with another ‘try-fest’ as they easily defeated the visiting Old Halesonians 57-10. After the frost and snow of the last few days had left the pitch sticky Burton still managed to produce a handling display that saw them score nine tries to keep their unbeaten record for this year intact. But unfortunately though this week they did allow their opposition to cross their own line twice and so spoil what would have been a perfect day.

Halesonians kicked-off and immediately Burton set their cards on the table as the Burton pack gathered and charged forward to take play back into the opposition half. But after Jon Edwards had set up a good position for Burton the visitors recovered and there started a five-minute spell of ‘toing and froing’ as both sides tried to establish position. From a visiting clearance Joe Carpenter took the ball to link with Craig Dutton and Jon Edwards, who drove forward before the ball was released along the Burton backline. Carpenter was then again involved as he slipped the ball to Danny Smith to race over the line and touchdown out wide for Burton’s first try.

Although the conversion was missed Burton supporters perhaps thought this was the start Burton’s dominance, but this was not the case. Following the restart both sides again reverted to demonstrating some boring kicking exchanges that saw play move from end to end with neither side making any worthwhile ground. During this time Burton conceded several penalties but the Hales kicker was, fortunately, off-target with his goal attempts. A good break by Edwards gave Ian Gilmour and Lawrence Betty a chance but the final pass went into opposition hands and Hales tried to kick clear. The ball was gathered by Carpenter who put his head down and made a searing burst towards the line and with defenders bouncing off him he scored under the posts. Tom Bartram’s conversion took the score to 12-0 after nearly thirty minutes play.

A take by Charl Neethling saw Burton take play back to the opposition twenty-two but Bartram’s pass out wide was dropped and a chance was lost. But Burton were not to be outdone and another attack saw John Pilliskirk take play back into the opposition twenty-two for a Burton scrum. Quick ball from the scrum saw Gilmour put a little chip through the defensive line and Tom Bartram raced through to pick-up, score under the posts and then add the extra two points to give Burton 19-0 lead.

From the kick-off Burton were penalised and Hales kicked for a lineout on the Burton twenty-two. Hales won the ball and a kick through was misread by Philliskirk to leave their centre a free run to scoop up the ball and score in the corner to take the score to 19-5. Burton bounced back after a penalty to Hales had given them a lineout on their own ten-metre line. Josh Cartwright stole the ball to set-up a move involving Craig Dutton, Carpenter and Darryl Banton before the ball was moved back and forth along the backline and Burton got a penalty some five-metres out. This penalty resulted in Hales No 8 Tideswell being sin-binned for repeated offences. Using this man advantage to good effect quick ball along the line saw Carpenter crash over for his second try of the day. Bartram’s successful conversion saw the referee signalled the end of the first half with Burton having a comfortable 26-5 lead.

Still with a man advantage Burton started the second-half and were soon on the attack as Philliskirk charged forward on one of his telling bursts to take play into the opposition twenty-two to gain Burton a penalty in front of the posts. But Burton refused the easy points and took a scrum with Banton spinning the ball out along the backline to winger Smith, but his pass back inside was dropped. However from the opposition scrum Burton stole the ball and Banton again fed the ball out wide but this time it was other wing Lewis Brooks who got the ball and raced in for a try to increase Burton’s lead to 31-5. Brooks then took a clearance kick on the full and raced forward until he was stopped, but then he fed the ball back inside to Bartram. He swiftly moved the ball out along the line before Carpenter again got in on the act to take the final pass and crash over for his third try of the day. Bartram’s trusty boot put the conversion straight between the posts to increase Burton’s tally to 38-5.

Burton were now in total control with Cartwright and Edwards monopolising the lineouts, while Burton’s frontrow of Neethling, Dan Clarke and Rob Wakelin made life very uncomfortable for their opposite numbers. The result of all this control allowed Carpenter, Dutton and Simon Spencer to run amok in open spaces as they harried the opposition. A lineout on the Burton twenty-two saw Hales attempt to roll forward but this was met by Burton’s rock-like pack that stopped the move and won a scrum. From this Bartram raced downfield before being bundled into touch on the opposition ten-metre line. Edwards stole the lineout and the Burton pack rolled forward to gain another lineout on the twenty-two. This time Cartwright took the ball and supported by Wakelin and Neethling was driven towards the line before Simon Spencer crashed over from the melee for well-worked try. Bartram again added the extra points as Spencer was thanked for his efforts by being replaced by Chris Atchison.

Leading 45-5 Burton pressed even further ahead as Danny Smith raced forward to take play into the opposition twenty-two again, but this time a chip ahead by Lawrence Betty saw Brooks race through to be tackled into touch just five metres short. But Philliskirk took the attempted clearance on the full and burst through into the twenty-two to feed Smith, who slipped the ball inside to Danny Clarke who dived over the line for his first ever Burton try.

Burton rang more changes with Ian Baker and Tom Murphy replacing Edwards and Neethling, but as Burton were adjusting to these changes a period of pressure from the visitors saw Philliskirk surprisingly sin-binned for handling. Hales were quick to capitalise as the extra-man and Burton’s apparent disarray to get a lineout some ten-metres from the Burton line. Taking the ball Hales powered forward but once again Burton stopped the rolling maul and forced the visitors to spin the ball out wide where their extra man had no difficulty in diving over for a try in the corner to take the score to 50-10.

Despite their restart not travelling ten-metres it was Burton who were to have the last say as following a couple of scrums they powered forward again with Smith chasing a Gilmour kick deep into visiting territory. An interception by Dutton took play to five-metres from the line but a series of knock-ons saw Burton retreat. Then Betty and Smith combined to take play back downfield before Darryl Banton took the final pass to touchdown under the posts. Bartram’s conversion bisected the posts to give Burton a well deserved and satisfying 57-10 victory.