MORGAN MacRae scored a fabulous first-half hat-trick as Rams Development beat Army Under 23s 54-0 with a magnificent display at Old Bath Road.

After being on the back foot for most of the opening 10 minutes, the hosts forced to repel a wave of attacks in their 22, Rams made their move by forcing a penalty on their own line.

A clearance kick was then followed by a deft Joe Pannese grubber, MacRae showing extraordinary pace to gather and dot down for the opening try.

The ruthless hosts added a second in quick succession, turning over the Red Shirts in midfield before the impressive Oli Rhoads showed equally fine speed to burst down the left for a score added to with a brilliant James Gilman touchline effort.

Rams were now coming on strong and forced their opponents into a goal-line drop-out when another grubber was scrambled behind, but it did not take long for MacRae to double his tally from a surging maul.

Gilman added the extras, and after Ollie Hodgson was just denied with a knock-on diving for the whitewash, MacRae completed a stunning 24-minute treble – the hooker collecting an overthrown line-out and powering over from just inside the Army 22.

Leading 26-0 at the break, the hosts made a perfect start of the second half as Pannese, who along with fellow centre Rhoads caught the eye with solid displays in attack and defence, slipped through a tackle to touch down.

Gilman continued his fine form from the tee, but Rams then suffered two yellow cards in quick succession – Barney Thomas for taking a player in the air from the restart and Liam Bishop for not retreating 10 metres when the Red Shirts took a tap penalty.

The Army began to come on strongly in their most dominant spell since the early exchanges, but the hosts soaked up the pressure with some outstanding defence and discipline in their own 22.

And they then landed a superb sucker-punch as MacRae broke and produced a terrific out-the-back off-load to Rhoads, the former Newbury man then collecting his own beautifully weighted kick ahead for his second.

Captain Andrew Lamb was on target, and his side nearly had another cracker following Jack Rampton’s 60-metre dash, Pannese deemed to have spilt the ball over the line.

There was, though, still time for two more and a half-century, Rampton and Harry Bicknell both over in clubhouse corner, Lamb with two more fine conversions to complete an emphatic and eye-catching triumph.

The Development XV travel to Richmond Vikings (2nd XV) on Friday, November 8 (7.45pm).

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