Nine tries, including two apiece for centre Steve Bryant and wing Gavin Dampies, along with 19 points off the boot of scrum half James Brooks eased National League 3 South West leaders Rams to their biggest winning margin of the season at the Old Bath Road ground last Saturday.
Rams averaged almost a point a minute in the opening half to lead 38-0 at the break and then added four further tries in the second-half to finally crush the bottom clubs brave endeavours and maintain their 11 point gap at the top over second placed Exmouth, who were destroying third side Brixham, 51-10, at the same time.
The only down side of the homes side performance was in picking up two yellow cards during the match for lock Tom Bryson and replacement back row Iain Jeffreys who had only just got on.
But, in fact, it was the Rams back division that proved the potent force on the day scoring seven of the nine tries including one from centre Dave Massey who constantly punched holes in the visitors defensive line to put his team mates into clear space.
He admitted afterwards however: “I missed a few chances that I was upset with but it was good to get the ball in the open and get a few tries in the backs today. In the past we've dominated in the pack so it's good to get some back ball and demonstrate that we can play in all parts of the field.
“It's also important to beat the bottom of the league as well as the clubs at the top of the league because every point counts from here on in for the team!”
Rams kicked off with the wind in their backs and, while their visitors never got into the Rams half during the opening 15 minutes, it wasn't until nine minutes into the match that Rams inevitably went in front when a Chard forward was penalised for going in at the side of a ruck and Brooks kicked his only penalty of the match.
And within two minutes he had landed a conversion after the visitors restart failed to go the required 10 metres and Brooks, fly half Luke Flower and Massey all combined sweetly to send Dampies on a mazey run that paved the way for Bryant to dab down the opening try.
While the visitors hard defencive work kept Rams at bay for another six minutes lock Tom Bryson's take at a line-out paved the way for the second try despite wing Olly Foxley being held in midfield.
Hooker Ben Henderson drove off the resultant ruck and when he was stopped and the ball fed back out again skipper Andy Amor and No.8 Jamie Guttridge's hard work set up fly half Luke Flower to scamper over for the touchdown and easily converted by Brooks for a 17-0 lead.
And, within five minutes, it was 24-0 as Rams applied even further pressure resulting in a yellow card for the visitors tight-head prop and, from the quickly taken penalty, Foxley and full back Joe Duffelen set up Massey for a great drive into the visitors 22 before the supporting Amor and prop James Baker sent flanker Azza Hopkins steaming over for a Brooks converted third try.
And into the final minutes of the half Rams added two more touchdowns. The first from Dampies, steaming in under the posts, and the second, almost from the restart, from Massey following well set up ball from the charging Bryson and Amor. And with Brooks embellishing both Rams were comfortably 38-0 ahead at the change of ends.
And they started the second half no less hungrier for points scoring within three minutes as they once more pushed into the visitors 22 before Massey's fine swerving run paved the way for Guttridge to dab down and for Brooks to once more embellish the score.
But, almost from the restart, Rams were reduced to 14 men when Hughes was yellow carded for interference on the wrong side of a ruck and although the visitors didn't draw any immediate benefit they did, eventually, grab their only try of the match from hooker Luke Aplin and converted by fly half Max Hayward as Hughes was about to return.
Despite picking up a second yellow card when replacement Iain Jeffreys was sent packing, having only just got on, by 21 year-old referee Adam Wookey, in charge of his first Level 5 game, Rams finished with a three try flourish.
First Dampies carved open the tiring visitors defence to sprint almost from the halfway line for the try line and converted by Brooks but who failed with his next attempt after a storming run this time by Foxley and who shrugged off a late ditch tackle on the way.
The final try was made by a steal from grafting, as ever, flanker Azza Hopkins that the backs used well to set up Bryant for his second touchdown and to top-and-tail the try scoring and for Brooks to add the final two points.
As industrious lock Tom Bryson summed up: “It was an important five point victory and the score reflects that. It was pretty easy in the backs but their forwards came at us in the line-outs and things like that and they never stopped which is a credit to them to be honest.
“We've just got to focus on Bracknell now for next Saturday! That's the one everyone wants to play in and we're pumped for that one!”

Rams: Duffelen; Foxley, Bryant, Massey, Dampies; Flower, Brooks; Weller, Henderson, Baker; Hughes, Bryson; Amor, Hopkins, Guttridge. Reps – Steadman, Jeffreys, Sunley,

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