Ross 1sts took the short trip to Cheltenham Civil Service and were convincing winners with a score of 7-50, despite what they feel was a fairly mediocre performance.

Playing conditions were difficult but No 8 Gavin Oates settled any nerves running down the touch line and sliding over. This was soon followed with a try from centre Aaron Ryder, which he converted himself, and one from scrum half Marcus Barnard. Gavin Oates scored his second for Ross and the game was all wrapped up within half an hour. Ross scrum half Barnard was a constant thorn in the side for Civil Service and thought he had put Ross further ahead, but he was adjudged to have put his foot on the dead ball line before touching down. He soon made amends when darting in to score under the posts, allowing Ryder to convert.

Ross were better than their opponents in every position of the field. The scrums were dominant and so were the lineouts. Full back AJ Jenkins had a fairly quiet game defensively, so it allowed him to enter the attacking line time and time again and it looked like Ross were ready to score for fun. However, the second half turned into a quiet affair and the fact Civil Service lost a front row forward, meaning that the scrums were uncontested did not help matters.

Barnard dodged and weaved to score his third try under the sticks for Ryder to convert and then winger, Craig Smith, scored in the corner after beating his man for pace on the outside.

With virtually the only real chance of the game for Civil Service, with Ross down to 14 men with flanker Dale Brook in the sin bin, they managed to claw themselves across Ross’ line for their only score. Ross responded with their last try of the game on 70 mins through replacement forward Ali Rees, which Ryder again converted.

The Ross ‘Man of the Match’ was Marcus Barnard. This week Ross will host Bishopston, 2.30pm KO.