Doncaster 19 Plymouth Albion 13

Doncaster:  Tries: Davies (24), Gray (28), Grainger (57). Cons: Woodrow 2.

Plymouth: Tries: Gibson. Con: Laidlaw. Pens: Laidlaw 2 (22, 76). 

Doncaster maintained second spot in the table after this Friday night win over Plymouth Albion in front of the Sky cameras at Castle Park.

Ross Laidlaw put the visitors on the board with a 22nd minute penalty goal and a 3-0 lead. Two minutes later though and Doncaster were in front after Wes Davies continued his good try scoring form, his 5th of the season., and Mark Woodrow added the extras. Four minutes later and they were over the Albion try line for a second time and they took a 12-3 lead into half time.

They added a third try on 57 minutes as their other flanker Simon Grainger went over and Woodrow converted to make it 19-3.

In the final quarter Albion got back in the match with a try from right wing Liam Gibson and five points from the boot of Laidlaw.            

Bedford Blues 24 Sedgley Park 20

Blues:  Tries: Harding (8), Pritchard (35), Pienaar (70), Burke (73). Cons: Elrick, Burke.

Park: Tries: Ponton (25), Skurr (43). Cons: Jones 2. Pens: Jones 2 (58, 80). 

Bedford Blues took all five points on offer but were pushed all the way by Sedgley Park before coming through to take the win.       

 The Blues were over the Park try line on eight minutes with flanker Sacha Harding going over and Jon Elrick converted.

The visitors were level on 25 minutes when flanker James Ponton went over and Phil Jones converted.

Late in the half Canadian International James Pritchard went over and the home side led 12-7 at the break.

Three minutes into the second half and Park were in front after No 8 Jon Skurr went over and Jones converted for 14-12. They went further ahead just before the hour mark when Jones put over a penalty goal. The Blues regained the lead on 70 minutes when No 8 Ben Pienaar went over and James Pritchard converted for 191-7. Three minutes later full back Brendan Burke went over and they were 24-17 ahead with the try bonus point in the bag.

In injury time Jones got the visitors a little closer with a second penalty goal but it was not enough and the Blues took the win.  

Coventry 35 Cornish All Blacks 27

Coventry:  Tries: Dorrian (11), Miller (14), Clayton (31), McGlone (46), Dixon (68). Cons: Dorrian 2. Pens: Dorrian 2 (17, 73)

Cornish All Blacks: Tries: Jess 2 (18, 24), Ireland (71). Cons: Ireland 3. Pens: Ireland 2 (2, 10).  

Coventry took all the points in the high scoring match with the Cornish All Blacks leaving with nothing despite a better performance.        

The visitors were 6-0 ahead after 10 minutes with Scott Ireland putting over a couple of penalty goals. 

Two tries in three minutes turned the match in Coventry’s favour as fly half Myles Dorrian and flanker James Miller went over for tries and Dorrian added a conversion to make it 12-6 after 14 minutes. Dorrian added a penalty goal to increase the home sides lead but the All Blacks bounced back with a double from winger Matt Jess in six minutes, Ireland converted both and they were back in front 20-15 after 24 minutes.

The home side drew level just after the half hour mark when their other flanker Darren Clayton went over for a try and it was 20 All at half time.

Six minutes into the second half and the home side were back in front and had the try bonus point in the bag as the third member of their back row touched down, No  8 Laurence McGlone and Dorrian converted. 19 minutes later they went two scores ahead as right wing George Dixon went over and they were 32-20 ahead.

Three minutes later and the visitors were back within striking distance as fly half Ireland went over and added the conversion to make it a five point game.

Coventry wrapped up the win when Dorrian put over a penalty goal and also deprived the All Blacks a losing bonus point. .      

London Welsh 10 Moseley 40

London Welsh:  Try: Strong (47). Con: Morgan. Pen: Morgan (52).

Moseley: Tries: Adams (20 seconds), Caves (8), Winter (14), Bignall (54), Cox (78, 80). Cons: McDonald 3, Jones 2.   

Comprehensive win for Moseley away at London Welsh which moves them up to 10th place in the table.       

They were on the board after just 20 seconds when on loan centre Jack Adams went over for a try and Greg McDonald converted. Hooker Adam Caves got a second on eight minutes and McDonald again converted as they raced into a 14-0 lead. It was 21-0 after 14 minutes as right wing Oliver Winter went in and again McDonald was on target in what turned out to be the final score of the half.

The Welsh got the first points of the second half as winger James Strong went over and Gareth Morgan converted and then added a penalty goal five minutes later. Two minutes later and Moseley were over for their bonus point try as second row Richard Bignall touched down and they were 16 points in front.  

They wrapped up the win with a late double form centre Paul Cox and Matthew Jones converted then both.  

Newbury 5 Esher 11

Newbury:  Try: Day (19)

Esher: Try: Blakeburn (78). Pens: Hewitt 2 (6, 28).  

Much needed win for Esher away at Newbury who they now join on 13 points along with Sedgley Park.

Dave Hewitt kicked the visitors ahead on six minutes with a penalty goal. Just before the end of the first quarter and Newbury were in front after a try from flanker Alex Day but it was Esher who went in ahead at the break after Hewitt put over a second penalty goal.

It stayed like that till the 78th minute when Esher No 8 Mike Blakeburn went over and sealed the win for the visitors and a second win of the season and the first on the road.      

Pertemps Bees 19 Exeter Chiefs 23

Pertemps Bees: Tries: Odouze 2 (10, 75), Spee (47). Cons: Higgins

Exeter: Tries: Baxter (5), Dunlea (68). Cons: Gray 2. Pens: Gray 3 (9, 13, 64). 

The Chiefs were first on the board and were 10-0 ahead after nine minutes after a try form No 8 Richard Baxter, Danny Gray converted and slotted a penalty goal. A minute later and the Bees were off the mark as winger Uche Odouze went in and Jon Higgins converted.

Gray added a second penalty goal on 13 minutes for 13-7 which was the end of the first half scoring.

The Bees got right back into the game on 47 minutes when full back Reece Spee went over to get them back within a point.

After the break Gray extended the Chiefs lead again with a penalty goal and on 68 minutes prop Craig Dunlea went over for a try and Gray converted to make it 23-12.           

The Bees did manage a third try late on when Odouze got a second try and Higgins converted as the Bees picked up a losing bonus point and stopped the Chiefs getting a try bonus point.

Rotherham 0 Titans Northampton Saints 41

Saints: Tries: Lewitt (17), Shields (32), Starling (40), Ashton 4 (43, 59, 67, 79). Cons: Myler. Reihana 2.  

Comfortable seven try win for the Saints at Rotherham and they kept a clean sheet in the process.

Leading the way with a four try display was right wing Chris Ashton with four tries in the second half and that was enough to take him to the top of the try scorers list with 11 for the season.

There were first half tries for centre Chris Starling, hooker Paul Shields and flanker Ben Lewitt. As they went in 15-0 ahead at the break.

Cornish Pirates 21 Nottingham 22

Pirates:  Tries: Thomas (3), Cracknell (51). Con: Steenson. Pens: Steenson 3 (18, 40, 63). 

Nottingham: Tries: Dodge (5), Hall (45), Raven (80). Cons: Barlow, Tonks. Pen: Barlow (21).  

Nottingham’s excellent start to the new season continued with this away win at Cornish Pirates thanks to a last minute try and conversion.

The Pirates were first on the board when full back Ollie Thomas went over for a 3rd minute try and Gareth Steenson converted. It took the visitors two minutes to respond with left wing Alex Dodge going over. The rest of the half saw Steenson put over a couple of penalty goals and Tom Barlow added one for the visitors as the Pirates went in 13-8 ahead at the break.

Five minutes into the second half and Nottingham were in front with prop Nigel Hall touching down and Barlow added the extras. On 51 minutes the Pirates were back in front after flanker Chris Cracknell touched down, Steenson missed the conversion but added a penalty goal just after the hour to make it 21-15.

The winning score came on 80 minutes as flanker Sam Raven went over and replacement Greg Tonks needed the conversion to win the match and he duly obliged and Nottingham were up to fifth in the table level on points with the Pirates.