Richmond came away from Grantchester Road with the spoils in this early-season basement battle having dominated the game from start to finish. Cambridge barely got out of the blocks after having showed so well against Nottingham last week, with just Ethan Thorne’s second score in two starts before half time registering on the scoreboard.
Richmond Head Coach Rob Powell was pleased with his side’s performance on the day in a game they never looked like losing, saying “I thought it was a really fantastic effort today. Although we scored a lot of points today our defensive work was outstanding. We trained really well this week, we were disappointed last week with the second half against Coventry and we really put that right today. If we keep playing like that we’ll be ok. The score was big but it was much more about the effort”.
That effort was rewarded four minutes in as Chidera Obonna waltzed in with ease, converted by Callum Grieve. Sam Pim made it two – and then three – before blotting his copybook with a yellow card for foul play. Grieve added the extras to both. And Jason Baggott racked up the fourth for the bonus point with just over half an hour on the clock. Grieve converted that one, too, before Thorne’s touchdown gave the Blood & Sand a glimmer of hope ahead of half time.
If there was a comeback in the offing, any hope was extinguished two minutes into the second period as George Nugent struck for number five. Cambridge made a fist of it until the hour mark when the visitors stretched the lead via Patrick Case. Then second row Jake Monson was pretty much granted the freedom of the city, never mind Ellgia Fields, to canter in from near half way to touch down under the sticks. Josh Addams made it eight. Grieve was perfect off the tee in the second forty. And Richmond went away with a far too easy five points.
Cambridge Head Coach Craig Newby was baffled by his side’s performance, especially given their showing last week. “The energy and accuracy were low. They wanted it. It’s been a long block for us and our depth’s between tested. Sometimes the harder you try the worse it gets. We were making uncharacteristic mistakes. We just couldn’t get anything going. It’s an emotional roller coaster. We’re having to ‘get up’ every week, being the bottom side, and the boys are hurting. You can see how much they care. We have to work on the positives after what’s actually been a really good week behind the scenes. Unfortunately today, we got we deserved, which hasn’t always been the case this season”.
Teams
Cambridge
Mausia, 6 Green 6 , Reweti 6, Sorrell 6 (Rokodrava 43 6) Thorne 6, Annand 6 (Glister 49 6), Dawson 6 (Thompson 43 7); Boal 6 (Barry 75) Doorey-Palmer 6 (Irvine 20 7) Walker 6 (Masoe 67), Friend 6 (Mills 20 7) Baxter 8, Fulford 7, Eckersley 6 (Thomas 58 6), Adams 6
Richmond
Grieve 7, Obonna 7 (Du Randt 67), Case 7, Savaiinaea 8, Addams 7, Baggott 7 (Dennett 64 6), Schwarz 7 (Jones 64 6), Vaughn 7, Hocking 7 (Goffey 60 6), Spring 7 (Litchfield 60 6), Monson 8, Nugent 7 Benson 7 (Wakeling 36 7) Cardew 7 (Hastings 52 7) , Pim 8
Scorers
Cambridge
Try – Thorne 38
Richmond
Tries – Obonna 4, Pim 14, 18, Baggott 33 Nugent 42, Case 60, Monson 70, Addams 77
Conversions – Grieve 5,15, 34, 43, 61, 71, 78
HT 5-22 FT 5-54
Attendance 1176
Penalties Against 5/10
Scrums W 2/5
Scrums L 0/0
Line outs W 16/10
Line Outs L 2/2
YC 0/1
Referee Harry Walbaum
STAR PLAYER – SAVAIINAEA TOLOLIMA (RICHMOND)