Cambridge deliver title blow to OA’s while Taunton run riot

It was always going to be the game of the weekend across the National Leagues and the eagerly anticipated clash between the Old Albanian and Cambridge lived up to expectations as a thrilling finale ended with Cambridge securing victory.

It all means that Cambridge are now just two points behind the OA’s heading into the final third of the season as the title race took another twist in this enthralling season.

Redruth dented Bishops Stortford’s chances of a play-off push with a narrow win while Taunton thrashed Southend meaning the sea-siders are now in the bottom three.

Chinnor are out of the relegation zone because of Southend’s defeat but also due to their win over Dorking while Canterbury and Worthing continue to have good Januarys.

Elsewhere, Clifton arrested a run of four straight defeats with victory over bottom side Launceston who are now 26 points from safety while Barnes was once again came from behind to seal a draw away from home.

Old Albanian 24-26 Cambridge

Cambridge are now just two points behind the Old Albanian as they secured victory in dramatic fashion in this top of the table clash.

With the OA’s leading 24-14 with 15 minutes to go, they received a yellow card which presented the chance for Cambridge to turn this game on its head and the ‘Blood and Sand’ did just that.

A try from Brett Daynes five minutes from the end made it 24-19, but in the final play of the game replacement Brendan Burke crossed to level the scores and James Stokes’ cool conversion clinched victory for Cambridge.

For the most part of this contest, the OA’s had the upper hand which was highlighted by the half-time score line of 12-7 with tries coming from Oliver Cooper-Millar and Nicholas Foster while Cambridge’s response came through Michael Ayrton.

Jordi Pasqualin was then yellow-carded just before half-time for the hosts, but that did seem to affect the confidence of the OA’s.

Player-coach James Shanahan ghosted through the Cambridge defence to score straight after the interval before former Old Albanian star Stefan Liebenburg reduced the score to 19-14 to set-up an intriguing last quarter of the match.

Shanahan scored his second try of the day on 63 minutes to give his team a 10 point lead once more.

But this ultimately proved too little as Daynes and Burke both crossed to turn this game around and add another twist to this already thrilling title race.

Reaction

Old Albanian Player-Coach James Shanahan: “We are still two points clear at the top of the league, which is very important. We must improve on our detail and our discipline before we meet [Bishops] Stortford next week.”

Cambridge’s Stefan Liebenburg: “I said to the team at half-time that the points difference was small. I believed it could be overcome and all we had to do was stick at it.”

Taunton Titans 50-7 Southend Saxons

Taunton Titans produced a composed and ruthless display as they secured a comprehensive win over Southend Saxons to maintain their 100 per cent record at home this season.

An excellent team try scored by Jack Daly had given Southend a shock lead, but a brace from Samuel Prior and a try from Nicholas Mason made sure Taunton were ahead at half-time.

They then secured the bonus point on 54 minutes when Jonathan Gatford crossed.

Mason and Gatford both scored again for the Titans in the final quarter of the match and George Fleming along with Oliver Claxon added to the hosts’ total at Hyde Park to round off a rampant display.

Redruth 5-0 Bishops Stortford

Lewis Vinnicombe scored the only try of the match as Redruth edged out Bishops Stortford at The Rec to end the away sides eight game unbeaten run.

Vinnicombe’s score came on seven minutes after scrum-half Rob Coote broke on the blindside before feeding Vinnicombe who dived into the corner.

The hosts then couldn’t find that second breakthrough even after Rory Young was sinbinned for Stortford.

In the second-half, early sin-bins for Nielson Webber and Kyle Marriott meant Redruth had some defending to do as Stortford threatened on a couple of occasions to drive themselves over the line, but the home side held on for their fourth win in their last five matches.

Old Elthamians 17-17 Barnes

Barnes snatched a late draw for the second away match in a row as this time a penalty from Tom O’Toole was enough for a share of the points against the Old Elthamians.

The scores were level after 26 minutes after Lee Nelmes’ converted try for the OE’s was matched by Edouard Alteirac for Barnes.

Thomas White’s penalty put the home side 10-7 ahead at half-time.

Jamie Collins’ 74^th minute try gave Barnes the lead in a cagey second period before Jonathan Fordham looked as though he had won the game for the OE’s when he went over with two minutes remaining.

However, Barnes opted to kick a stoppage-time penalty and O’Toole landed the three points from the tee to seal the draw.

Clifton 50-15 Launceston

Clifton secured their first win since in four matches as they ran in six tries on their way to victory against bottom club Launceston.

The hosts were 28-3 up at half-time mainly thanks to the accuracy of fly-half James MacKay who kicked 13 points from the tee and was backed up by tries from Alexander Giltrow, Ian Clark and Rhys Luckwell.

Launceston began the second-half with 14 men after Benjamin Hilton was yellow-carded just before the break and MacKay punished the away side once again as he landed another penalty.

The visitors were then shortly reduced to 13 men when Alex Edwards was sin-binned, but that didn’t seem to affect them as Robbie Dugard added to Fraser Honey’s first-half penalty with Launceston’s first try of the day.

But the joy was short-lived for the away side as lock James Tripcony was sent-off for foul play and nine minutes later, Clifton sealed their bonus point as Callum Roberts darted over.

Lloyd Duke did hit back for the visitors as he scored their second try on 64 minutes to make the score 38-15 but even when Luckwell and Bradley Barnes were sin-binned for Clifton, they still managed to go over on two more occasions as Elias Craven and a Penalty Try wrapped up a much needed win for the South Gloucestershire side.

Worthing Raiders 22-20 Redingensians

A late James Ure try gave Worthing Raiders victory over relegation threatened the Redingensians.

Tries from Daniel Sargent and Liam Perkins helped the Raiders into 15-6 half-time advantage. However, scores from Thomas Byson and James Baker edged the Redingensians into the lead by six points after the break.

Matthew McLean swiftly cut that lead down to three points as he landed a penalty but Ure’s try 10 minutes from the end sealed Worthing’s win.

Worthing are now up to ninth in the table and are currently on a three game unbeaten run while the Redingensians are currently in the bottom three, but only two points from safety.

Canterbury 34-33 Bury St Edmunds

The current form side in the division are Canterbury as they secured their fourth straight thanks to a remarkable comeback against Bury St Edmunds.

This was a nip and tuck contest throughout which was highlighted by the half-time score of 17-19 to Bury St Edmunds.

Joshua Walker and a double from Matthew Hema edged the away side in front at the break after Martyn Beaumont, Royce Cadman and James Green had maintained a lead for Canterbury for the first 21 minutes of the half.

After the break, Bury put their foot down and scored two quick fire tries through William Affleck and David Micklewaite to give them a 17-33 lead after just 43 minutes.

This seemed to spark the hosts into life and the comeback got underway when Mason Rosvall found a gap and exploited.

A yellow card to Bury’s Samuel Bixby presented the opportunity to Canterbury to take advantage and they did just that as two minutes after the dismissal, Aiden Moss crossed to reduce the deficit to just four points with 15 minutes remaining.

Ill-discipline was again the reason why Canterbury scored once more, but this time it proved to be a fatal lack of concentration from Bury.

Scrum-half Pierre Peres was the culprit and Bury were punished as Sayers darted over to secure the win for Canterbury, while Bury are now without a victory in three matches.

Chinnor 23-19 Dorking

Chinnor are now out of the relegation zone thanks to this win over Dorking despite being shown four yellow cards on their way to victory.

Henry Lamont’s score inside seven minutes and a Penalty Try gave Chinnor an early 12-7 lead with Armand Roux responding for Dorking.

The home side stretched their advantage when Will Cargill landed a penalty, but shortly after, replacement prop Andrew Berry was yellow carded which allowed Dorking to stay  in touch heading into the second half as Benjamin Marfo crossed just before the break.

Chinnor’s eight point gap was restored after the interval when Oscar Heath went over, but yellow cards to Matthew Bolwell and Lamont meant the hosts were down to 13 men for three minutes.

And they were punished in that short space of time as Oliver Hutson’s try moved Dorking to within a point of Chinnor on 63 minutes and the away side threatened to complete the comeback when Cargill became the fourth player to be sent to the sin-bin with 12 minutes remaining.

However, a penalty from Heath settled the nerves for Chinnor who held out for only their fifth win of the season and now they are a point clear of the bottom three.