four tries of their own to secure a bonus point, but the damage had already been done.
Old Redcliffians (7th) scored twice in the final 13 minutes to see off a spirited Devonport Services (13th) 33-19 at The Rectory.
The hosts had fought back from 19-5 down to level through former Wasps and Plymouth Albion scrum-half Henry Clement as well as Fergus Wood.
However, a brace from Tom McLean helped Old Reds secure back-to-back victories.
And Barnstaple (11th) celebrated their first win since the opening day, beating Cinderford (8th) 34-22 at Pottington Road.
Barnstaple trailed 12-10 at half-time but took control after the restart, with Brandon Moore, Cameron Johnson, Albert Stretch and Stanley Kift all crossing.
Late yellow cards for Brandon Moore and Ryan Lee gave Cinderford a chance to respond, and Kyle Harris and Josh Horrobin both scored to secure a try bonus for the visitors.
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