Tristan Gill also moved up from the ‘B’ XV to fill the void left on the bench. But these late changes did nothing to detract from Burton’s performance as they comprehensively defeated of third placed Stratford, 44-5, thanks to another seven try haul on a dark and dismal afternoon at Peel Croft.

Stratford kicked-off deep into Burton’s twenty-two and Tom Bartram cleared to touch near the ten-metre line for Josh Cartwright to steal the first of many balls from the opposition lineout. This set the Burton pack off on a roll as they drove up the pitch and when the ball was released Darryl Banton broke clear to race into the Stratford twenty-two. Good quick ball was spun out to Dan Smith who raced to within three metres of the opposition line before being stopped, but a penalty against Burton allowed Stratford to clear the danger with a kick back to halfway.

With Burton playing at pace more ball soon came Burton’s way and from a scrum Craig Dutton picked-up to feed Ian Gilmour. He spotted a gap and raced through supported by Bartram but unfortunately the latter just failed to hold what would have been a try-scoring pass. With the ball going loose Burton’s rampaging pack were soon on to it to regain possession and set up a maul. The ball emerged quickly and Banton, Rob Wakelin and Dominic Taylor handled it before Banton put in a little kick that rolled into touch two-metres from the visitor’s line. Cartwright again won the ball and Burton moved it across the pitch and Lawrence Betty was hauled down as he tried to break the defensive line. From the ensuing scrum Dutton again picked-up and fed Bartram who passed to Gilmour and his long looping pass to the rapidly advancing John Philliskirk saw the Burton fullback burst through the line to race clear and pass to winger Smith. He cleverly drew the opposition fullback before passing back inside to Dave Archer who marked his return to first team action with a try as he dotted the ball down over the line for Burton’s first points of the day.

Philliskirk took the restart and immediately burst forward again to take play to the Burton ten-metre line, but a penalty against Burton gave the visitors a chance to get on the scoreboard but the attempt sailed harmlessly wide. Bartram’s long drop-out took play back to inside the Stratford half and a knock-on gave the Burton pack another opportunity to show their power and domination to win the ball. Banton fed Gilmour and with a well-worked move that saw Bartram and Betty acting as decoys Philliskirk burst onto the ball at pace to race over the line and score under the posts. Bartram’s kick sailed over the crossbar to convert the try and Burton now led 12-0 after twenty-five minutes play.

This score saw Stratford stung into action as from the restart they drove towards the Burton line and helped by some poor discipline from Burton, that saw then given an extra ten-metres from a penalty, a kick into the corner gave them a line-out five-metres from the home line. For once Stratford managed to win their own line-out and keep possession to drove on for second row Florient Vialen to crash over the line for a try.

Archer took the restart with a great catch and supported by Dutton, Spencer and Charl Neethling Burton took the ball back into opposition territory where Stratford were penalised. A quick tap by Banton saw him, somewhat erratically, sling the ball out high over Gilmour’s head but fortunately Bartram gathered the pass and proceeded to twist and turn his way from one side of the pitch to the other. As he neared the line he cleverly threw a cheeky one-handed dummy that completely fooled the Stratford defence and he strolled over the line to touch down in the corner.

From the restart Spencer, Taylor and Rich Wilton moved the ball to make thirty metres down the touchline, but when stopped Burton lost the ball and Stratford started an attack of their own. Fortunately Burton’s cover was in quickly and the ball won back for Gilmour to slice through the Stratford line before neatly passing the ball back inside to Betty who dived over to score a try. Bartram again converted to give Burton a healthy 22-5 lead at the break.

Stratford started the second period of play in a much more aggressive manner and soon forced their way inside Burton’s twenty-two with a series of rolling mauls. But after ten minutes of continuous pressure they were unable to penetrate Burton’s resolute defence and eventually Bartram kicked clear to outside the Burton twenty-two. Play now see-sawed between the two twenty-two lines as both sides struggled to gain any real superiority. But after Dan Eastwood had burst through a line-out to take the opposition ball and race twenty metres up field Burton began to impose themselves more and regain their control. A neat loop move by Gilmour saw him feed Philliskirk, who again raced clear and when stopped the ball was passed back inside to Bartram who turned and landed a neat drop goal from thirty metres out to get his team’s scoring on the move again.

Neethling took the restart and with Rich Wilton in support they quickly spun the ball out to the backs for Betty to threw out a long pass to Smith. The little winger turned on the gas and blasted past the opposition cover to score in the corner. Having now re-established their control and got the scoreboard ticking over again Burton rang the changes and Jon Edwards and Jason Hooper replaced Spencer and Wilton. With these new legs on Burton were then reduced to fourteen men when Neethling was yellow carded for collapsing a maul. Then Banton sustained an injury as he charged towards the line and crashed into the opposition fullback and he had to leave the field to be replaced by Tristan Gill. This resulted in Archer moving into the centre as Gilmour and Bartram moved into the half-back roles. All these changes did little to upset Burton’s control or rhythm as they continued to press forward. With five minutes remaining a blind-side move involving Philliskirk, Gilmour and Dutton saw the latter crash over the line from three-metres out for Burton’s sixth try.

With the minutes ticking away Burton continued to pressurise the visitors line and a clearance was safely caught by Philliskirk, who combined with Edwards and Hooper to take play back inside the opposition twenty-two. From there acting scrum-half Gilmour broke blind and fed Smith who streaked over the line for his second try of the day. Bartram’s conversion sailed over the bar and between the uprights to give Burton a well-deserved and emphatic 44-5 victory to keep them still heading the table.