With a depleted side through numerous injuries, Ross RFC were still able to put together a good squad that proved triumphant at home to Hucclecote, reports IAN PHILLIPS.

It was the Gloucester visitors who took an early lead from a penalty, but a break from flanker Josh Morgan put in captain Ben Element who held off his tackler to score before slotting the extras himself.

Ross were beginning to dominate and centre Alex Jenkins then ran a great line to score under the sticks for Ben to have an easy conversion to make it 14-3.

When Ross No 8 Thai Hayward was binned, Hucclecote came back at Ross using the numerical advantage to the full to score out wide from a line-out. The conversion was missed, but the game was now in the balance at 14-8.

Ross forwards were everywhere, though, and prop Louis Morgan charged forward and kept the ball alive, passing to his brother Casey who in turn drew the last man to put Chris Price through to score.

Ben Element again converted to make it 21-8 after just 30 minutes.

The next score saw the best try of the match, which was actually the simplest.

The Ross forwards went through five phases of play, sucking in defenders, and when the ball was sped out to the backs, a set-piece miss-move and light hands ended with winger Skylar Lilly going over.

Element again converted and Ross finished the half 28-8 to the good.

After the restart, Element put in a decent kick to the corner from a Hucclecote penalty and the resulting line-out saw an off-the-training-ground try, with Casey Morgan peeling off from the back, collecting the ball and passing to hooker Josh Element to score in the corner.

The extras were missed this time, leaving the score at 33-8, but the game had been pretty much settled.

On 60 minutes, another line-out was gathered by Josh Element at the back of a maul and the Ross pack drove over. Brother Ben converted what was to be the last score of the match in a thumping 40-8 win for the hosts.

The David Cooke ‘man of the match’ was flanker Josh Morgan, who was everywhere on the field and a constant thorn in Hucclecote’s side.

This Saturday Ross RFC are again at home, this time to Cirencester, kick-off 3pm.

* Newent 1st XV held off a late Frome comeback in Somerset to win 30-24 in Regent Two Tribute Severn.

A Doug Long penalty put the visitors 3-0 up early on before a pass out wide outflanked the host defence for a Dan Fletcher try to make it 8-0 on 23 minutes.

But Newent then suffered a man in the bin, and a catch and drive saw a Frome forward bundled over to make it 8-5.

A string of penalties then saw Newent pressing the Frome line, with a well set line-out and drive leading to another unconverted try for Will Tanner for a 13-5 lead.

And deep into stoppage time, they were able to build more pressure with Rich Merrett going over under the posts, with the kick added to make it 20-5 at the break.

There was no further scoring until the last 15 minutes when a Jacon Ivell penalty stretched the lead to 23-5.

A wayward pass was then collected by Ivell who ran in from his own half to score under the posts, adding the conversion for good measure for a 30-5 lead.

But the game wasn’t over yet, a penalty kicked deep into Newent’s half leading to a line-out and a Frome forward diving over for a converted try (30-12).

And with five minutes to go, another Frome line-out saw another catch and drive secure a try (30-17).

The momentum was now with Frome, and their skipper crashed through to score under the posts, with the extras added to close the score to six points.

The hosts were straight back on the Newent 5m line, but in the final play the Frome winger was bundled into touch as the visitors just held on 30-24.