League edge it Promotion and cup joy after thrilling contest
GORDON League clinched promotion from the Counties 2 Gloucestershire leagues with a 25-20 success over Bream in their promotion play-off.
Bream, the south division champions, led north division title-holders League 15-5 at half-time, Kaian Buhagiar crossing for League, but second-half scores from George Boughton and Luke Mcmahon, who also kicked two conversions and a penalty, sealed the win for League.
Ben ‘Joner’ Jones, Elliott Teague and Liam Brady crossed for Bream with Aaron Ryder kicking a conversion and a penalty.
League’s win also puts them into the next round of the Counties 2 Championship cup competition, and they now travel to Cornish side Saltash on Saturday.
In the same competition, Old Patesians face a trip to the Isle of Wight in the second round, to face Sandown & Shanklin, after they beat Melksham 29-19.
Archie Long scored two tries, with one each for Ollie Stephens and Wyatt Dundas, with Sam Rhymes converting three and adding a penalty.
In pool four of the Regional 1 Plate competition, Lydney started with a 36-13 win over HUEL Tring.
Stow-on-the_wold lost 61-26 to Northampton Old Scouts in Regional 2 Championship, pool two, scoring tries through Toby Stayt (two), Cameron Tyler and Sam Cotton, Charlie Slatter with three conversions.
Newent produced an excellent allround performance to edge past Chippenham 38-28, to get their pool four campaign off to the best of starts.
They were ahead within two minutes through a Tom Webb penalty, and the first try followed, Webb releasing Jack Devries for a clear run-in, and converting.
Ben Vincent then charged through to score by the posts, and Webb’s conversion took the score to 17-0.
Rich Townsend was next to cross for Newent, Webb converting, but Chippenham were stung into a strong response with a converted try.
Newent came straight back with the bonus-point try, Vincent once again crashing through would-be tacklers to touch down and Webb’s conversion made the score 31-7.
Chippenham claimed the restart to set up another attacking opportunity and scored a converted try for a half-time score of 31-14.
The second half was less than two minutes old when Chippenham reduced the deficit further with a converted score and the deficit was three points at 31-28 when they crossed for their bonus-point try.
But when Chippenham were penalised at a ruck in midfield. Harry Tovey drilled the ball to touch and from the lineout the ball was spun to Vincent, who broke several tackles and crashed over under the posts, Webb’s conversion putting Newent at the top of the table after one round of games in a very competitive pool – with home games against Winchester and Royal Wotton Bassett to come.
Cheltenham cleared the first hurdle as they defeated Hereford 47-7 in the first round of the Regional North Plate.
Cheltenham scored five tries through Brandon Springett, Stan Folks-underhill, Joe Warner, and two from winger Jack Hanks, with the boot of Curtis Neal adding three conversions and a penalty to give a half time lead of 37-0.
Following the break the visitors crossed for a converted try but Cheltenham added two more tries via Omar Ly and Ryan Cengiz, with Neal adding a further penalty to give Cheltenham the win, and book a home tie with Lutterworth on Saturday.
Old Centralians will host Drybrook in the Regional 2 South Plate after winning 57-5 at Witney, Jevon Brown scoring five tries.
Cents led 28-0 at half time and kept the momentum in the second half, with other tries from Dan Tyler, Mike Mathers, Luke Jones and Geraint Evans with Harry Preece converting six of them.
Drybrook were handed a walkover by Chosen Hill, and this will be the third time they have met Cents this season, Cents winning both of the others.
Longlevens host Swanage and Wareham in the second round of the Counties 1 Championship after winning 34-30 at Ledbury.
Mike Yorke scored Levens’ first try, but fell 8-7 behind to a try and penalty.
Jack Cuthbert then crossed twice to open up a 21-8 lead, then Steve Phillips extended the lead further with another converted try.
But Ledbury scored three unanswered tries, two unconverted to make the score 28-25, with the Griffins conceding two yellow cards.
The boot of Brad Wilkins added two penalties before Ledbury bagged a last try of their own to make the last few minutes a tense affair, but the Griffins held out.
In the Counties 2 South Plate, Cheltenham North travel to Smiths after their 32-12 win over Gosford All Blacks.
North set the pace right from the off with two tries and a conversion, and went on to win with Will Allenby scoring a hat-trick, while Smiths were given a walkover by Coney Hill.
Hucclecote will face Stroud after they edged out Old Richians 24-20, with tries for Charles Cooke, Brad Harris, Jon Hogg and Regi-lee Alexander, Harris converting two.
Connor Galling, Luke Carr and Niki Godsell went over for Richians, the extras from Ewan Jones‘ boot.
Dean Tattersall and Harry Lightfoot scored hat-tricks for Stroud as they beat Minety 62-17.
Harry Cadwaller-rowles, Sam Hester - who also kicked six conversions - Joe Ashenford and Connor Horlock scored the others.
There are two county derbies in the Counties 2 South Shield, as Brockworth host Cirencester and Old Cryptians are at home to Dursley.
Brockworth won 46-15 at Oldfield Old Boys, as Kurtis Herbert scored four tries and Alfie Burns two, with five tries. converted by George Gladding, who also kicked two penalties.
Cryptians edged out Berry Hill 5-3 with James Allen scoring their try.
Tewkesbury travel to Harbury in the Counties 3 & Below Championship second round after they beat CCS Warpigs 26-10.
Jack Beard, Brendan Llewelyn, Tom Cane and Archie Walsh scored their tries, with Llewelyn kicking three conversions, while Oli Wilton and Angus Guthrie scored the Warpigs’ tries.
Gloucester Old Boys will host Broad Plain after being handed a walkover win over Southmead.
Ross-on-wye conceded their Counties 3 & Below South Plate tie at Old Sulians.
In league games, Cinderford United led Clifton II 50-0 in Counties 1 Western North when Clifton conceded at half-time after they suffered a raft of injuries.
Reuben Hinds (two), Paddy Hinds, Jack Hopson, Sam Allford, Danny Pointon, Tom Reynolds and Jonny Holliday scored their tries, with Pointon kicking five conversions.
Cinderford are awaiting a decision as to whether their final match against Clevedon will go ahead, which could see them win the league for a second successive year.
But it looks like they will again be denied promotion if they do win the title, as second XVS cannot play at regional league level.
In Counties 3 Gloucestershire North, Bredon Star were 42-15 winners at Painswick, with tries for Henry Tarrant and Tolly Wilson (two each), Reece Dickenson and Will Wilson, Tarrant kicking six conversions.
Longlevens II were 61-17 winners over Minchinhampton.
Cinderford Stags were handed a Counties 4 Gloucestershire North walkover against Cheltenham II, but finish as runners-up and should be promoted to Counties 3 North.