Rosslyn Park 43 – 40 Clifton
14/03/26
Rosslyn Park secured an emphatic home win against Clifton at The Rock on Saturday to keep themselves within reach of the top four in National One. Plenty of free-flowing attacking rugby was on show as winger Benjio Marfo made his 150th appearance for Park.
Clifton started the brighter of the two sides, as Park’s ill-discipline put them on the front foot before Oliver Stirling dived over from close range. Tom Quinlan added the extras. Park immediately responded after a Clifton penalty put them five metres out, allowing Charlie Piper to score from the back of the maul before Ed Morgan’s conversion made it seven apiece seven minutes in.
Park extended that lead minutes later when some fantastic interplay put Charlie Walker through in the corner. However, Clifton didn’t sit back as Harry Hone powered over from close range after Park penalties gave them field position.
Park regathered again though, and a beautiful line from Player of the Match Tom Stanton put him over the line after some neat phases in midfield. Park then found their flow as Joe Luca Smith gathered a high ball before slicing through the defence and offloading to Ewan Fenely, who dived over for the score.
However, on the half-hour mark Clifton found their footing again as more penalties cost Park, allowing George Davey to score from a maul. Park would have the last laugh of the half after some phases in the Clifton half, with a sharp line from Ed Volley putting him through for the score, meaning Park headed into the sheds with a 31–19 lead.
The second half was a cagier affair. Seven minutes in, Clifton cut the gap after some neat play put Ollie Harris in. Things got worse for Park when, at the 55-minute mark, Max Fraine received a yellow card. Clifton made the most of the extra man and took the lead as Zak Hamid dived over to score after more neat hands.
Eventually Park found their footing in the second 40. Another clever play from the backs saw Murray Redpath run in under the posts. They continued to build pressure and, after subsequent penalties, Max Fraine came up from the bottom of the maul for the score, stretching the lead to 10 points.
Clifton managed to claw one try back in the last minute through Hamid in the corner, but it was too little too late as Park cemented a 43–40 victory in a try-fest at The Rock.
Referee: Ben Reyner
Attendance: 700
Star man: Tom Stanton
Rosslyn Park
Tries: Piper (6’), Walker (10’) Stanton (19’) Fenley (22’), Volley (32’), Redpath (66’), Fraine (77’)
Conversions: Morgan (7’, 20’, 33’, 67’)
Penalties: n/a
Yellow Cards: Fraine (55’)
Team: Cade, Piper, Kennison-Cook, Cleet, Gillanders, Spencer, Blackmore, Digby (c), Fenley, Morgan, Marfo, Volley, Stanton, Walker, Smith
Replacements: Fraine, Nwakor, Kennaugh, Redpath, Mehson
Clifton
Tries: Stirling (2’), Hone (16’), Davey (28’), Harris (47’), Hamid (58’, 79’)
Conversions: Quinlan (3’, 17’, 48’, 59’, 79’)
Penalties: n/a
Yellow Cards: n/a
Team: Cano, Davey, Turner, Sainsbury, Hutchinson, Stirling, Evans, Hone, Maccarthy, Quinlan, Hamid, Johnson, Owen, Harris, Packer
Replacements: Anderson, Buckley, Thomas, Spencer Power