Bateman BMW Premier League

Sedgley Park 2nd XV  88 pts  Chester 2nd XV  0 pts

A dark, dreary, drizzly Park Lane was the venue for the biggest mismatch since Mike Tyson fought Julian Clary over 12 rounds at Madison Square Garden in 1996.

The logic of league rugby is that each team finds its own level and that games are therefore closely contested, but this is not the case in this league, where three or four clubs have much greater playing resources than their rivals. This was the third game in succession that SP have run up a half-century of points.

Hit by first team calls, Chester began brightly enough, but the first try – scored by left winger Des Williams from Chris Wilkinson’s pass – was  the signal for the floodgates to open.

Eight tries were scored in the first half (Williams, Leigh, Kohler, Lamprey, Harrison, A Livesey, D Livesey,  Morris) to make it 52-0 at the break.

Some of the rugby was spectacular. Number 8 Matt Lamprey had too much pace and strength for Chester to handle, stand-off Steve Nutt glided and ghosted and got his outside backs moving, and Dominic Kohler’s individual effort from full-back was one to savour.

Williams, powerful and low to the ground, scored early in the second half before Chester had their best period of the match. Eventually Sedgley broke out to score thrice in quick succession, two tries by Colts winger Thomas Leader and the hat-trick score for Williams.

Richard Senior bashed his way over from a five-metre penalty and Dom Kohler scored the 14th and last just before the final whistle. I felt deeply sorry for the Chester boys, but at least our lads had won by playing some pretty good rugby.

Next week the lads travel to Altrincham Kersal, a team who have won only once this season.

Chester pics in the gallery. Click here.