Rosslyn Park 36-11 Hartpury College
Captain Hugo Ellis scored two tries as Rosslyn Park saw off in-form Hartpury College and kept the pressure on leaders Ealing Trailfinders.
Dave Vincent, Sam Shires, Adam Bellamy and Will Bowley also crossed to secure a bonus point win, with Scott Sneddon kicking three conversions.
Ealing won 39-14 at Fylde to maintain their nine-point lead over Park at the top of the table with four games to go, including a clash between the top two on April 18.
Hartpury College came into the game having won 11 of their past 12 in the league, but Park put six tries on them with some top notch rugby.
They did fall behind to an early Gareth Thompson penalty before scrum half Luke Carter’s run set up Vincent, who evaded a tackle to go over, with Sneddon converting
Thompson converted another penalty but once more Park hit back, flanker Shires touching down after the forwards drove on from the throw. Sneddon’s conversion hit the post but Park led 12-6 after only 12 minutes.
The pendulum swung the other way again when Thompson took a flighted cross-kick in his stride and galloped into the corner, missing the conversion.
From then on though it was only Park who would trouble the scorers. Sneddon used a penalty to set up and catch up and drive which saw hooker Bellamy driven over, with Sneddon’s conversion going wide.
Park nearly made a dream start to the second half with a break from the ever-menacing Kiba Richards, who committed the defence but, with flying winger Adam Field outside him, the final pass under pressure did not quite go to hand.
Soon after, a penetrating sprint up the left by Carter saw him find Vincent inside him and the winger slipped the ball on to lock Bowley who galloped over. The conversion attempt went narrowly wide but Park led 22-11 on 50 minutes.
Three times in less than a minute Park appeared to touch down, but the referee disallowed two and was unsighted the third time. The last resulted in a five-metre scrum and the home pack drove over for Ellis to touch down, Sneddon converting.
The captain then scored again in the final minute as he came on to the ball at speed and his raw power brushed off an attempted tackle as he went over. Sneddon’s conversion brought the final whistle at 36-11.
Park: Killmartin; Field, Richards, Ireland, Vincent; Sneddon; Carter; Liffchak, Bellamy, MacKenzie; Inglis, Boyle; Macfarlane, Shires, Ellis
Subs: Woolstencroft, Lundberg, Bowley, Gash, Edwards
Park scorers: Ellis (2T), Vincent (T), Shires (T), Bellamy (T), Bowley (T) Sneddon (3C)
Feature image of Hugo Ellis, courtesy of David Whittam, with thanks
