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

Bottom of the table Macclesfield had little answer to the powerful Blaydon pack. particularly in the face of a driving maul, and the only surprise was that they only conceded 6 tries. They lacked nothing in endeavour but were woefully short of penetration, only once crossing the Blaydon 22 and that from a home tap-down at a line-out. Full-back Phil Stewart retrieved that situation with a brilliant covering tackle and otherwise all the entertainment was at the other end.

Andrew Baggett got the ball rolling with a penalty and then created the opening try with a delightful chip into the 22. Two defenders looked to have it covered until Tom Bramwell arrived at speed to out-jump them and cross near the posts.

Gavin Jones added a second from a line-out drive and at the break it was 17-0, a relatively modest return from a lot of opportunities.

Macclesfield who had defended well thus far now crumbled in the face of some excellent running by the young Blaydon backs. Try number 3 however was entirely down to the forwards who were heading for the line at great speed when the drive was pulled down. A yellow card resulted and at the next drive Shaun English went over.

Centre Toby Bain grabbed the bonus point try, Baggett landing his third conversion, quickly followed by replacement hooker Fran Entressengle after a brilliant cross-field break by Nat Horsfall.

The visitors were still gamely giving it everything at the end but they really had no answer to the Blaydon maul and, inevitably it seemed, the final score arrived from more forward pressure, this time Chris Wearmouth the beneficiary.

John Brennan

In the end they ran out of time but it was almost the perfect comeback for Blaydon after being 26-7 down going into the final quarter.

They struggled earlier and twice were the victim of interception tries but when they finally began to use the ball to good effect they ran in 3 late tries and had the consolation of securing 2 bonus points.

Richmond No8 Gordon George scored the opener from a short scrum after Blaydon had dropped the ball in the home 22 and it was quickly moved to the other end. Fly-half Tom Platt added the conversion and was on the mark again after James Kyle had capitalised on another Blaydon error to race clear from 60 metres.

The visitors had no shortage of possession but were undone again by George from close range and it was close to the interval when forward pressure resulted in a penalty try for Blaydon, converted by Andrew Baggett.

Leading 19-7 at the break Richmond increased their advantage when Platt ran in another breakaway effort and Blaydon were facing a mountain.

Flanker Harry Bate began the revival when he went over from a rolling maul,  to be quickly followed by No8 Gavin Jones after some smart handling had led to another line-out drive.

Two Baggett conversions reduced the Blaydon deficit to just 5 points but crucially for Richmond a penalty in front of the posts by Platt meant they still had to score twice.

With time running out Blaydon turned down a similar close range penalty in favour of a kick to the corner and from Andrew Archibald’s fine line-out take were heading for the line when the home side pulled down the maul.

A penalty try was awarded and Baggett added the extras but it all just a little too late.

John Brennan

After a relatively quiet first half Blaydon cut loose with 5 more tries in the second to get back to winning ways with a resounding victory.

As director of rugby Micky Ward put it afterwards ” Cinderford are a tough side and we earned the right to play with our defending in the first half, and then reaped the benefits”.
An early Tom Catterick penalty opened the scoring but the visitors took a shock lead with what turned out to be their only contribution to the game. No8 George Evans went over for them from a driving maul but Blaydon were soon back in front from a similar situation when the visitors pulled down the drive and a penalty try was awarded.
By the interval a second score was secured courtesy of a lightning break by scrum-half James Christie to send in Tom Jeffery near the flag, and it was 15-5 at the interval.
Jeffery then got things going again when he raced onto a clever cross-field kick by Andrew Baggett, and from a penalty to the corner Cinderford replacement Michael Uren was yellow carded for tackling a player in the air and Chris Wearmouth took immediate advantage.
Toby Bain ran in the bonus point try with a scintillating break from his own half and then just as the visitors were being restored to a full complement they once more incurred the wrath of the referee for illegally preventing a score.
This time Harry Bate went in from the penalty and the lock-forward made it a double from close range following another driving maul.
The visitors kept plugging away and ever on the lookout for a quick break but a kick intended for the winger bounced favourably for the alert Tom Bramwell who gratefully accepted the gift and raced clear for the 7th and final try.

John Brennan