Bournville delivered on the game plan put in place by the coaching team and banked an important first away win of the season at The Rectory.
In contrast to the previous week at Hornets, Bourns turned a one point advantage at the break into a comfortable bonus point victory with a disciplined second-half performance with a dominant scrum laying the foundations for the win.
The five points enabled Bourns to climb one place in the table, overtaking Barnstaple who visit Avery Fields next Saturday, and ensured that the long journey home was more enjoyable than some of the recent trips to the South West.
This made it back-to-back wins at The Rectory for Bourns – albeit 19 months apart – with the previous one coming in the final match of the 2024/25 season when both sides had already been relegated.
Getting a win on the road earlier in the campaign was something that Head Coach Alex Grove targeted at the start of the season and to achieve it immediately after the disappointment at Hornets says much about the character of the team and their ability to put setbacks behind them.
They had to problem solve on the job in this match too after Devonport twice came from behind in the first-half to take the lead with a high penalty count and missed tackles handicapping Bourns.
But once those issues had been addressed, Bourns were able to pull clear with the seven tries evenly shared with Man of the Match Jacob Fewtrell converting all of them to go with two first-half penalties and a personal haul of 20 points.
The first try came after five minutes from Joe Jenkins but the lead was wiped out within eight minutes as first lock Michael Rickard then full-back Carlie Groves crossed in quick succession for Devonport.
Fewtrell’s first penalty reduced the deficit and Bourns regained the lead when Sam Grimshaw read a Devonport attack, intercepted and raced away for a try which Fewtrell improved.
Five minutes later, Devonport were in front again as centre Elliott Pockett found a gap in the defence and Sam Brown added the conversion but Bourns edged ahead in injury-time when pressure secured a penalty and Fewtrell applied the punishment.
Bourns had a let-off in the opening exchanges of the second-half when Devonport dropped the ball over the line but they did not need any further luck to stretch clear.
Full-back Sam Clarke got his first try for the club, Jake Thompson capped a dominant scrummaging display with the bonus point try and although Devonport reduced the deficit to eight points with their own bonus point try, that was as close as they got.
Kieran Henderson, Callum Nicholls and Clarkson McLeod emphasised Bourns’ dominance with further tries and a late consolation try for Devonport from Charlie Over did not take any of the gloss of a deserved win.
*Bournville Blues also won on the road with 46-27 victory at Southam which took them to fifth in Counties Two Midlands West (East), two points behind second-placed Birmingham & Solihull.
Bournville Thirds beat their Evesham counterparts 33-27 at Avery Fields to start a clean sweep for the senior teams.
