With an injury to Lewis Brooks (knee) causing a late Saturday morning selection dilemma a last minute call to Matt Davies saw him included in the squad to travel to play Whitchurch, but unfortunately all this disruption delayed the team leaving the Croft and led to a late arrival at the opponent’s venue.

So after a shortened warm-up Dave Archer kicked-off for Burton, who immediately got the worse start they could have imagined as the hosts returned the ball with a kick deep into the Burton twenty-two for a lineout. Whitchurch took the ball and their second-row was driven over for a try with only a minute gone. To make matter even worse their kicker then coolly slotted over the conversion to give his side a 7-0 lead.

Burton re-mustered and got themselves back into the game with several phases of good rugby that eventually led to a penalty goal opportunity but Archer’s kick from thirty-five metres sailed wide of the posts. But from the restart Jon Edwards showed his team mates the way as he gathered the drop-out and powerfully drove at the home ranks. He fed Luke Peach who switched the ball the other way to Danny Smith who found Nathan Taylor in support for him to dive through two defenders in front of him and touch down for a try to open Burton’s account. Archer missed the conversion but Burton now looked far more settled and in control and their constant pressure led to the Whitchurch open-side being yellow carded for lying-on. With this extra man advantage Burton now began to play a more expansive game with Lawrence Betty, Danny Campbell, Ian Gilmour Archer and Smith all posing problems for the home defence with the ample supply of ball being provided by their dominating pack, where Kelvin Browne, Ken Archer, Edwards and the born again Charl Neethling were always showing the way.

A penalty against Whitchurch saw Campbell take a quick tap and the ball spun out to Matt Boden who raced in to score and put Burton in the lead at 7-10. Play then moved to and fro as both teams tried to make headway but after a period of Whitchurch pressure Burton conceded a scrum some ten metres from their line. With the Burton defence sleeping the home No. 8 picked up and dived over for a try in the corner that was then beautifully converted from the touch line by the kicker to give the hosts a 14-10 lead after thirty minutes play.

But Burton hit back quickly when the home side were penalised for offside and Peach kicked the ball deep into the home twenty-two. From the resulting Josh Cartwright rose high to take the lineout and the Burton pack drove Tom Murphy over for a try to put Burton back in the lead at 14-15.

Whitchurch stormed back on the attack and with Burton’s defence failing to communicate with each other the home side scored a third converted try to re-take the lead at 21-15. With the half-time whistle nearing a great run by first Betty, then Gilmour before Boden was unlucky not to give Burton another score as his final pass to Archer fell just short.

However, straight from Whitchurch’s kick-off for the second half Boden more than made amends when he intercepted on his own twenty-two and showed the opposition a clean pair of heels as he raced the length of the pitch to touch down under the posts. Archer’s kick sailed over the bar and Burton now led 21-22.

Burton now began to ring the changes with Keifer Laxton and Matt Davies replacing Jason Knight and Ian Gilmour and Whitchurch hit back with a breakaway try by their winger to regain the lead at 26-22. While Burton were still getting used to the new faces they demonstrated a lack of consistency in defence that was to last for a while as Burton saw themselves put under unnecessary pressure due to some poor defensive work. By midway through the half Burton had gradually got themselves back in control thanks to the direct running of backs Peach and Betty, while Taylor and Edwards were constant thorns in the home sides efforts to make ground. From one scrum Edwards showed his control as he picked up and powered forward making twenty metres and taking out five would-be defenders and seeing Neethling charging forward he slipped the ball to him. Revelling in his first senior game for over twelve months he continued the charge forward before feeding Archer who raced in to score and then converted his own try to put Burton in the lead at 26-29.

Sensing that this was not enough Burton continued to press forward and after Cartwright, Archer, Taylor, Browne and Henry had all tested the home defence Edwards sealed victory with a well-deserved try as he smashed his way through several defenders on a ten metre surge to the line. Archer’s conversion failed to increase the score and so Burton left the field 26-34 victors after a hard fought contest in which at times they had put themselves under pressure with poor communication.