Masterful Rams shook off their previous weeks defeat at Bracknell to pick up a bonus point win at the Old Bath Road ground last Saturday and to avenge their earlier season defeat to the only other side that had beaten them.
It was a superb display particularly from the Rams forwards who totally dominated the Hornets pack resulting in two penalty tries plus touchdowns for prop James Baker and the excellent No.8 Gus Davies.
James Brooks, playing at fly half in the absence of regular Luke Flower, also added two penalties, three conversions and a drop-goal to take his personal seasons points haul to over 200 points.
The win maintained Rams lead at the top of the National Div. 3 South West table and who are now seven points ahead of Exmouth but 20 points clear of third placed Brixham.
“That was probably the best game we've played all season against what I think is a very good team,” summed-up Davies afterwards. “They are big boys, very physical and their defence is great but it was just an incredible performance by the boys and we're really happy especially after losing to Bracknell last week.”
And he had some particular words of praise for the front-row: “The front-row have been the corner-stone of this team all season and again today they were unbelievable. Also our defence today was excellent. We nilled a team for the first time this season!”
On a cold, windswept, afternoon Rams kicked off with the wind at their backs playing towards Sonning Golf Club and totally dominated their visitors in the opening stages. Both centres Steve Bryant and David Massey showing up well and making some good yards early on thanks to plenty of ball from their powerful forwards.
And it produced Rams first chance of points, after five minutes, when the RFU's top lady referee Sara Cox penalised Hornets for coming in at the side of a ruck only for Brooks to put his 38 metre kick wide of the posts.
Nevertheless it was Brooks who eventually opened Rams account when, having continued to dominate the early proceedings and a great interception from Bryant had put them back into the visitors 22, the Hornets loose-head prop was penalised for dropping a scrum and he banged over the penalty kick.
Within three minutes they had stretched the lead to 10-0 as they roared back into the visitors 22 and, from a Davies line-out take and a ruck, loose-head prop James Baker crashed over near the corner for the Rams opening try and well converted by Brooks.
And it was the fly-half who again stretched the lead 10 minutes later as the visitors were penalised for illegally trying to stop another Rams drive and his low-level kick skimmed over the crossbar.
With Rams losing the redoubtable flanker Aaron `Azza' Hopkins to injury and also reduced to 14 men for the rest of the half after Massey had been, somewhat unluckily, yellow carded for a tip-tackle they were delighted to end the half with a superbly struck Brooks drop-goal to put them, 16-0, in front to start the 2nd half.
Now, playing with the wind behind them, Hornets enjoyed their best period of pressure on the home defences immediately after the break but Rams stood firm and it was a dropped pass, one of many by the visitors, that finally eased the pressure on the Rams line. Again it was Massey who led the charge with a dazzling 75 yard break only to be pulled down a yard from the line and earn the first of three scrums all collapsed by the visitors and to eventually upset referee Cox who awarded a penalty try to Rams that Brooks easily converted from in front of the posts.
With Hornets also reduced to 14 men soon after following a brawl and, by now, Rams forwards totally destroying them at scrum time, it was of little surprise that Cox again awarded a second penalty try for again collapsing the scrum and to hand Brooks another simple conversion.
And Rams devastating driving as their visitors crumbled from the onslaught over the closing minutes finally produced a well-deserved Brooks converted try for the industrious No.8 Davies and to ensure his team the bonus point.
As centre Massey summed up afterwards: “I did enjoy today I had a few good runs but I don't think we were playing as well as we can do. The penalty count was a bit high but, at least, we came away with the tries and the points.”

Rams - Mann; Poole, Bryson, Massey, Dampies; Brooks, Clark; Weller, Henderson, Baker; Hughes, Bryson; Amor (c), Hopkins, Davies. Reps all used – Steadman, Vooght, Foxley.

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