Leaders League take win despite pair of red cards
COUNTIES 2 Gloucestershire North leaders Gordon League played an hour with 13 men in their 29-20 win at Old Cryptians after red cards for Luke Mcmahon and Calen Gaze.
Ryan Carter scored two tries with one for Jacob Marsh and Ashley Kocerhan, who also kicked a conversion and a penalty, Mcmahon also kicking two conversions.
Matt Hurdle, Brandon Trigg and Tom Brind scored Crypts’ tries with a conversion for Dan Tyler and a Scott Wiltlock penalty.
Tries for Ben Shaldrake and Duncan Spurrier helped Smiths edge out Brockworth 17-15.
Both were converted by Marcus Raymond who added a penalty, Brockworth’s tries coming from captain Sam Birch and flanker Andy Mitchell, one converted by James Dunn, and an Alex Fisher penalty.
Aaron Fowke kicked two conversions and two penalties for Coney Hill in their 20-10 win over his former club Spartans.
Joe Twomey and Jaden Astle scored a try apiece, all of the Red Ants’ points coming from Ashley Lewis, with a converted try and a penalty.
Rhys Owen and Josh Woodward scored Cirencester’s tries in their 20-7 win over Old Richians, Will Lowe converting both and adding two penalties.
The Cheltenham Saracens v Rosson-wye game was abandoned after 70 minutes due to weather and poor light, while Hucclecote had a walkover against Old Centralians II.
Old Centralians made it three Regional 1 South West wins in a row with a 14-8 success at Brixham.
With several players coming back from injury, Cents are in a better position than the start of the season.
It was a forwards battle due to the weather and Cents’ discipline and defence was superb.
Player coach Rob Winchle got the first points on board when he crashed through a loose tackle to score under the post and Will Hammond kicked the extras.
Late in the second half, prop Sam Preece popped over after a good attack through the forwards and Hammond, making his second start after a outstanding debut performance last week, kicked the extras to make it 14-0
Brixham came back with a try and a penalty towards the end but Cents hung on for an excellent away win.
Lydney gave a debut to Gloucester Academy centre Tom Riman in their 28-22 win at Launceston.
Fly-half Brad Barnes cut through the defence to open the scoring, converting his own try, and after Costner Lane was held up, increased the lead through scrum-half Tom Brody, Barnes adding the conversion.
Ryan Westren crossed for Launceston, converted by Dan Pearce, but Lydney added a third try when forward drives from Jack Spencer, James Walter and Liam Hudson, Rob White crashed over, Barnes adding the extras for a 21-7 half-time lead.
Launceston were out of the blocks at the restart, scoring two quick tries through Brandon Rowley and Tom Sandercock which got them back in the game at 21-19.
But a line-out steal by Jake Bonser led to Sam Arnott seeing a gap to score, Barnes keeping his perfect record as the Severnsiders led 28-19.
After Joe Mcclean was yellow carded, the Severnsiders put in a superb defensive shift for the remaining minutes, Launceston cutting the gap with a penalty.
They face Drybrook at Regentsholme on Saturday, with Drybrook being edged out 16-12 by Ivybridge, despite tries from, Mitch Bourne and Archie English, Dillon Worsley converting one try.
Stow eased to a comfortable 61-7 Regional 2 South Central win at Grove.
Will Marks scored the first try with Herbie Archer converting, and the same combination then made it 14-0 before Sean Thomson got on the score sheet, Archer again adding the extras.
Stow bagged their try bonus point as captain Jim Wood drove over from a lineout, Archer converting again.
Craig Chapman scored on his longawaited return from suspension, Archer again converting and Stow’s last try of the half saw Wood to touch down close to the posts leaving Archer an easy conversion.
Grove hit back just before the break with a converted try, leaving Stow 42-7 up at the break.
From the re-start Grove knocked on with Will Debenham running in under the posts, Archer converting, and Toby Stayt was next to cross, Archer missing for the only time, with Wood’s hat-trick try completing the scoring, Archer converting.
In Regional 2 Severn, Rob Panting scored two tries as Chosen Hill Former Pupils bat Frome 28-20.
Max Rendell scored their other try, Harry Matthews kicking the rest of the points with two conversions and three penalties.
Leaders Matson were 31-24 winners at Gordano, but Cheltenham lost 26-22 at home to Trowbridge.
Josh Moore, Lewis Neal, Jardel Cooper and Joe Warner scored Cheltenham’s tries, Craig Holder kicking one conversion.
Cinderford II had to work hard for their 19-7 Counties 1 Western North victory over Old Bristolians.
Tom Samak twice and Louis Jayne scored their tries with Joe Langbridge kicking two conversions.
Dursley came close to a shock win over Counties 2 Gloucestershire South leaders Clifton II before going down 26-21.
They trailed 21-6 at half-time after two Arron Lennard penalties, but tries from Charles Aston and Henry Scott, a Lennard conversion and another penalty made it 21-21 but Clifton crossed in the dying minutes for the winning try.
Jayden Hardy scored two tries and converted three in Bream’s 31-20 win over St Mary’s Old Boys, Ben Jones, Nathan Thompson-lee and Zac Peacey scored their other tries.
Craig Clarke, Neil Morgan, Blake Smith and Rhys Gardner scored tries in Drybrook II’S 26-19 win at Berry Hill.
Andrew Milner converted three, with Hill tries from Jake Ashley, Dave Gundy and Luke Powles, Aaron Ryder converting two.
With the Old Patesians v Minchinhampton game postponed, Stroud took the chance to consolidate their position at the top of Counties 3 Gloucestershire North with an 50-9 victory at Fairford.
They led 40-9 at half-time, as Fairford’s Harri Cummings kicked three penalties.
Marcus Martin scored the first try following some good phases in the midfield, followed by Pete Sykes scoring in the right corner following a first phase backs move.
Sam Leworthy scored from a break in the middle of the park and Sam Davies scored next, then Ben Wilkes popped to Davies to score under the posts.
Wilkes added to the scoreboard with a good break up the right and Zinzan
Cremmins scored the last try of the first half following a strong scrum.
Leworthy and Sykes added secondhalf tries for Stroud.
Gloucester Old Boys demolished Norton 92-5 with tries from Paddy Hinds (three, and one conversion), Niall Galvin (three), Tom Bergonzi (two), Taylor Unett (one, plus 10 conversions), Owen O’keeffe, Aled Halford-tuffley , Jamie Fairs, Liam Aherne and Josh Pearson. Brad Hunt scored Norton’s try.
Widden Old Boys notched up 50 unanswered points at Matson thanks to tries for Nick Keohane, Jake Huggins (two), Luca Simmons (two), Akeem Richards, Josh Yeomans and Marcus Mills, whith five conversions for Jordan Walker.
Tom Cane scored two tries and Omar Ly one as Tewkesbury beat neighbours Bredon Star 19-12.
Tom Powell and James Watkins converted a try each, while Bredon’s tries came from Bertie Tarrant and Rich Clive, Matt Alonso converting one.
Newent II were 27-12 Counties 4 Gloucestershire North winners over Painswick, with Jacob Ivell scoring 20 of the points.
Painswick scored first as their dominant lineout won the ball and, several phases later, they scooped up a loose ball and Neil Churchill sliced through the defence near the posts, the try converted by Dominic Barnard.
The visitors won a penalty in front of the posts which would have taken them 10-0 clear, but the kick sailed low and wide.
Newent made them pay when Fin Mellis and Ivell combined, Ivell going over near the posts and adding the extras.
A penalty by Ivell completed the firsthalf scoring, then Newent started the second half in style as a lineout was palmed back to Ivell, who ran through to score, and converted for a 17-7 lead.
Painswick were then forced to concede a penalty 22 metres out, right in front of the posts and Ivell stepped up to collect the points.
Painswick responded strongly and from a resulting lineout the visitors took the ball into the Newent half, Barnard scoring an excellent try in the corner.
The final try came from Ben Kindred, who outstripped the defence before scoring beside the posts, with Ivell converting.
The other three games in the division resulted in walkovers for Cinderford III, Greyhound and Ledbury II, over Drybrook III, Old Cryptians II and Old Patesians II respectively.