Richmond 5 – Blaydon 24

[match id=94]

Blaydon were in irresistible form on their latest trip to the capitol, despite fielding a weakened side and suffering disruption through injuries. As early as the 13th minute they lost winger Tom Bramwell, replaced him with Simon Barber who only lasted 2 minutes, and scrum-half Andy Davies came off the bench to play out of position for the rest of the game.

It made little difference as Blaydon were still tactically brilliant throughout, kept their shape and defended magnificently when Richmond came at them, and ran in 4 tries to make it another 5 pointer.

Tommy Banks set up the opener in the 8th minute with a searing break resulting in two forward drives from a line-out and Andrew Archibald finished it off. On quarter time Richmond drew level when their flanker Harry Roberts found a gap to score near the posts but that was to be their only points of the game.

Thereafter it was all Blaydon and by the interval a second try had been secured when Gavin Jones side-stepped the home fly-half near the line and Andrew Baggett added the conversion.to make it 5-12 at the break.

Baggett then kicked a penalty to the corner early in the second period for Robbie Kalbraier, another replacement, to touch down from the line-out, and again landed the extras.

Richmond belatedly strove to raise their game but were easily rebuffed and with 15 minutes remaining had lost all hope when Blaydon put the icing on the cake with a bonus point try. After a couple of excellent handling movements Baggett again followed the tried and trusted tactic of a penalty to touch and this time flanker Harry Bate was on hand to touch down.

John Brennan