RAMS made it a Magnificent Seven National One victories with a consummate 29-21 bonus-point success in their top-of-the-table clash at Rosslyn Park.
Things began dreadfully for the visitors, however, as they were deemed to have brought down a rolling maul heading towards the line, a penalty try awarded and Max Hayman sent to the sin-bin.
Yet Rams rallied emphatically, and having been held up over the line, they continued to hammer away before the ball was flung wide for Jak Rossiter to touch down for his ninth of the campaign.
A second swiftly followed as skipper Robbie Stapley rolled back the years with a 40-metre burst of the back of a scrum in his own 22, and when Alex Seers sent a long pass to Charlie Robson, the youngster scorched down the left before just getting over.
Seers landed an excellent kick for 12-5, and Rams continued to dominate with Rossiter, Robson and Axel Kalling-Smith all going close to extending the lead.
At the other end, meanwhile, Park had two tries of their own disallowed – wing Ben Howard for a forward pass and Jared Saunders for crossing at the back of a maul.
Rams could, and should have been further in front at the interval, but they pressed home their advantage early in the second period as man-of-the-match James McRae picked up from the base of a ruck and sprinted home from 40 metres for a sensational solo score.
Seers was on target, and the league’s top points scorer then kicked a penalty after Matt Bolwell had been yellow carded for a no arms tackle on Stapley, one which on another day may well have been red.
The skipper had to depart – though thankfully appeared unharmed after the game – but Rams continued to dominate in the leafy suburbs of west London, grabbing the bonus-point shortly after as a powerful rolling maul led to McRae’s strong carry.
When the ball was spread wide, Drew Humberstone cut back against the grain to take a Seers pass and dive down to the right of the uprights.
With Seers on target again, the score was 29-7, but Park rallied towards the end and gave themselves a minor lifeline as Jake Buckingham darted over from close range following a number of pick-and-goes.
Replacement Monty Bradbury drop-kicked the extras as his side sought to salvage something from the contest, and they gave themselves a further glimmer of at least claiming some bonus-points when they repeated the dose with a minute to go.
However, Rams refused to yield, forcing a knock-on and the end of another superb victory on the road.
By Richard Ashton
