A very physical pack and strong back line helped James to a devastating 67-5 win over a Goodricke side which lacked numbers and structure.
The first try came within the first 40 seconds, as scrum half Ben Brummit played the ball down the blindside for winger Phil Scott to run 60 metres down the pitch for the first of his five tries.
Good work from back rowers Jamie Boyd and Ed Reay, coupled with strong running from second row Toby Tremlett set up the ball for the backs. Scrum half Ben Brummit and fly half Charlie Burton worked well together, to provide good ball for centres Chris Smith and Huw Davenport to carry at pace and break the Goodricke line.
As it became apparent that this was a very one-sided affair, James continued to gain momentum with two tress from Burton and one for second row Tremlett. Since the James front row were demolishing Goodricke at every scrum, it was decided to go to uncontested scrums. The Goodricke inside centre made some good runs and fly half Alex Macdonald tried to ignite an underprepared back line, however it was to no avail as the side from Heslington East struggled to stamp their authority on the game.
James continued to run in tries, with winger Matthew Collins running past three defenders before scoring, while Scott added his fourth and fifth tries of the match. Goodricke however did manage to put some points on the board with winger Andy Monyard intercepting a pass from the inside centre and running in for a try in the corner. However perhaps to the disappointment of Goodricke, and annoyance of James, he was in fact a James player helping them out due to a lack of numbers.
After 50 minutes with James in complete control and with no sign of the try onslaught stopping, the game was ended, the final score a one-sided 67 -5.
After the match James captain Jamie Boyd commented: “The boys played well, and considering the circumstances Goodricke put in a solid effort, but it will be good to test the team under more challenging conditions next week.”
The final result showed that James are a force to be reckoned with this season, and perhaps unlike Alcuin and Halifax they are the team to beat Derwent this year.
Derwent’s 55-7 demolition of Halifax on Wednesday reasserted their dominance of college rugby, and they have so far brushed aside the challenges of Halifax and Alcuin. Alcuin meanwhile received a walkover this week, allowing them to claim their first victory of the season, as Langwith were unable to field a team.