Richmond record first win at Blues this century

RICHMOND continued their barnstorming start to the season with a first away victory at Bedford since 1999.

Billed as an early top four clash, the visitors took the game to Bedford right from the off and led pretty much throughout as they secured a third victory of the campaign to move second in the table.

In last season’s truncated Championship, Richmond managed only one win throughout the entire campaign.

Full back, James Kane said: “Historically, we haven’t done too well in Bedford so that’s something we’re massively pleased with.

“It was quite a gritty game but that only goes to show the true character of the team to grind out a result. We’ve been building on some good stuff week after week and it showed in the last 15 minutes when we had to hold on a bit.

“It was an outstanding effort across the board. Bedford are a deadly side from counter attack so we’re pleased to have kept ball in hand as well as we did.”

Will Homer opened the scoring when intercepting a loose Louis Grimoldby pass, which Kane converted.

Grimoldby made amends with a penalty to get Bedford on the board before Richmond got their second try through Owain James.

Blues hit back when back to a full compliment following Brandon Nansen’s earlier yellow card; Reece Marshall and Connor Tupai going over alongside a couple of penalties for both sides to make it 20-20 at half-time.

Bedford led for the only time in the game when Pat Tapley scored his fifth of the season just after the restart, but Richmond hit back as man-of-the-match, Freddie Hosking, and Dave Massey took the game away from the hosts.

Ethan Grayson’s try set up a grandstand

finish, but Blues butchered a late lineout and Richmond saw it out comfortably to secure a historic victory.

Blues centre, Ethan Grayson, said: “On a personal note it was great to score my first ever professional try but there’s a lot for us to learn from as a team and we’ll try to do that next weekend.

“Discipline let us down which is the frustrating point. It comes with the way we play but games are coming thick and fast and hopefully we’ll put it right sooner rather than later.”