RAMS edged out National One table-toppers Cinderford 22-20 in a pulsating clash at Old Bath Road, writes Richard Ashton.
While the first half resembled something of a chess match with the sides trying to work out each other’s weaknesses, the second proved a full-throttle affair in which the hosts just defied their opponents in front of a passionate crowd.
It was Rams who made the initial breakthrough when Drew Humberstone slotted a straight-forward third-minute penalty, only for Liam Hemming to reply in kind on the quarter-of-an-hour mark.
Rams regathered the restart, though, and after Ben Henderson’s grubber kick forced Cinderford to concede a line-out near their line, a series of home drives ended with Ollie Taylor squeezing over in the right-hand corner.
Yet Cinderford then hit back in equally fine fashion, some quick-thinking from experienced prop George Porter resulting in him claiming a short line-out before burrowing over from five metres out.
The away side hit the front for the first time after a good 50-22 gave them field position, and after Rams pulled down a surging driving maul, Jamie Guttridge was yellow carded.
The Foresters unsurprisingly went back to the corner, and this time hooker Nathan Taylor dotted down to put his side 13-8 up at half-time.
Rams replaced starting props Jack Steadman and Sean McDonnell-Roberts at the break, bringing on London Irish loanee Tarek Haffar and James Baker to add further impact at the scrum and in the loose.
And it proved a useful ploy as they began the second period in power-packed fashion, blasting away at the line before wing Henry Bird cut a fine line to cross for his sixth score of the season.
Humberstone added the extras and Rams continued to dominate the third quarter, moving further in front when three consecutive scrum penalties on their opponents’ five-metre line ended with a penalty try being awarded.
Cinderford were also reduced to 14 men for that infringement, with No. 8 Matt Lane being sent to the sin-bin.
However, the Forest of Dean side refused to take a backwards step and came back into the contest as the two sides continued to throw everything they had at one another.
Indeed, as the half progressed it was the away side who started to inflict more and more pressure, with Rams conceding a string of penalties which ultimately led to vice-captain Tom Vooght’s yellow card shortly after the hour mark.
Some heroic defence from the home side kept their opponents out for those 10 minutes, but a second try at the back of a rolling maul from Taylor set-up a grandstand finish.
And while Rams conceded another penalty which allowed Cinderford to clear to midfield, the visitors then conceded one which allowed their opponents to finish victorious.
Rams travel to Birmingham Moseley this Saturday (3pm).
