In a match labelled ‘a potential banana skin,’ Ponte produced one of their best performances of the season to defy a very heavy penalty count against them for a maximum points victory. With underfoot conditions far better than expected, the home side threw everything at Ponte in the first ten minutes but were only rewarded with a three-point penalty as Ponte’s defence was ferocious and magnificent.

After soaking up the pressure Ponte scored the first try with their first foray into enemy territory. A dropped ball allowed Ponte possession in the Rish twenty-two and soon slick hands from Liam Kay and Richard Dedicoat allowed player coach Craig Fawcett to cut inside for a try converted by Kay.

There was then a period of tough rugby with the deadlock broken from an unexpected source. Prop Josh Hough received the ball first receiver and, showing previously unseen skills, fired a long double miss pass into the grateful hands of winger Lucas Ketteridge who scampered away to the line for an unconverted try. With the score at three to twelve Ponte scored two more fantastic tries before half time. With the backs and forwards working superbly in unison, a couple of forward pick and drives allowed Kay to create a huge gap for Dedicoat to go under the posts.

From the kick-off, Ponte scored one of their tries of the season. Jack Beddis caught the ball and bulldozed his way through before a deft offload allowed impressive scrum half Josh Walker to carry on the break. With the Rish defence at sixes and sevens, an inside pass and good hands allowed big Sam Millard to dive over for the bonus point try and a handsome twenty-six to three advantage at half time.

The second half continued in the same vein as hooker Tim Pickersgill went on a thirty-metre break which nearly brought a try. It was Rish who scored first however as the Ponte backs got their defence wrong from first phase ball and allowed a well worked try wide out.

Any hopes of a Rish comeback were soon extinguished as the Ponte scrum, lead by big lads James Griffin and Bailly Matthews, allowed Beddis to score a pushover try. Kay converted and soon rounded off the scoring as a one-on-one ball steal gifted him a converted try under the posts. It was a super impressive performance from Ponte and Rish were a well beaten side by the end, sick of the likes of Beddis, Millard and Tad Nyanjowa driving in or getting knocked back by massive hits from the likes of Brodie Matthews and Ethan Potts.

The victory sets up a first versus second, top of the table clash against Old Crossleyans, at Moor Lane next Saturday. Kick-off is at three o clock and is a game not to be missed.