Loan watch: Weston edge Hornets in derby ding-dong

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South West Premier
Weston-super-Mare 20-18 Hornets 

Four Bristol Bears Academy players were involved in the local derby match between the Tribute South West Premier’s fourth-placed Weston-super-Mare and third-placed Hornets met at the Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Inside centre Dylan Power, hooker Aaron Thompson and No.8 Macenzzie Duncan who ended up on the winning side while second row Costa Galetalis packed down for Hornets who were in search of a season’s double.

A late penalty from fly-half James Mackay ensured that Weston-super-Mare took four league points in front a bumper vocal crowd in the sunshine with Hornets having to settle for a losing bonus point.

The Weston victory leaves table placing unchanged but the gap between the two, with one league game remaining, reduced to 18 points. Hornets are now seven points behind second placed Old Redcliffians and another two adrift of leaders Exeter University.

Hornets took an early lead with a penalty from full back Charlie Carter but the Seasiders hit back immediately with a try from full back Jack Curtis. Wing Huw Morgan crossed for Weston’s second try.

Hornets had captain Matt Parker sent to the sin-bin by referee Oli Carey followed a minute later by scrum half Hayden Tuttiett to reduce them to 13-men as Weston went into the break 10-3 ahead.

Weston started the second half taking advantage of the extra players with wing Joe Burgess crossing the whitewash for the hosts third try which was converted by Mackay. Back to full strength and Hornets crossed for their first try through Carter.

With 13 minutes remaining Hornets regained the lead through two tries from wing Rob Dempsey but with two minutes left to play Weston were awarded a long range penalty which Mackay duly slotted between the uprights.

Weston-super-Mare scorers – tries: Jack Curtis, Huw Morgan, Joe Burgess; con: James Mackay; pen: James Mackay

Hornets scorers – tries: Charlie Carter, Rob Dempsey (2); pen: Charlie Carter.

Referee: Oli Carey (South West Group)

Tribute Somerset Premier
Weston United 51-13 Oldfield Old Boys

Bristol Bears Academy scrum-half JJ Williams scored three tries in his first game since November 2021 to help steered Weston United to a convincing 51-13 bonus point victory under lights in The Tribute Somerset Premier on Friday night against Oldfield Old Boys.

Williams opened the scoring, followed by touchdowns from No.8 Ben Cox, hooker Adam Fisher and a second from Williams on the stroke of half time, plus two conversions from fly-half Archie Tilsley gave the United a 24-6  lead at the break.

Tries from right-wing Mike McCarthy, second-row Mark Turton and Williams third, plus a Tilsley conversion, saw the United stretch their lead to 4-16 within the hour. Referee Rob Owen yellow-carded Cox, but prop Gary Carpenter marked his return from injury to cross the whitewash from close range.

The visitors added a converted try before Cox returned to the action to score his second try of the night with the game's last play. The victory leaves Weston United in fourth-place with one game left to play.

Weston United scorers – tries: JJ Williams (3), Ben Cox (2), Adam Fisher, Mike McCarthy, Mark Turton, Gary Carpenter; cons: Archie Tilsley (3); yellow card: Ben Cox (61 min)

Oldfield Old Boys scorers – try: Josh James; con: Josh James; pens: Alex Durhurst.

Referee: Rob Owen (Somerset Rugby Referees' Society).

All Photo Credits: Weston Rugby/Andrew Collins

National Two South
Hinckley 29-34 Dings Crusaders

Dings made it seven in a row with a hard-fought victory over Hinckley at Leicester Road. The visitors appeared to be heading towards a comfortable winning margin after prop George Kloska crashed over on the hour mark to make it 34-17, but a late fight-back for the home side meant Crusaders were anxiously looking over their shoulders in the final minutes of the contest.

Dings made a bright start and took a six-point lead thanks to two well-struck penalties from stand-off Ollie Millner. Crusaders' extended their lead with a splendid try, finished off my centre Matt Smith, after wing Tom Foot split the Hinckley defence with a perfectly-timed intervention into the line. Foot was stopped just short, but Smith was in support to race in under the posts for the opening try of the game on 22-minutes. Millner added the extras from straight in front.

But the second quarter of the game was dominated by the home side. Their big, physical pack began to gain the ascendency at close quarters and set-up camp in the Dings half. They got their just rewards when flanker Harry Bower rumbled over in the corner from the back of a driving line-out for an unconverted try to make it 13-5 to Dings at the turn.

The home side struck first in the second-half with another unconverted try from wing Tom Dacey to make it 13-10, but Dings responded immediately with a try from wing Tom Hargan. Millner again slotted the conversion to make it 20-10 on 51-minutes. The visitors looked have got the measure of their bigger counterparts up front, with debutante Charlie Rice, in particular, having a fantastic game at both blind-side flanker before switching to second-row.

Dings' replacement scrum-half Tom Knight darted over for a converted try on 55-minutes, but wing Euan Kelly crossed for the home side four-minutes later. Full-back Rory Vowles converted to make it 27-17. Kloska's converted effort on the hour mark looked to have wrapped things up for the visitors, but touchdowns from Alex Salt, converted by fly-half Joseph Glover, and Ben Pointon, resulted in the home side picking up two well-deserved bonus-points in defeat.

Hinckley scores: Bower 33, Dacey 45, Kelly 59, Salt 72, Pointon 79. Conversions: Vowles 59, Glover 72.

Dings scores: Smith 22, Hargan 51, Knight 55, Kloska 60. Conversions: Millner 23, 52, 56, 61. Penalties: Millner 7, 15.

Hinckley: 15 Vowles; 14 Kelly 13 Lamb, 12 Coates, 11 Dacey, 10 Glover, Pointon; 1 Bartlett, 2 Johnson, 3 Harper, 4 Weaver, 5 Moreton, 6 Groocock, 7 Bower, Salt. Replacements: 16 Coltman, 17 Harvey, 18 Barnes, 19 Marsden, 20 Hubbard.

Dings Crusaders: 15 Tovey, 14 Hargan, 13 Smith, 12 Arscott, 11 Foot, 10 Millner, 9 Gasson; 1 Turner, 2 Gollop, 3 Kloska, 4 Bilton, 5 Hodge, 6 Rice, 7 Rovery, 8 Holcombe; Replacements: 16 Appleton, 17 English, 18 Beer, 19 Knight, 20 Rowson.

Referee: Gavin Jones.

National Two South
Clifton 31-31 Worthing Raiders

Jac Lloyd and Harry Ascherl both featured off the bench for Clifton is Saturday's high-scoring draw with Worthing at Station Road.

Matt Salter's side trailed 14-26 at the interval but fought back to claim three points courtesy of tries from Alex Howman, Alex Giltrow, Finn Sharp and Dan Broady.

Prop Dan Sargent scored a hat-trick for the visitors.

Championship Cup
Richmond 26-61 Hartpury

Hartpury were eventually comfortable winners in this first-round, first-leg Championship Cup tie, although a Richmond development side were very much in contention until half-time.

Academy prop Tom Sims made his competitive debut for Pury as they powered to an emphatic win.

Hartpury accumulated nine tries in the game, the scorers being Aled Ward, George Simpson (2), Sam Smith (2), Harry Short, Joe Howard, Matty Jones and Dale Lemon, much of it resulting from slick back play. Tommy Mathews, who had a good game overall, added points from the tee.