Burton travelled to Shakespeare’s country to take on Stratford at their Loxley Road ground. Not having won on this ground on their last two visits the Burton squad knew they had to reverse this trend this time and that nothing less than victory was acceptable. The sound of the final whistle with the score board reading “ Stratford 0 Visitors 29” was therefore music to the ears of whole of the Burton travelling entourage who had made the journey south.

Burton started the game and Stratford took the ball and kicked back deep into Burton territory where Lewis Brooks safely gathered the ball and promptly showed Burton’s intent as he returned it seventy metres down field for a lineout deep in the home twenty-two. A period of scrappy play followed as both sides tried to establish control and it appeared that Stratford may get the first score when following a kick ahead that was not cleanly dealt with by the Burton defence they got to within five metres of the Burton line. But some good defending by Joe Carpenter and Simon Spencer saw a kick by Ian Gilmour allow Dan Smith to chase after it as the danger was cleared. Burton, too, had their chances but poor passes resulted in both Brooks and Smith being able to convert chances when pressing the home line.

With both sides battling for control as play moved from end to end and the referee starting to lose control of the game tempers boiled over and Gilmour and a Stratford player were yellow carded for fighting. This action did cool down things for a while and Burton began to take the upper hand as Brooks, Craig Dutton and Carpenter all made big runs into the home twenty-two. But with Burton expecting a penalty decision for offside Darryl Banton attempted a drop goal that was partially charged down. Despite Burton’s appeals against the constant offside tactics being used against them the referee awarded a dropout and Stratford cleared the danger and started to attack upfield again. But as the opposition neared the Burton line a great tackle by Brooks stopped this move and Tom Bartram cleared to halfway.

The Burton forwards were now beginning to take control of set pieces with Dan Clarke, Jon Edwards and Josh Cartwright making their presence felt in scrums and lineouts. While Rob Wakelin, Charl Neethling and Craig Dutton made nuisances of themselves with several marauding runs. Unfortunately, while controlling set plays the Burton forwards found themselves in a far more competitive battle in the rucks and mauls as the home pack showed far more skill and guile to slow down Burton’s ascendancy. But nevertheless the Burton pack was supplying adequate ball for their backs to display their pace and power, but all too often poor handling led to chances being lost.

Quick thinking by Spencer, at a maul, saw him kick through and chase upfield to set up another Burton attack, which Stratford countered with their own kick and chase that was thwarted by Smith and John Philliskirk. With the opposition pressing Burton lost the services of Cartwright due to injury and his replacement Dan Eastwood was soon in action as he took a lineout to set Gilmour on a searing seventy metre run that sliced through the home defence. But as he found Brooks in support the youngster was overwhelmed by several defenders and the ball was lost.

After thirty-five minutes play a poor penalty kick by Stratford saw Smith race forward dancing around defenders on a forty metre burst. Once stopped the Burton forwards were quickly in support to recycle the ball and it was spun out to Brooks who raced in to touchdown near the posts for the first points of the match. Although Burton continued to press no further scores were put on the board and halftime arrived with them leading 5-0.

Stratford started the second half and Burton soon showed they were intent on more points as the ball was kicked back to inside the home ten-metre line. Edwards stole the lineout and Banton spun the ball out along the line where Philliskirk came in on the burst to race forty metres before off-loading to Brooks. He stayed on his feet as the pack carried him forward towards the rapidly advancing home line. Joe Carpenter ripped the ball out of the maul and crashed over the line for a try after just five minutes of the half. Bartram landed the conversion and another Burton attack with Carpenter and Smith combining to take play forward and see Stratford penalised. So just three minutes later he slotted over a penalty goal from thirty metres to give Burton a 15-0 lead and a scoreline that reflected play far more realistically.

Now feeling more relaxed Burton coaches rang the changes with Chris Atchison and Dave Archer replacing Spencer and Brooks respectively. The tempo of Burton’s play now appeared to up a gear as the team also relaxed and grew in confidence. Time and again Lawrence Betty and Bartram were used to make decisive runs into the opposition defence to set up opportunities for quick ball and the Burton pack took up this challenge to start several ground winning mauls. The more Burton increased the pressure the scrappier and less disciplined the home side became so conceding ball and ground. An attempted Stratford clearance was safely caught by Philliskirk, who hoisted his own high kick back towards their line and as Smith, Archer and Clarke tackled the catcher in possession the Burton pack poured forward to set up quick ball. Banton fed Gilmour and as his attempted grubber was partially blocked it dropped at Bartram’s feet. He didn’t need a second invitation as he kicked through and chased after the ball to dive on it for a try under the posts for a try that he then converted.

A lineout in Stratford territory saw Dan Clarke catch the ball and set-up a great rolling maul that saw Dutton peel off and charge towards the line, but when stopped he ignored support and mysteriously threw the ball over his head to nobody and another chance was lost. Burton continued to press and with the forwards becoming more and more dominant despite the referee’s apparent ignorance of some of the laws of the game as he ignored some of Stratford’s dubious tactics. So with the Burton team keeping their control being suitably demonstrated by their next try the Burton pack advanced up field continually. Great runs by Edwards, Dutton, Eastwood and Clarke ensured Burton stayed in home territory. Carpenter was crudely stopped by a high tackle, but showing admiral control, he sprang to his feet took a quick tap and raced thirty metres to dive over in the corner for his second try of the day. Bartram added the extra points as his kick from the touchline sailed between the posts and gave Burton its final score of the day to lead 29-0.

The remaining ten minutes of the game continued to see Burton hold their composure as they pressed forward until the final whistle to end the day as worthy winners and keep the pressure on the chasing teams behind them in the league table. Just two more performances and results like this and Burton will be crowned as deserving league champions.