RAMS moved top of the early-season National One table with a five-try 29-11 win against a spirited Leeds Tykes side at Old Bath Road.

It was a fourth consecutive bonus-point success for Seb Reynolds’ men, who were forced into an early substitution when Connor Stapley suffered a broken arm and then fell behind for the first time this season when Charlie Venables landed a 12th-minute penalty.

However, the hosts responded well and crossed the whitewash when starting debutant Ollie Monye’s break ended with Tom Vooght going over to make it 5-3.

Another snipe from the teenage scrum-half created space for Jack Steadman to send Henry Bird over in the right-hand corner, and after Rams’ trademark rolling maul was hauled down just short of the line, second row Ollie Taylor was able to stretch over for a score converted by Drew Humberstone.

The hosts headed into half-time with a convincing 17-3 advantage, but it was again Leeds who scored the first points of the second period when Venables knocked over another penalty awarded after Vooght was somewhat harshly pinged for a deliberate knock-on.

The introduction of Ben Henderson and Sean McDonnell-Roberts into the Rams’ front row added further spice to the scrummage, and the substitute hooker went on a waltzing run before being stopped narrowly short of the line.

A bout of handbags between the respective forwards seemed to galvanise the hosts, and they wrapped up the bonus-point on 58 minutes when Vooght grabbed his second at the back of another powerful maul.

Rams continued to dominate in the final quarter and crossed for a fifth time when replacement scrum-half Ollie Cole sniped over from close range, Henderson, Vooght and Stevie Bryant – who looked as though he may have got the ball onto the line – having all been stopped just short.

It was the doughty visitors who had the final word, however, as they picked up a consolation try in the closing stages.

A nice cross-field kick was collected on the left, and after a couple of phases, Connor Lloyd was able to squeeze over in the corner for an unconverted try.

Summary

Rams 29 Leeds Tykes 11

Rams

Tries: Vooght 13, 58, Bird 19, Taylor 34, Cole 74

Conversions: Humberstone 34, James 75

Leeds Tykes

Tries: Lloyd 77

Penalties: Venables 12, 50

Half Time: 17-3

Star man: Tom Vooght (Rams)

Attendance: 602

Referee: Charles Gayther

Teams:

Rams: Leicester, Bird, Bryant, Jones, Hayhow, Humberstone (James 70), Monye (Cole 63); Steadman, Moffitt (Henderson 50), Zeiss (McDonnell-Roberts 50), Taylor, C Stapley (Guttridge 3), Schroter, Vooght, R Stapley.

Leeds Tykes: Lawson (Case 50), Robinson, Dixon, Venables, Jukes, Morgan (Hardwick 63), Lloyd; Peace (Hardman 41, Brown 70), Brown (Peace 55), Valentine, Bell (Choudhury 41), Brady, Collins, Smith, Burke.