WITH the first pre-season game at home to Aberavon less than three weeks away on Saturday, August 16, we start our look back at what was another memorable National One campaign last time out.

RAMS kicked off the season in style with a dominant 41-12 victory against Darlington Mowden Park as new skipper Max Hayman bagged a hat-trick.

The hooker grabbed the first two tries of the campaign before Morgan MacRae and Zach Clow dotted down, a Fraser Honey conversion making it 22-0 at the interval.

Will Jones got DMP on the board before MacRae doubled up, Honey with the extras, Oscar Usher replying for Mowden as Harry Read slotted the conversion.

But Rams sealed the deal as Honey added to an Olise Monye effort before Hayman completed his treble.

There were doubles for Hayman, MacRae and Tomek Pozniak as the visitors won 43-24 at Esher in Round Two.

Honey converted an early Hayman effort to give Rams the lead, but the Eees hit back through Sam Bullock and Charlie Clare, an Owen Waters kick making it 12-7.

Hayman’s second, again converted, was followed by Pozniak’s first against his former club.

Bullock went over again after the break to make it a two-point game, but a converted MacRae score was followed by Pozniak making it 31-17.

Ed Volley touched down for Esher, Waters on target, to cut the gap to seven, but Rams pulled clear late on thanks to MacRae and Axel Kalling-Smith, plus another Honey nudge.

One of the top performances of the campaign arrived in Week Three, Seb Reynolds’ side executing an almost perfect performance in downing bogey side Sale 33-0 at Old Bath Road.

Honey converted Luke Graham’s 32nd-minute try before repeating the trick as Pozniak, Zach Clow and Hayman added three during the third quarter, Robbie Stapley collecting his 100th first-team try to finish the job.

A perfect opening month ended with Rams making it four bonus-point wins from four with a thrilling 44-36 success at Dings Crusaders, Stapley breaking the club’s try-scoring record with a brace to take him one clear of Jez Flynn on 102.

A Tom Knight penalty gave the hosts the lead before Honey added to a Dan Swain score, Crusaders replying with a Kofi Cripps seven-pointer.

Another from Harry Rowson made it 17-7, but Rams rallied with 21 unanswered points, Clow, Tom Vooght and Stapley crossing the whitewash with Honey’s boot on song.

Rowson’s second made it 28-24 at the break after Knight continued his fine form from the tee, but a Honey penalty and Stapley’s record-breaker gave the visitors a 12-point advantage.

Jimmy Halliwell cut the deficit, but with four minutes remaining Kalling-Smith’s try seemed to have the game safe at 41-31.

Yet Brian Ncube kept Dings alive, only for Honey’s last-play penalty to deny them a losing bonus-point.