Rosslyn Park 50 Richmond 8

The mere fact that this match went ahead is in no small measure due to the small band of volunteers who turned up on Thursday afternoon to clear the snow off the pitch.

Driving to the ground on Saturday in heavy rain, thoughts went back to the Shelford game earlier in the season when running rugby was not possible but, in this match, both sides belied the conditions and for the most part, ball retention was excellent.

Park were on the scoreboard in the seventh minute, as a result of Chris Ritchie hanging on to a very difficult pass, and the ball was shipped out for Marc Sweeney to go over with Laidlaw converting.

In the 10th minute, Park were in for their second try, a break down the right hand side and Laidlaw and Lock combined to put James Strong in under the posts.

Richmond’s first attack saw them put three points on the board after Park were penalised for not staying on their feet at a ruck, but Laidlaw made it 17-3 in the 20th minute as the Richmond pack came under ever-increasing pressure.

In the 31st minute, Park scored an absolutely cracking try. Laidlaw broke and Jewell gave a peach of an inside pass to full-back Richard Davies, who jinked past two players and went in under the sticks.

Shortly before the break, Park won another penalty and from Laidlaw’s kick to the 5m line, Richmond’s pack could not stop the surge and Chris Ritchie was driven over, Laidlaw’s fourth conversion making it 31-3.

Intense pressure from Richmond in the Park 22 might have led to a try just before the break, but the final pass whistled away into touch.

It might have been all smiles from Park supporters at half-time, but it is wise to remember that, at that stage, Park only had one point in the bag, the other four were still to be won.

The visitors did not help themselves, when, in the 48th minute, second row Henry Head was yellow-carded for hands in the ruck.

Park scrummed the penalty and quick ball saw Graham Barr feed Captain Rob Jewell for try number five.

Stung by this reverse and still a man down, credit must go to the visitors, who inched their way to the Park line and flanker Jonathan Farmer dived over for a hard earned try making it 38-8.

But they were soon a man short again after number eight Thomas George incurred the wrath of the referee.

Ten minutes from the end, Jewell threw out a long pass for replacement Paul Unseld to go over and, in a frantic finale when it seemed that everything Park tried came to naught, at the death Park broke down the right and brilliant interplay saw Strong go over for his second try, Laidlaw’s sixth conversion made it the half century for Park and a job well done.

Rosslyn Park: Davies, Strong, Sweeney/O’Driscoll, Jewell(Capt) Lindsay-Hague/Unseld, Laidlaw, Barr, Huggett, Ritchie/Lahiff, Collier/Williams, Quigley/Jones, Slade, Gates, Barrett, Lock.

Park scorers: Strong 2T, Sweeney T Davies T Ritchie T Jewell T Unseld T Laidlaw P,6C