Sat 10 Feb 2024, 15:00
RFU National League 2 East Saturday February 10
Esher 60 Bury St Edmunds 15
Written by Richard Spiller
Photo credit: Paul Downs
A Ben Robins treble led Esher's storming display as they went five points clear at the top of the table.
It was their 11th successive victory and rewarded a good attendance for the first home match of the new year, freezing weather having forced the visit by Guernsey last month to be postponed.
Happily the Molesey Road surface stood up well to last week's monsoon, Es facing an in-form side who had risen impressively to fourth place, a challenge they faced without the inspirational Sam Morley at fly-half.
They made the first breakthrough, on seven minutes, a subtle low kick from full-back Harry Faulkner splitting the cover for Robbins to race through and score near the right corner flag.
Bury were level within five minutes, wing Harry Simpson finishing a move on the left which had covered the width of the pitch.
Scrum-half Pierre Thompson's eye for an opening sent Es back in front on 16, speeding over from the back of a ruck, a magnificent diagonal run from James Botterill setting up Robbins for his second. Will Affleck reduced the gap to just five points by the interval, no conversions having been landed throughout the first half.
Usually such a threat up front, the visitors were missing key forward Ben Cooper and Esher increasingly relished a generous share of ball. They sped away from Bury courtesy of three tries within four minutes just after the resumption. Hooker Charlie Crawley bagged the first two, going over from short range and then showing a turn of speed to match his three-quarters. Owen Waters, solidly filling in for Morley, found his kicking range with the second and was on target again when Luke Peters celebrated his return to action by notching the sixth try.
Full-back Kodie Drury-Hawkins temporarily halted the one-way action by notching Bury's third but it was a temporary relief. Centre Fergus Donnelly began a surge of surge of four tries in the final 19 minutes while Robins made an interception within a shadow of his own posts before haring to the other end before touching down for his hat-trick. It would have been a major surprise had Botterill not joined in the fun, a hint of daylight seeing him burst though for his 21st try of the season.
Andy Hamilton – on for Crawley – made it a hooker treble as Es shunted their guests over the line in the dying seconds, Alex Seers kicking three conversions so that Es now boast a positive points difference of 316. They will hope it's not needed later in the season but there are still nine matches to come starting with Saturday's trip to sixth-place Henley.
Games to come – Feb 17: Henley (A); 24: Sevenoaks (H); March 9: Tonbridge Juddians (A); 16: North Walsham (A); 23: Wimbledon (H); April 6: Worthing (A); 13: Dorking (H); 20: Guernsey (H); 27: Barnes (A).
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