RAMS GET NEW YEAR OFF TO A GREAT START

It was Rams fifth successive win and Saturday’s bonus point victory moved the RAMS up to fourth in the table courtesy of 16 points from the boot of fly half Guy Swadling and tries from flanker Andy Amor, scrum half Will Clark, prop James Baker and full back Joe Duffelen.

`The Fisherrmen’, fired up to impress on their home patch following the recent deaths in December of three notable club members, including club President Danny Irvine, thoroughly tested the visitors up until half-time before Rams overriding forward superiority reaped it’s rewards after the break.

The only down side for Rams was an eight minute injury to wing Josh Smith who suffered a fractured rib and small puncture to one of his lungs in a tackle and which ensured sub Stuart Gough an unexpected 70 minutes of action.

“It was a very focused team talk at half-time and our director of rugby Mike Tewkesbury told us exactly what to do,’ recalled skipper Owen Root immediately afterwards. “It’s a tough place to come, it’s a great set-up here at Astley Park the boys are very passionate about their club and that makes the win here something to be really proud of.
“To come that long a distance and to put that sort of performance in was very special so we can take a lot from that especially with such a big month ahead and we need to continue our focus and not become complacent in any facet but, yes, there was a lot to take away from that game.
“It’s five wins on the trot but you’re only as good as your last performance and we have got to focus on moving on.”

Unsurprisingly the opening minutes were dominated by a fired up Brixham before Rams hit back when a darting ninth minute break from scrum half Clark perfectly set-up flanker Amor to swerve and bamboozle the home defence from 10 metres out for the opening try and well converted by Swadling.

Brixham hooker Chay Bryce’s 15th minute touchdown however, converted by fly half Ben Lovell, levelled the score, 7-7, before Swadling’s opening 26th penalty again gave Rams the edge, 10-7.
But, as half-time loomed, the home side stole ahead, 14-10, following huge pressure on the Rams line that was justly rewarded when flanker Dylan Flashman buried over and Lovell added the extras.
It was the visitors, however, who had the final say of the half when the Brixham three’s strayed offside and Swadling banged over his second penalty prompting referee Richard Harding to blow for half-time.

Trailing by a point, Rams blasted out of the blocks at the start of the second half and had taken the lead within two minutes and never looked back after that.

Full back Duffelen’s huge kick deep into the home 22 had Rams on the attack and following a line-out 10 metres from the home line scrum half Will Clark smashed over from short range to put his side back in front, 18-14, after just two minutes,two tries in as many minutes, soon after, had Rams well clear of their opposition.

First some neat inter-passing between Swadling and Gough up the left-hand wing saw Baker, well up in support, bounding over and then, as Brixham sent a clearance straight into the visitors arms, some quick hands had full back Duffelen scorching over for his try and a 28-14 lead.

He remarked afterwards: “In the first half it was quite even although I think we did better than we expected as they were playing down the slope but, in the second half, we just upped it a notch and they couldn’t handle it.
“It was similar to the home game really where they started to tire in the last 20 minutes and that’s where we are at our strongest with our ruthless attitude.
“Some people have said that we haven’t been gelling quite as well as we could have been but now, it’s clear, we’re gelling really well as a team and we’re going to go on now in leaps and bounds as a team and really challenge for the first of those two top spots in the league.”

Swadling, having missed with his two previous conversion attempts, made amends by converting Duffellens try, 30-14, and although Brixham squeezed out another converted score from lock Adam Thomas two Swadling penalties eased Rams home to snatch fourth spot from Newton Abbot.

Once again it was Rams pack that dominated proceedings with prop James Baker, locks Owen Root and Tom Bryson particularly impressive.

There was a solid debut for Oxford University U21 wing Sam Wareham on his first Rams appearance as well as Stuart Gough who had amost a full game after subing for the injured josh Smith.

As No.8 Ian Jeffery summed up: “I think the boys were really up for it today and you could tell it right from the off and even coming down here everybody knows how big January is for us. I thought some of the performances here today were brilliant and I thought James Baker was absolutely amazing out there today and it was all good.
“One to 18 everyone had a good game and everyone did what they had to do, especially in the second half, so you can’t really complain.
“Being behind the front-five that we have you can’t really complain as it makes mine and the back rows life a lot easier and, as a team, I think everybody’s starting to gel and it’s starting to show.”

Rams:- Joe Duffelen; Josh Smith, Steve Bryant, Nigel Gumbleton, Sam Wareham; Guy Swadling, Will Clark; Chris Rumble, Rory Paxton, James Baker; Owen Root (c), Tom Bryson; Andy Amor, Aaron Hopkins, Ian Jeffreys. Reps – Chris Rowland, Rudal Aiono, Stuart Gough.

Report By Steve Williams