with a comprehensive, if not awe inspiring, 54-0 defeat of Nuneaton O.E’s at their Weddington Road ground on a bitterly, cold and equally uninspiring murky Saturday afternoon. With the exception of one fifteen minute spell just before the break when Nuns pressurised the Burton line the visiting team totally controlled the outcome of the match but for most of the game they just could not turn this domination into points. Fortunately the hosts also suffered from the same poor handling as displayed by Burton and both sides struggled to get any flow into the game played in bitterly cold conditions on a very heavy pitch.

Nuns kicked-off into what little breeze that was blowing and immediately Josh Cartwright set up a good position for Burton after a storming twenty-metre run. But as the Burton backs tried to move the ball out wide the first of the many handling errors saw the ball dropped and Nuns kicked clear to the Burton ten-metre line. Burton again attacked from the lineout but the home side turned-over the ball and John Philliskirk was called into action to field the high clearance. Unfortunately having successfully done this and raced forty metres forward he was penalised for not releasing and the danger to the home line was cleared as Nuns kicked deep into the Burton half. Now in Burton territory the opposition charged forward and was awarded a penalty, but luckily their kicker was just off target as his kick just shaved the upright.

A deep dropout by Tom Bartram saw Craig Dutton and Joe Carpenter take the ball on as Nuns struggled to clear, but as Burton moved the ball out wide a kick through was half charged down and Nuns attacked. A Burton penalty for handling in the ruck allowed Bartram to put the ball back into the home half. Storming runs by Dutton and Lawrence Betty saw Burton attack only for the ball to be lost in contact again. With both sides struggling to keep possession any attempted attacking plays were being cleared by kicks upfield and the defences for both sides were on top.

A lineout on halfway saw the hosts win the ball, Darryl Banton charged down their kick and chased upfield after the ball and Burton got into the opposition twenty-two. Burton won the ball only to lose it immediately as yet another pass was not to hand. However, this time they regained possession and Banton fed Ian Gilmour who seeing space out-wide put in a lovely diagonal kick that the chasing Bartram had only to bend-over and pick-up to dot over the line for Burton’s first score.

Charl Neethling took the restart setting Burton off on another attack only for the ball to again be dropped and Nuns allowed to clear to the Burton ten-metre line. From the lineout Jon Edwards won the ball and at last went down the line to Dan Smith who weaved his way in and out of defenders to get to within fifteen-metres of the line. Dominic Taylor and Joe Carpenter were quickly in to support and Banton fed Bartram, whose long pass sailed over two defenders into the welcoming arms of Neethling who powered over the line to score. Now leading 10-0 with fifteen minutes played Burton at last looked as though they were going to stamp their authority on the match. The restart failed to go ten-metres so a scrum in midfield saw Dutton pick-up but he was unceremoniously dumped straight back down as the home side defence enveloped him. Carpenter retrieved the ball and surged forward before kicking ahead. Bartram and Lewis Brooks tackled the catcher five metres from the opposition line. With Rob Wakelin and Jon Edwards smashing into the ruck Banton spun quick ball along the line through Gilmour and Bartram before Danny Smith jinked his way over the line for Burton’s third try of the day.

Cartwright took the restart and Burton’s pack powered forward before Smith again showed his pace with a fifty-metre dash that took him to within five metres of the line only for Burton to be penalised for going off their feet and let Nuns kick the ball back to halfway. This let-off seemed to inspire the home side as for the next twenty minutes they stayed in Burton’s half as time and again they stormed the line with rolling mauls and powerful forward rushes as Burton struggled to break clear. But the Burton defence held firm thanks to some great tackling by Brooks, Smith, Taylor, Dutton, Carpenter and Edwards who were supported by every other Burton player as they battled to keep their line unbreached. Helped by some poor handling by the home side this was achieved and Burton reached half-time leading 15-0.

As Burton started the second half the home side used all their replacements in an attempt to freshen up their efforts, an act that later in the game was to help Burton considerably. Nuns saw an attempted clearance charged down by Taylor and Burton got a lineout on halfway. Cartwright took the ball off the top and Banton spun it out down the line where Gilmour passed back inside to Betty who used his pace and power to charge forward forty metres. Just as he was tackled he found Carpenter, Edwards and Taylor in support and the three drove towards the home line before Edwards slipped the ball to Taylor who dived over for a try. Bartram, at last, found his kicking boots and his conversion made the score 22-0.

Danny Clarke charged forward from the restart to set up a move that saw him link with Betty before getting the ball back as Burton took play to within fifteen metres of the home line. But once again Nuns came away with the ball and kicked deep into the Burton half to get a scrum inside the twenty-two. Nuns attacked but poor handling and a great steal by Dutton saw Danny Smith race clear to halfway. Carpenter continued the momentum as he charged forward bouncing off defenders before feeding Philliskirk who race in for a touch down that Bartram converted to take Burton’s lead to 29-0. Just after this Burton rang the changes with Chris Atchison replacing Carpenter and then Rich Paupe replacing Rob Wakelin. At the same time Nuns were reduced to fourteen men as with all their replacements used their centre was injured had to be helped off the field. But worse was yet to happen for the hosts as shortly afterwards their winger was injured as well but had to stay on the field as a limping passenger. So Burton, in effect, were now only playing thirteen men and at last started to put points on the board.

To help their cause Burton replaced Banton with Dave Poole and his first pass, from a scrum inside Burton’s twenty-two, saw him find Bartram. He quickly fed Betty who raced outside the limping winger and deftly passed back inside to Brooks who raced sixty metres before drawing the cover. He fed the supporting Gilmour who covered the remaining twenty metres to dive over the line to score the first of Burton’s five unconverted try finale.

After some great work by Edwards and Neethling at a ruck Poole spun the ball out down the right side to Philliskirk. He raced forward supported by Betty, Brooks and Bartram and some slick, inter-passing saw Bartram take the final pass to score. The play was now all in home territory as Burton ran rampant and Smith soon got his second try after a great sixty metre run saw him race clear to score in the corner.

Then Atchison took the restart and charged forward to release Bartram whose clever kick ahead was taken on the full by Smith, who passed to Betty to round off the move as he dived over in the corner. The final score came after Neethling, Taylor and Atchison charged up the middle of the pitch to pass the ball out to Brooks who made thirty metres before feeding Gilmour. As the cover approached the little fly-half cleverly angled his kick to the corner for Philliskirk to race on to, pick-up and dive over the line to score and take Burton’s score to 54-0 as the final whistle sounded.