Esher 42 – Blaydon 12

The teams were separated by just 2 points and 1 league position at the start but on the day Esher made far better use of their possession and capitalised on all their opportunities to run out comfortable winners.

For 20 minutes Blaydon retained a clean sheet but Esher full-back Ali Chisholm made the breakthrough when he joined a flowing movement to score near the flag.  The same player then added a second try after Blaydon had dropped the ball in mid-field, and scrum-half Rob Shaw darted through a line-out gap to make it 21-0, Ian Croft having converted all 3 efforts.

It took until the final minute of the half for Blaydon to breech the home 22 but good use was made of their line-out ball and No8 Gavin Jones was driven over.

Esher pulled further ahead 5 minutes into the second period when lock-forward Ollie Mines touched down from a catch and drive and soon after winger Spencer Sutherland beat 3 men in a dazzling run, with 2 more Croft conversions.

Now 35-5 in arrears Blaydon had their best spell of pressure and after Tom Bramwell had been involved 3 times in the build-up Esher infringed at a series of short scrums, a penalty try was awarded and Andrew Baggett landed the conversion.

Fittingly it was Esher, who generally had the better of the exchanges, that completed their day with a 6th try by replacement Ollie Richards from yet another flowing movement.

John Brennan