North Bristol 2nd XV v Clifton 3rd XV

A BITTERLY cold, howling gale, plus torrential rain, offered the worst conditions of play experienced all season, yet was still insufficient to quench the indomitable spirit of either side.

Both teams attempted to keep the ball alive which, in turn, necessitated vigorous defence to protect their try lines.

North’s excellent back row of Joey O’Brien, Matt Bowden and Danny Williams toiled tirelessly in attack and defence, and were fully supported by the ominous bulk of locks Ben Purdy and Andy McManus.

Full-back Peter Swallow’s animated performance in attack and his orchestration of North’s backline defence also caught the eye.

Clifton’s scrum pressurised the home effort, giving them the advantage there, but even with the wind behind them it took Clifton 25 minutes to record a score from a good touchdown followed by a crucial conversion to take a 7-0 lead.

Good close support and driving play took North close to Clifton’s line, where the power of Ben Purdy eventually forced a hard-earned try wide on the right.

The wind denied a levelling conversion and North trailed 7-5 at the interval.

Turning to enjoy the second-half wind advantage, North Bristol’s on-form fly-half Matt Hazard made good use of the touchline before releasing his backs, but Clifton defended stoutly throughout.

The game went from end to end, but desperate defence in the midst of a deluge kept the game scoreless thereafter, so Clifton’s two-point lead was maintained to the end.