Gloucester Premier Division

Chipping Sodbury 71 Bream 14

CHIPPING Sodbury made it seven wins out of eight in the Gloucester Premier League as they demolished basement side Bream under a barrage of points.

Sodbury’s wrecking ball Alan Keeping was a late inclusion at hooker when Dave Guest pulled up with a stomach injury.

He was sandwiched between props Lee Ralph and Luke Balentine-Smith and these three did a lot of unsung work which allowed the possession to flow easily and for the wide players to excel.

In just the third minute, Chris Hamilton, who built on last week’s performance with another assured display, caught a 22 dropout.

After drawing the chasers, he found Jake Lewis, who made it into Bream’s 22 before passing to the charging Pete Butcher.

He was stopped five metres short, but the quick powerful rucking allowed Gavin Edgar to dive in at the corner for the first try of a spectacular hat-trick.

Just minutes later, Butcher scored an eye-catching solo try when he caught a loose Bream lineout throw.

He accelerated rapidly and dived over from 20 metres.

Sodbury were enjoying some success at the lineout despite the blustery conditions.

Jason Petchey plucked the ball from the air and found Joe Horton.

Phil Player got involved and set up a five metre ruck.

Steve Hopes came round the blindside on a late barnstorming run and smashed his way over for another try.

A scrum on halfway saw the ball go left to Kurt Moreton, who was included at full back from his usual wing berth.

He made a spectacular 40 metre run, spinning out of tackles and drawing defenders until he found the on-rushing Dan Bradley.

Bradley dragged two tacklers over the line to score. Edgar registered his second from turnover ball in the Bream 22, following two quick passes he was in space and no-one could catch him.

As the half drew to a close Sodbury had a scrum 30 metres out.

The ball was popped up to Joe Horton, who rushed in for a try.

After scoring at the rate of a point a minute in the first half, Sodbury persisted with their high-octane rugby. Horton used all his height to charge down a kick on the Sodbury 10 metre line.

Lewis picked the ball up on the touchline and danced around tacklers before outstripping all comers for an extravagantly crafted solo try.

Bream scored a try as Sodbury took their eye off the ball but, following a period of pressure, Bream were forced into a 22 metre dropout.

On hand was Butcher. He fielded the ball and set off, with the pack on hand to recycle the ball when he was eventually stopped. Lewis broke a tackle and found Dave Telford who ignored a a four-man overlap for another brilliant Sodbury try.

Soon after, Bream overthrew at a lineout in Sods’ half. Butcher mopped up, passed pass Bradley for another try.

Max Gallagher got another before Bream scored again, but Edgar finished it off with Sodbury’s final try.

Bradley added eight conversions to his two tries for a personal points haul of 26.