All tied at the top of National Two South

We are still no closer to knowing who will be top of National Two South when the Christmas break arrives in just three weeks’ time as Cambridge and the Old Albanian are tied at the summit.

Points difference is the only thing that separates the two sides who have identical records this season while Taunton are just three points adrift of the front runners.

Bishops Stortford remain in the top four despite drawing to Barnes, while Redruth and the Old Elthamians picked up excellent wins.

Elsewhere, the Redingensians are out of the bottom three after picking up their third win in four and there was another victory for Dorking on their travels.

Launceston 8-33 Cambridge

Cambridge returned to the top of the table, but only on points difference, as they ran in five tries as they comfortably beat bottom side Launceston.

Albert Portsmouth grabbed two second half tries as Cambridge recorded their 10^th win of the season.

Michael Ayrton, Gerhard Boshoff and Lawrence Hutchinson also touched down for the bonus point, while James Salter scored the only try of the game for Launceston with Fraser Honey landing a penalty.

The home side remain bottom of the division and are still winless after 12 games as they find themselves 14 points from safety already.

Worthing Raiders 24-31 Old Albanian

The Old Albanian won’t be too disheartened to have been knocked off top spot despite their bonus point win over a much improved Worthing side.

The OA’s points difference is currently +184 while Cambridge’s is +190 as the top of the table is as tight as it has been all season.

Full-back Nicholas Foster ensured victory for the OA’s with two second half tries after wingers Michael Allen and Oliver Marchon had given the visitors a 10-19 half-time lead with Allen scoring a brace.

Worthing were still in the contest at the break thanks to a converted Sean O’Hagan try and a Matthew McLean penalty , but Foster’s two tries in the first 20 minutes of the second period put the encounter to bed.

The hosts weren’t going to roll over that easily though as Liam Perkins and Scott Barlow both dotted down to make the score 24-31 with six minutes remaining and that’s how it ended as Worthing secured a losing bonus point.

 

 

Taunton Titians 68-21 Canterbury

Taunton continue to stay on the heels of the top two as a 10 try victory at home against Canterbury leaves them just three points behind the leaders.

Tries from Jack Claydon, Ollie Claxton, Freddie Fraser and Toby East helped Taunton secure their bonus point before the 30 minute mark and give them a 26-14 half-time lead with Thomas Burns and George Micans crossing in reply for the City Men.

But Taunton pulled well clear after the break as fly-half Joe Simmonds scored a hat-trick while Barrie John-Chapman, Paul Davis and Gary Kingdom all crossed with Kingdom converting all six of the home side’s second half tries.

Mason Rosvall dotted down for Canterbury on 79 minutes , but it was just a consolation for his side who are now two points clear of the relegation zone after their eighth defeat in nine matches.

Barnes 24-24 Bishops Stortford

Barnes stopped a three game losing streak as they came back to achieve a draw against 4^th place Bishops Stortford.

The away side were 7-19 ahead at half-time as prop Thomas Crozier touched down twice with a try from Nicholas Hankin sandwiched in between.

Barnes’ only score of the first period came from winger James Greenwood and it was his second try of the afternoon which was the start of the hosts’ fightback.

This only occurred after Tom O’Toole had dived over for Barnes before Richard Gill made the score 12-24 with a try of his own for Stortford on 52 minutes.

Greenwood dotted down his second on the hour mark and the scores were level on 75 minutes when Robert Malaney secured the bonus point for Barnes, but from there, neither side could find a winning touch.

Clifton 7-10 Redruth

Redruth are now up to 5^th in the table as they made it three wins from their last four with this victory over Clifton.

The Reds leapfrogged Clifton into the top five thanks to tries either side of half-time from Richard Brown and Bradley James as poor weather conditions prevented free-flowing rugby.

Clifton’s only try was a Penalty Try on 26 minutes which resulted in Redruth’s Ashley Lawton being yellow-carded.

The home side would also be reduced to 14 men in this encounter as prop David Wheeler was sent to the sin-bin 15 minutes from time, but Redruth couldn’t stretch their lead and settled for just the four points.

 

Old Elthamians 27-19 Chinnor

The Old Elthamians picked up their fifth home win of the season as they remain unbeaten at Queen Mary’s SC after their latest victory over Chinnor.

Flanker Truman Sullivan was yellow-carded after just five minutes for the OE’s and Chinnor took full advantage as Oscar Heath scored the opening try of the afternoon.

And the away side did lead at half-time as Jake Olley touched down on 30 minutes for Chinnor with Lee Nelmes responding for the hosts.

With the score at 7-12 Chinnor were satisfied, but that feeling would change in the first 20 minutes of the second half as the OE’s ran in three tries.

Craig Dowsett, Jay Rudland-Thomas and James Cullen all crossed the whitewash while Alex Dancer’s try for Chinnor was merely a consolation after a second half blitz from the OE’s.

Southend Saxons 18-22 Dorking

Dorking made it three wins from their last five games as they saw off the Southend Saxons who are now winless in their last three matches.

Winger Benjamin Marfo claimed the try, just after the hour mark, which effectively clinched victory for Dorking despite them being reduced to 14 men when James Catton was yellow-carded eight minutes from time.

Dorking produced a battling second half performance after the scores were level at 8-8 at half-time. Both sides exchanged a try, a penalty and a yellow card, but it was the visitors who took control after the break as Harry Elbrow crossed.

Bradley Burr reduced the score to 11-15 with a penalty as he took over the kicking duties from Thomas Ashton who had nudged over from the tee in the first half.

But Marfo’s try nine minutes later gave his side an 11 point lead which left Dorking in a good position.

Their lead was put under threat when Catton was sin-binned and the nerves started to grow when Krijin Twigt dotted down for Southend on 76 minutes.

However, that was as good as it got for the hosts as they saved a bonus point while Dorking move further way from the bottom three.

Redingensians 32-18 Bury St Edmunds

The Redingensians made back to back wins thanks to this triumph over Bury St Edmunds as the hosts now find themselves out of the relegation zone.

Both of these sides were promoted into this division this season and it was the home team who were behind at half-time.

A brace from winger Matthew Hema and two penalties from Scott Lyle gave Bury a 10-18 lead with the Redingensians’ tries coming via Steven Bryant and George Drury.

But after the break, it was all about the Redingensians.

Ben Henderson was sin-binned on 49 minutes, but Bury couldn’t take advantage as the hosts pulled away in this contest.

James Baker, James Foxley, Samir Kharbouch and Matthew Weller all crossed in the second 40 to seal the Rams’ third win in four.