ROSSLYN PARK 52-33 SALE FC
08/02/25
A dominant first half for Park saw the 1st XV shoot out to a 21-point lead thanks to a brace by PoTM Jacob Wrafter and a try for Jasper Cameron. Wrafter opened the scoring with a destructive carry across the Sale line, through multiple defenders, after a Ewan Fenley break had sent the defence scrambling backwards. Minutes later, after a Harry Ledger steal at a lineout denied the visitors a chance to level the scores in a dangerous position, the ball was worked up the pitch and a penalty at the breakdown meant Josh Bragman could put the ball into touch inside the Sale 22. Then, a few phases after the lineout, Jasper Cameron powered his way across the line from a pick-and-go to double Park’s lead. Sale were reduced to 14 men after 30 minutes as Will Hunt was shown a straight red for a scuffle off the ball with Bragman (who was himself sent to the sin bin for his part in the altercation), and the 1st XV soon took advantage as a lovely hard-line by Wrafter saw the back rower stroll in under the posts for his second. Late in the half, the visitors finally found paydirt when Tom Walsh finished off a spell of possession for Sale with a try in the corner.
Charlie Walker opened the second half scoring within just 2 minutes thanks to a sumptuous offload back inside by Cameron which had created the bonus-point score. Then, Benji Marfo scooped up a loose ball during a Sale attack and ran it in from almost 90m out to further increase Park’s advantage, before two quick tries by the visitors began to shrink the sizeable lead. These came from a well-taken try in the corner by Alfie Longstaff which was soon followed by a Josh Brown try from a 5m lineout. The 1st XV slowed the Sale momentum briefly thanks to a lovely move that resulted in another Walker try, as a reverse pop to Joe Luca Smith saw the full-back link up with Fenley and then finally Walker for the try. However, after a warning and a yellow card for Sam Clark for an accumulation of penalties, Sale answered from the back of a maul as Brown secured a brace. The Sale substitute then completed a hat-trick soon after thanks to a short carry after a 5m lineout, in a passage that also saw Jack Digby sent to the sin-bin. The 1st XV refused to let the lead slip however, and two tries in the final 5 minutes for Park meant the final scoreline properly reflected the emphatic manner of victory that the performance deserved. A brilliant offload by Tom Stanton saw Steffan James dot down, before Joe Luca Smith reeled in a chip in the final minute and finished coolly to break the 50-point barrier and cement the well-deserved win.
By RHYS STRATTON
ROSSLYN PARK
Tries: Wrafter (15’, 34’), Cameron (24’), Walker (42’, 59’), Marfo (46’), James (74’), Smith (79’)
Conversions: Bragman (16’, 25’, 47’, 60’), James (35’, 75’)
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: Bragman (31’), Clark (62’), Digby (72’)
Team: Cade, Cameron, Charalambous, Gillanders, Martin, Ledger, Wrafter, Digby, Fenley, Bragman, Marfo, Cordy-Redden, Stanton, Walker, Smith
Replacements: Wade, Clark, Laventure, O. Davies, James
SALE FC
Tries: Walsh (40’), Longstaff (48’), Brown (54’, 63’, 71’)
Conversions: Robins (49’, 55’, 64’, 72’)
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: Hunt (31’)
Team: Carlile, Pope, Parker, Mintern, Vickers, Hughes, Longstaff, Priestly-Nangle, Green, Robins, Walsh, Hunt, Clarke, Dixon, Brady
Replacements: Birchall, Brown, Gilmore, W. Davies, Street
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Blackheath 22 – 19 Plymouth Albion
Darlington Mowden Park 22 – 29 Esher
Rams 25 – 34 Bishop’s Stortford
Richmond 31 – 14 Dings Crusaders
Rotherham Titans 24 – 7 Leicester Lions
Sedgley Park 20 – 28 Birmingham Moseley
This week in National One saw Rams lose their second game on the bounce as Bishop’s Stortford emerged with a scalp in Reading, a result which saw Richmond leapfrog them back into first thanks to their win over Dings at The RAG. Rotherham kept the pressure on the top 2 also, with a victory against Leicester which sees them sitting in third just 3 points behind Rams and 6 behind Richmond with a game in hand in both those sides. Elsewhere, Blackheath secured a narrow victory at home to Plymouth whilst Esher and Birmingham Moseley both won away from home at DMP and Sedgley respectively.
Up Next for Park is a trip west as we are set to take on Dings Crusaders.