WOODRUSH 43, STOKE OLD BOYS 3

RAMPANT Woodrush raced to their tenth straight win in the Midlands Division Four West (South) to keep their title hopes alive.

The Icknield Street-based side were forced to use their third choice pitch owing to the ravages of the weather and the surface proved to be highly influential in this game.

A mud bath ensued which made playing any kind of attractive rugby difficult for both teams.

However, Rush adapted well and a sharp break by Titch Thomas followed by a high class offload saw Tom Elvins crossing under the posts after ten minutes.

Stoke immediately hit back and after pressing on the Rush line were rewarded with a justified penalty which they kicked to narrow the scores.

But after three Steve Smart penalties, a clever tap and go from Thomas allowed him to touch down.

The try of the game followed as James Evans hit a sensational line from centre, carving through the visitors' defence and once again scoring under the posts to leave the home side 27 points clear at half-time.

The second half was played on something resembling a skating rink but after several phases, Luke Russell took the ball wide on the left and battered his way through three defenders to cross, A trademark Smart move finished the scoring for Rush, giving them a bonus point win in an excellent all round team performance which sees them regain the top slot in the league.

They face a huge game on Saturday when they entertain title rivals Harbury on Saturday (3pm ko), who are level on points.

Regards