Rossiter’s the way as
RAMS moved to the top of the National One table with an impressive bonus-point win at the Darlington Arena.
Seb Reynolds’ side ran in seven tries, including four in just seven minutes, to leapfrog Sale at the top of the table.
A tight first ten minutes saw Mowden enjoy the best of the opening stages, but it was Rams who broke the deficit when prop Tarek Haffar found himself on the left wing to dive over out wide.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to double their lead as scrum-half Ollie Allan broke clear on the half-way line, evading the DMP covering defence for a brilliant individual try on the 12-minute mark.
Their third came just minutes later, with winger Jak Rossiter finishing well out wide.
A shell-shocked DMP side were powerless to stop the visitors who then ran in their bonus point try through Axel Kalling-Smith who latched onto a pinpoint cross-field kick from Alex Seers.
Seers converted all four of Rams’ opening four tries.
The scoreboard read 28-0 after just 17 minutes, but Mowden responded well and grew into the game as Chris McTurk dived over in the corner get the home side on the board.
Matt Minogue added the touchline conversion and DMP soon had their second when winger Henry Hadfield powered over after a midfield break.
Minogue converted to half the deficit, but an end-to-end period saw
Rams stretch further clear as Seers finished well in the corner. The Rams’ fly-half injured himself in the act of scoring, with Ollie Allan’s conversion drifting wide in his absence.
The visitors were reduced to 14 men late in the first half when replacement Will Parting
ton was shown a yellow card following a break from McTurk.
Mowden were unable to take advantage, with Rams holding a 33-14 lead at half-time.
A tighter second half saw Rams pull further clear through the impressive Connor Hayhow, before Mowden replied through scrum-half Callum Pascoe.
Rossiter then added his second after a deft chip from Partington for Rams’ seventh score of the afternoon.
The final quarter saw the penalty count mount up for both sides, as DMP went in search of a fourth try.
Rams defended well, holding up DMP over the line twice to deny the hosts a consolation bonus point and seeing out an impressive bonus point win.
“Congratulations to Rams on a thoroughly deserved win.” said DMP director of rugby Garry Law.
“They showed why they’re top of the league. They were very clinical and took their chances well, particularly in the first half.
“We battled all day but we didn’t have the clinical nous to get over the line and capitalise on the pressure we put them under at times.”