Thanet Wanderers 7 Richmond 100

Thanet Wanderers gained promotion last year back to London One.

They have found the higher league to be a much tougher competition and have only won one game so far this season.

Richmond defeated Thanet 75-0 at the Athletic Ground and needed not just to win but preferably with as many points as possible to re-establish a significant points difference' gap with second placed Worthing.

Richmond kicked off, facing the wind and looking into a bright sun. They quickly made their intentions clear with forwards and backs fanned across the field and the ball moved at pace from side to side. The first try followed in the opening three minutes with an Alex Maclennan break well supported by Martin Bolton and the move completed by skipper Matt Hart who converted his own try. However Richmond picked up two early injuries which required some reorganisation. Ed Rosa came on as blood replacement for James Bucknall and Luke Cousins hobbled for a while with a dead leg.

However Richmond appeared totally unaffected by the knocks and were quickly back on the attack. Three more tries followed in the first twenty minutes, the powerful Maclennan scoring twice and Tristan Wesley taking a good pop pass from scrum half Tom Drewe. Hart added the conversions.

Facing a 28-0 deficit Thanet responded admirably, their centre Peter Macaulay cutting a great angle through the Richmond defence and then beating the final defender with impressive ease. Thomas Ash added a good conversion.

Whilst Thanet never stopped tackling the Richmond onslaught continued, despite the replacement of Luke Cousins with Tim Cook, who slotted in at full back. Four more tries were added before half time, Hart scoring twice, Bolton from a line out drive and Bingham, bringing up the fiftieth point.

Rupert Allhusen replaced Tom Nutall for the second half and Richmond continued to monopolise the scrums and line outs, establishing the platform for continuous high tempo, flowing rugby. The forwards showed wonderful mobility, linking well with the backs and maintaining possession through phase after phase until the gallant Thanet defence was breached. No less than six of the Richmond pack have played in the back row and one of the props is undoubtedly an honorary fly half.

Richmond took a while to adjust to the strengthening wind but then the points again flowed. Newcomer Adam Wheatley, making his first team debut, contributed well with some storming runs and good support play. On the Thanet side Macaulay made another searing break, tackled just short of the line. The first try of the second half came from the flying Neil Piggot and was followed by a more conventional scrum push over, finished by Tom George. The frantic pace did not relent as Richmond again demonstrated their excellent fitness and conditioning. James Bucknall and Henry Head added tries for the forwards before skipper Hart, standing in at fly half, scored the solo try of the day, twisting and dummying his way through from 25 metres.

The remaining interest in the game centred on whether Richmond could reach 100 points. They could and they did it in style. Kenny Bingham scored well when Thanet tried to run out of defence, then substitute Tim Cook, making a welcome return from injury, scored the fifteenth try and finally Neil Piggot sped down the line to complete the scoring. Matt Hart contributed ten conversions and four tries to total a remarkable forty points himself.

Next week Richmond entertain Shelford, third in London One after beating Barnes. Kick off is 3pm.

Tries: Hart (4), Maclennan (2), Piggot (2), Bingham (2), George, Bolton, Wesley, Head, Bucknall, Cook

Conversions: Hart (10)Team: M.Hart, N.Piggot, A.Maclennan, T.Gregory , L.Cousins (T.Cook), T.Drewe, O.Gregory, M.Bolton (E.Rosa), T.Nutall (R.Allhusen), T.Wesley, H.Head, J.Bucknall, T.George, A.Wheatley.