Students rampant in their home finale

HARTPURY ran riot on a sun-soaked afternoon, in the final home game of an extraordinary season. Macclesfield never gave up, but after their early penalty try they were always second best to the rampant champions.

Steve Leonard’s powerful break from halfway had the home side ahead, but Macclesfield were soon level when their scrummage earned them a penalty try.

However, after lock Joe Dancer raced home from debutant Maliq Holden’s inside ball, it quickly became one-way traffic, with Adam Hastings pulling the strings.

Luke Eves powered over after the Blues lineout failed and then Jonas Mikalcius fed Harry Cochrane. Joe Batley became the second lock to score when he picked a good line and Holden’s try, on the stroke of halftime, was an individual beauty.

After the break, there was staunch Blues defence before Mat Gilbert was next to profit from a poor lineout. From the restart, Leonard grabbed his second before good hands saw Holden also double up.

Hastings’ cross-field kicks then led to scores for both Jamie Forrester and Mikalcius. The Lithuanian actually scored a hat-trick – all in the final ten minutes – with Eves also popping up for his second.