Cinderford endured a crushing 54-12 loss in National League 2 West, overwhelmed from the start by Exeter University’s relentless pace and accuracy. The home side set the tone early, securing quick ball and applying pressure that left Cinderford scrambling. Winger Noah Fenton shone, scoring a first-half hat-trick, with further tries from Nick Allison and Tom Gulley. Christy Quirke’s flawless kicking added five conversions, sending Exeter into a 35-0 halftime lead.
The second half saw Exeter continue their dominance, with Fenton scoring a fourth try before Cinderford finally hit back through Jake Polledri, converted by Sonny Greenman. Josh Horrobin added a late consolation try, but Exeter’s James Boylan sealed the win with two late converted tries, finalizing the score at 54-12.
In Regional 1 South West, Lydney defeated Chew Valley 28-16. Nick Selway opened the scoring for Lydney, with Charlie Beddis converting. Chew responded with penalties and tries, but Lydney pulled ahead in the second half with efforts from James Bonia and a penalty try, securing a comfortable victory.
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Newent put on a dominant display in Regional 1 Midlands, thrashing an inexperienced Nuneaton side 110-7. Tom Webb converted 14 out of 15 tries as Newent ran in 16 tries overall. The team’s performance was a tribute to late local figure Roger Carter. Standout performances came from Dan Fletcher, Ben Vincent, James and Will Hartland, and Ethan Allen, contributing multiple tries throughout the match.
Regional 2 Severn saw Longlevens narrowly lose 37-34 to Old Centralians in a thrilling ten-try contest. Despite leading at halftime and dominating possession, crucial errors on kick-offs allowed Old Centralians to snatch victory with a last-minute try. Key scorers for Longlevens included James Butler and Alfie Turner, while Cents’ Harry Preece kicked five penalties and conversions to support his team’s final surge.
In other fixtures, Gordon League earned a 26-26 draw at Chard in Counties 1 Western North, while Chosen Hill FPs suffered a heavy 57-8 loss at Midsomer Norton. Smiths Rugby kept second place in Counties 2 Gloucestershire despite a narrow 40-38 defeat by Old Elizabethans. Stroud secured a 39-18 win at Old Patesians, and Cheltenham North edged Tewkesbury 20-15.
Cirencester maintained their top spot in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North, winning 15-8 over Lydney II, backed by strong performances from Ollie Brown and Ollie Gibson. Hucclecote held second after a commanding 52-18 victory over Brockworth, while Bredon Star, Berry Hill, Coney Hill, and Gloucester Old Boys recorded notable wins in their respective leagues.
WOMEN’S ROUND-UP
Cheltenham Tigers kept up the pressure in Women’s Championship North 1 with a solid 31-7 win over Buckingham Swans, sitting just two points behind league leaders Sale FC 1861. Drybrook secured a 22-22 draw at North Bristol II in Women’s NC 1 South West (East), with Megan Meek and Maizie Morgan among the scorers. Hucclecote narrowly lost 25-19 to Melksham, logging tries from Abi Potter and Chloe Barrow.
Cheltenham North dominated Women’s NC 2 South West (North), smashing Greyhound 76-0. Laisani Moceisawana scored four tries, with Hannah Kibble, Zoe Gamble, and others adding to the tally. Dursley edged Thornbury 12-10 with tries from Natasha Wood and Vicky Mansell Mei, whose conversion proved decisive.