Captain Max Hayman scored a sensational hat-trick as Rams returned to winning ways with a 45-25 home win against Clifton.
And if this contest was anything to go by, supporters are in for a treat this Saturday.
Rams built an early 12-0 advantage with Zach Clow and Axel Kalling-Smith dotting down, Mike Cooke adding to the former’s opener.
Summer recruit Ollie Stirling got the Bristolians off the mark before James McKinney added the extras, but Hayman then mauled his way over.
McKinney landed a penalty, but Hayman’s second and a Cooke conversion made it 24-10 at the break.
But Clifton exploded out of the blocks in the second half.
Zak Hamid went over on the right, Harry Johnson blasted through in midfield and with McKinney adding five points with the boot, his side led by one entering the final quarter.
Rams, though, roused themselves.
Hayman completed a set-piece treble before Cooke landed a brilliant touchline kick.
And the fly-half added two more as Harry Stone and Clow went over in the final six minutes to seal the deal.
Defeats to Blackheath and Bishop’s
Blackheath’s disciplined defence proved tough to crack in a 21-5 reverse seven days later.
Record-breaking hooker Billy Harding bagged a first=half brace – eventually ending the campaign with a remarkable 39 tries – and with Sam Morley converting both, it was 14-0 after 40 minutes.
Noah Sloot and Morley extended the lead, but while Stone got Rams off the mark, there were no further points added.
There were plenty more points the following Saturday, but Seb Reynolds’ side ended up on the wrong side of a home 36-31 defeat to Bishop’s Stortford in a 10-try thriller.
A fourth-minute Chris Bolton penalty put the visitors in front, a converted Hamish Ferguson try extending the lead.
Willo Bicknell touched down, Cooke on target, to reduce the arrears.
But Frazier Kiff crossed meaning Kalling-Smith’s try just before the interval meant Bishop’s led 15-12.
A Tom Mills seven-pointer increased the lead, but one from Ryan Lomas gave the home side hope.
However that disappeared as Bolton added to scores from Chris Smith and one of his own midway through the final quarter,
Rams never gave up and salvaged a brace of bonus-points thanks to late tries from Stone and Hayman.
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Earlier in the Season
