Bournville 38 Clifton 68

This match was decided in a 15-minute period either side of half-time when Clifton ran in 40 unanswered points including six of their ten tries.

Bourns were just two points down until scrum-half Max McCarthy nipped in for the first of his three tries but found themselves staring at a much heavier defeat ten minutes into the second-half after they were hit by Clifton’s fusillade of tries.

It says much for Bourns’ character and resilience that they finished the stronger side with a try bonus point as reward for their efforts with a hat-trick of tries from lock Harry Dawson proving a real collector’s piece.

How important that point may prove remains to be seen but Bourns showed for long periods of the match that they can rattle the top sides in the division and, if they can put together a full 80 minutes’ performance, a second win of the season is not far away.

There were significant performances across the pitch led by captain Ben Meakin with number eight Callum Nicholls producing a rampaging display in attack, tighthead prop Jake Thompson causing problems for Clifton at scrum-time and Dawson excelling in the driving mauls.

There were debuts for fly-half Elliot Tanner and wing Harry Housley, who were playing for Bromsgrove’s second team and Drybrook respectively last season, against a side who were playing National One rugby last season.

Adam Collingwood was promoted from the bench to the starting XV after Cam Smith’s flight from work commitments in Spain was delayed and he ended up playing the full 80 minutes as he was switched to scrum-half after Smith came on early in the second-half.

When wing Zak Hamid and back-row Jack Grundy went over for tries in the first quarter, both converted by Tom Quinlan, it looked like Bourns might be in for a long afternoon.

But scrum-half Reiss Price darted down the short-side for a brilliant individual try and when Dawson was driven over for his first try and Jacob Fewtrell added the etras, the deficit was just two points.

McCarthy’s try was followed by a kick-and-chase score from left wing Ollie Harris, on a dual registration with Bristol Bears, which gave Clifton the try bonus point and a 14 points lead at the break.

Bourns needed a score early in the second-half but it was Clifton who hit them hard, first through McCarthy after excellent support play then from Hamid. McCarthy completed his hat-trick before he was replaced and centre Dylan Power brought up the half-century from the re-start.

Hamid completed his own hat-trick shortly after Housley was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on but Bourns continued to look dangerous in attack and Collingwood got the third try with a quickly taken tap penalty which caught Clifton napping.

Dawson secured the try bonus, again from a driving lineout, and although Vili Koroibanuve went over from close range for Clifton, Bourns kept looking for points at the other end with Chris Idehen an effective ball carrier in his first appearance of the season following his return from an ankle injury.

Dawson’s hat-trick was followed by the final try for Nicholls which was reward for the latest in a series of dynamic displays for the number eight.

*Bournville Blues got their first win of the season in Counties Two Midlands West (East) with a 52-38 success at Upton on Severn.

Wing Aaron Esiri scored four tries to help the Blues secure a bonus point win with the other four shared between full-back Stephen Terera, back-row and captain Myles Hibbs, wing Louis Stival and centre Jack Mitchell.