ROSSLYN PARK 67-15 SEDGLEY PARK
SATURDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
By RHYS STRATTON
The 1st XV swept aside a strong Sedgley Park side, running in 11 tries to secure the bonus point win.
The visitors got out to an early lead thanks to a Warren Seals penalty before Max Trimble received the ball in space on the right wing and coolly beat his opposite number to open Park’s account on the day. Sedgley retook the lead thanks to a delicate chip over the top that was gathered in by George Bordill for the try, but Park responded just 5 minutes later after a clever crossfield kick almost resulted in a Matt Gordon score. The Sedgley defence was able to recover and snuff out the chance but couldn’t hold on to the ball and conceded a scrum deep in their own territory. The Park pack made sure to take advantage of the opportunity and Matt Bolwell crashed over the line following the set-piece.
An uneventful next 10 minutes was followed by a flurry of scoring as Park ran in 4 more before the break. A penalty try for a collapsed maul and yellow card for Sedgley hooker Danny Maher were quickly followed by a Charlie Walker try almost directly from the restart after the visitors went short from the kickoff and left themselves exposed at the back. An intelligent kick in behind allowed Walker to show off his gas as he outran everyone to gather in the ball and dot down. Wilstead then got on the end of a succession of silky offloads that ended with the outside half diving over untouched. Finally, Arthur Ellis ended the half with a short pick-and-go score following a driving maul that had been stopped just short of the Sedgley tryline.
The second half began in much the same way as the first had ended as, just 2-minutes in, Benji Marfo received a loose clearance kick and beat multiple defenders to set up a 2-on-1 for Patrick Kelly and Gordon. The centres kept their cool, executed the simple hands and Gordon touched down. Park scored twice more unanswered as an interception score by Walker was followed by a Charlie Piper try from the back of a powerful driving maul.
Sedgley Park valiantly tried to get back into the contest and scored from the back of a maul of their own through Tom Ailes, but a second Walker interception killed what hope was left and completed the winger’s hat-trick. Finally, substitute scrum-half Sunni Jardine crossed over from the base of a breakdown as time expired to put the cherry on top of a fabulous team performance.
Referee: Jamie Parr
ROSSLYN PARK
Tries:Trimble (6’), Bolwell (16’), Penalty (28’), Walker (30’, 47’, 64’), Wilstead (34’), Ellis (39’), Gordon (42’), Piper (53’), Jardine (78’)
Conversions: Wilstead (17’, 35’, 40’, 48’, 54’)
Team: Cade, Piper, Hay, Martin, Gillanders, Bolwell, Ellis, Wrafter, Baldwin, Wilstead, Marfo, Gordon, Kelly, Walker, Trimble
Replacements: Cameron, Wade, Burton, Jardine, Stokes
SEDGLEY PARK
Tries: Bordill (10’), Ailes (62’)
Conversions: Seals (11’)
Penalties: Seals (4’)
Yellow Cards: Maher (30’)
Team: Blanchard, Maher, Rylance, Birtwell, Crowe, Goodman, Bradley, Bordill, Tansey, Seals, Lowthion, Glasse, Pope, Henderson, Riley
Replacements: Mallinson, Bell, Ailes, Connor, Riley
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Leicester Lions 22 – 35 Richmond
Bishop’s Stortford 29 –22 Birmingham Moseley
Chinnor 48 – 17 Cinderford
Darlington Mowden Park 17 – 27 Plymouth Albion
Sale FC 19 – 14 Blackheath
Taunton Titans 35 – 41 Rams
This weekend’s fixtures saw Bishop’s Stortford, Chinnor, and Sale also win at home, with the latter the only of the 3 not to add a bonus point as they narrowly edged out Blackheath. Elsewhere, Richmond, Plymouth and Rams all picked up bonus point away wins with the league leaders overcoming a formidable Taunton performance that saw the home side run in 5 tries of their own.
Up Next for Park is a home stand against an in-form Chinnor side coming off a big win over Cinderford. Tickets are on sale here.