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Heavensgame.com has a full review of this weekend's National League One games.
Leeds Carnegie 57 Coventry 5
Leeds maintained their unbeaten record as yet again they piled on the points and it was Coventry on the receiving end as Leeds ran out 57-5 winners. Leeds were dominant in all areas and scored their first try after five minutes when Jon Hepworth went over to hand the home side an early 5-0 lead. Coventry replied with a try of their own through Donovan Sanders to level the scores but it was the closest Coventry would get as Leeds then played some expansive rugby to break down the visitors’ defence. Tries from Tom Biggs and Hendre Fourie sent the table-toppers into the interval 26-5 up. The second half saw Leeds score early when Danny Paul scampered over to extend the Yorkshire club’s lead. The scoring didn’t stop there and the rout was completed with five more tries from Biggs whose second half brace notched his hat-trick, Richard Welding (2) and another for Hepworth. Twelve points from the boot of Alberto Di Bernardo completed another emphatic victory for Leeds who have won their opening eight games of the season and stay five points clear at the top of National League One. Leeds Carnegie: Try; Biggs (3), Hepworth (2), Fourie, Paul, Welding – Cons; Di Bernardo (6)
Coventry: Try; Sanders Bedford 53 Sedgley Park 7
Bedford Blues continued their blistering form by running in eight tries to annihilate Sedgley Park 53-7 at Goldington Road.
Bedford kept the pressure on Leeds Carnegie at the top of National League One and notched their seventh win of the campaign and inflicted more pain for Sedgley Park who have conceded 176 points in their last three games. Bedford dominated the game from the opening whistle and went into a 26-0 half-time lead thanks to tries from Ian Davey, Karl Dickson, Will Harries and Mouritz Botha. After the interval the home side continued to pile on the misery on Sedgley Park and added another two tries from Botha and Liam Roberts. Sedgley Park finally got on the score sheet when Peter Swatkins dived over to give the visiting fans something to cheer about. However, Bedford replied with another brace of tries from Brendan Burke and Rory McKay to cement their place in the top 3. Bedford: Try; Davey, Dickson, Harries, Botha (2), Roberts, Burke, McKay – Cons; Pritchard (5) – Pens; Pritchard
Sedgley Park: Try; Swatkins – Cons; Jones
Otley 0 Exeter 69
Exeter put in the most impressive performance of the day as they completely obliterated a poor Otley side 69-0. The Chiefs went over 11 times in a game which sees Exeter clock their seventh victory of the season and handed Otley their eighth successive defeat of the campaign. Exeter were always in the ascendency and put the game beyond doubt by half-time as they went into the break 43-0 ahead. Exeter’s forwards dominated the Otley pack and tries from Chris Budgen (2), Sam Blythe, Andy Miller, Matt Jess (2) and Josh Drauniniu sent the visitors into the break with the game won.
The second half was much of the same, with Otley being overpowered in all aspects and the home side were unable to break down the Exeter defence. However, Exeter were finding gaps in the Otley defence with ease and four more tries from Budgen, Richard Baxter, Sean Marsden and Dan Tuohy completed the rout and keeps the Chiefs hot on the heels of leaders Leeds Carnegie. Exeter: Try; Budgen (3), Blythe, Miller, Jess (2), Drauniniu, Baxter, Marsden, Tuohy – Cons; Gray (6), Steenson London Welsh 43 Esher 19London Welsh continued their surge up the National League One table by comfortably beating London rivals Esher 43-19 at Old Deer Park. Esher took an early lead when Seb Stegmann dived over and Neil Hallett added the extras to give the visitors a 7-0 lead. They were to be the only points Esher could manage in the first half and London Welsh began to dominate and tries from Mark Harris, Allen Chilten and a penalty try along with 11 points from the boot of Aled Thomas sent the Dragons into the break 29-7 ahead. An early second half try from Hugo Ellis gained the bonus point for Welsh and Simon Etheredge added a fifth try for the home side. Esher finished the game strongly and scored two consolation tries through Hallett and Dougie Flockhart to add some respectability to the scoreline but London Welsh still ran out easy winners to move up to fifth place in the table. London Welsh: Try; Harris, Chilten, penalty, Ellis, Etheredge – Cons; Thomas (3) – Pens; Thomas (3), Harris
Esher: Try; Stegmann, Hallett, Flockhart – Cons; Hallett (2) Doncaster 24 Cornish Pirates 24Doncaster and Cornish Pirates shared the spoils as they battled out a 24-24 thriller at Castle Park. Doncaster took the lead through a Jamie Lennard penalty only for his kick to be cancelled out by Rhys Jones. Doncaster scored the only try of the first half when Simon Grainger crashed over and Lennard converted the extras to send Doncaster into half-time 10-3 in front. Doncaster stretched their lead early into the second half when Lennard dived over to send the home side 15-3 up. The Pirates replied immediately and Rhodri McAtee scored twice to reduce the deficit and then the visitors took the lead when Iva Motusaga dived over from close range. Another Jamie Lennard penalty restored parity and the teams were locked at 21 points each. A penalty apiece from Lennard and Jones moved the score to 24-24 but neither side were unable to manufacture a drop-goal opportunity and both teams had to settle for a draw. Doncaster: Try; Grainger, Lennard – Cons; Lennard – Pens; Lennard (4)
Cornish Pirates: Try; McAtee (2), Motusaga – Cons; Jones (3) – Pens; Jones Plymouth Albion 26 Moseley 17Plymouth Albion leapfrog Moseley in National League One after beating the Birmingham side 26-17 at the Brickfields Recreation Ground. Albion always had the upper hand in the opening exchanges and took the lead with a couple of Kieran Hallett penalties. Two tries from Tom Jarvis and Gareth Evans extended the home side’s lead with Hallett making no mistake with the conversions. Moseley finally troubled the scorers and a trio of penalties from Richard Vasey reduced the deficit for the visitors. Another couple of Hallett penalties sent Albion into half-time 23-9 ahead. Moseley came out fighting in the second half and James Rodwell dived over to score and get the visitors back in the game. However, both sides were unable to manage anymore tries and a Hallett penalty and a Vasey drop-goal were the only other scoring plays and Albion move up to eight place and Moseley drop down to tenth place in National League One. Plymouth Albion: Try; Jarvis, Evans – Cons; Hallett (2) – Pens; Hallett (4)
Moseley: Try; Rodwell – Pens; Vasey (3) – Drop-Goal; Vasey Nottingham 48 Newbury 3Nottingham moved into the top four as they ran in seven tries to beat lowly Newbury 48-3. Nottingham, who narrowly beat Moseley last week were hoping for a better performance this week and they took control of the game in the first half. The home side went into the break 17-3 ahead after first, Joe Duffey had touched down and then David Jackson added another try and along with a couple of Jackson penalties gave Nottingham a comfortable lead. Newbury could only manage three points from the boot of Gareth Griffiths. The game opened up in the second period and Nottingham were rampant in the second half with Alex Dodge, Rohaan Nirmalendran, Ben Thompson, Luke Sherriff all scoring tries for Nottingham. Another try from Duffey wrapped up the winning bonus point and along with the accurate boot of Jackson, Nottingham won comfortably and keep the pressure on Leeds, Exeter and Bedford above them. Nottingham: Try; Duffey (2), Jackson, Dodge, Nirmalendran, Thompson, Sherriff – Cons; Jackson (5) – Pens; Jackson
Newbury: Pens; Griffiths Manchester 36 Rotherham Titans 54Rotherham Titans handed Manchester their eighth successive defeat of the season as they ran out 54-36 winners at Grove Park. Manchester have struggled with their defence all season and have now conceded over 350 points in their first eight National League One games and lie bottom of the table and have only gained two points all campaign. It was a free-scoring game with tries being scored left, right and centre and the visitors went into half-time 34-28 ahead with Errie Claassens bagging a first-half hat-trick. The second half also saw both teams finding gaps in the opposing team’s defence but Rotherham were always in control and second half tries from Jon Feeley, Chris Briers (2) and Gregor Hayter ensure the win for the Titans who move up to seventh in the league.
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