Richmond returned from a long drive up north with five precious points, courtesy of an eight try victory over a plucky Sedgley Park side. With Rotherham Titans losing to Rams, Richmond now hold a ten point lead at the top of National One. Three tricky games remain as obstacles.

Only Rotherham Titans and Rosslyn Park can overtake Richmond. Lewis Dennett’s dropped goal in the first game of the season against Park looks ever more important. Fourth placed Rams can no longer reach top slot, but they can play a key role with fixtures against Richmond (Friday evening, April 4) and Rosslyn Park looming. Additionally, Rosslyn Park play Rotherham on the last week of the season so anything can happen yet. Put the maths books away and take it game by game.

Richmond made just one change after the excellent win over Plymouth Albion. Lucas Schmid made a welcome return on the bench after several games with Harlequins.

The first try came after just five minutes. Greg Kitson won a kicking duel, his opposite number kicking out on the full. With the line out on the 22, the pack drove forward before moving the ball inside. The excellent Lima Savaiinaea muscled forward and, a couple of metres short, slipped the ball to fellow centre Sam Dardis for the touchdown. Callum Grieve added the conversion, part of a personal score of fifteen points in the match.

One minute later, Richmond had added a second try, and it was a beauty. Sam Pim collected the kick off ball and timed a lovely outside pass to Josh Addams who made good yards up the touchline before switching the ball back to the No 8. Pim ran well before in turn finding skipper Alex Schwarz in good support and the scrum half completed the move.

It all looked too easy, but it never is. With the clock only showing eight minutes, Sedgley Park scored the third try of the game. A box kick from scrum half Matt Sturgess was followed up well by winger Rhys Henderson and resulted in referee Jack Moorhouse playing advantage. Flanker Lewis Bradley broke through a tackle and in a flash, Henderson was in at the corner. Ollie Glasse added an excellent conversion.

With the game fast and loose, Richmond promptly responded with their third try. A turnover around the Park 22, provided the backs with clear space and Grieve ran wide with Alex O’Meara outside him. With the winger calling for the ball and distracting the cover, Grieve kept running and had the pace to touch down out wide to take the score to 7-17.

Now it was Sedgley Park’s turn. Danger man Henderson was almost over again after a kick and chase, but the defence just held out. However, a minute later, his team had a penalty from which they mounted a drive to the line. Richmond held this out well but did less well in curtailing Henderson who seemed to run straight through the traffic to the line.

There was a respite for a moment with the score 14-17 but, after 24 minutes, the sixth try of the game was added. Happily, it was a Richmond try. Man of the match Jake Monson was the initial provider, once again causing menace at the line out. Park were penalised and the Richmond pack drove to the 22. When the ball was moved out, it was Savaiinaea who bumped off defender after defender before slipping a good pass to Schwarz for his second try.

With Richmond now ten points ahead, there were no further first half scores. However, Richmond looked full of running, as best emphasised when full back Kitson opened up from his own line to find the galloping George Nugent in support to half way. On the dry ground, Richmond have so much pace across the team.

The half time message may have been to calm a little and tighten the defence. If so, it worked as Richmond were much more clinical in the second half. After 45 minutes,
Savaiianea again battered the Park defence, drawing in defenders before slipping a pass to Kitson to complete the try and secure the bonus point.

Richmond were in full control at the line out, but the scrums were less predictable with the touch judge finding fault with first Park and then Richmond. When Richmond immediately conceded another penalty (one of twelve conceded in the game) Park had a perfect chance to score. A forward spun off the side of the drive and breached the defence before that man Henderson powered to the line for his 21st try of a prolific season.

Whilst they will be irritated by the tries conceded, Richmond always looked full of running in attack with forwards and backs working together superbly. Monson set a fine example all game, handling well and additionally harrowing and chasing everything. This bore fruit when he prevented Park from clearing their 22 with a full blooded charge down, and when they tried a second time to boot the ball out, Monson was there again, this time deservedly getting the bounce of the ball to score under the posts.

Could Richmond get to fifty points again? Savaiianea was right in the middle of the action again like a one man tank. Finally, the ball was moved to the wide right and Alex O’Meara did well to cling on to a pass around his ankles and touch down in the right hand corner.

Plenty of substitutions ensued with several players out of position. Park wanted a fourth try for a point and had a chance five metres out. Monson duly spoiled the possession, but the clearance kick was sliced. Given a second chance, a deserving Park took full advantage, wheeling their way over. The only surprise was that it wasn’t Henderson at the bottom, the try going to substitute prop Adam Mallinson.

What about those fifty points? Richmond scored their eighth try in the 78th minute, Addams, Dardis and Kitson combining beautifully for a try completed by the full back. Lewis Dennett popped over the conversion and the job was complete.

Team: Kitson, O’Meara, Dardis, Savaiinaea, Addams, Grieve, Schwarz, Freeman, Goffey, Litchfield, Monson, Nugent, Benson, Wills, Pim
Subs: Post, Murray, Schmidt, Marsh, Dennett.

Tries: Dardis, Schwarz (2), Grieve, Kitson (2), Monson, O’Meara
Conversions: Grieve (5)