Blaydon 29 – Rosslyn Park 38 – Blaydon secure 4 Try Bonus point

Shaun English with his second try of the game in the final minute secured a valuable try scoring bonus point for Blaydon but the Crow Trees side could and should have done much better.
Too often their line-out throwing was wayward and handling errors abounded, gifting the visitors the bulk of their 5 tries.

On the credit side however they were at times more than a match for their high-flying opponents and in a purple patch near the end of the first half ran in 3 tries in 7 minutes.

Blaydon started slowly and were made to pay in the 8th minute when Park No8 Hugo Ellis stormed over. Craig Willis responded with a penalty as did Scott Sneddon for the visitors who then added a second score through ex-Tynedale flanker Sam Shires.

At !7-3 down drastic action was needed and Willis came to the rescue with a delightful dummy in the 22 to touch down under the posts, adding the conversion himself.

The good work was immediately undone when they failed to gather in the restart and Joseph Ajuwa scooted in for the visitors. Scarcely had the dust settled than Blaydon were in again, English over from a driving maul, and this time they did secure the restart for Tom Bramwell to sprint down the left and Toby Bain crossed in the corner.

At 22-24 it was all to play for in the second period but having got themselves into a good position with a line-out drive from a rolling maul again lost possession and Park hacked on up-field for Ellis to be driven over for his second.

In the 2nd minute of time added on Awuja sealed victory for the visitors, man-of-the-match Sneddon landing a 5th conversion, but there was still time for English to grab the bonus point.

John Brennan