Nuneaton 0 Bournville 72
Bournville wrapped up their season with a thumping victory over the Regional One Midlands strugglers in the wind, rain, hail and sunshine at Liberty Way.
In a bottom v top clash it was always likely to be a case of how many points Bourns would score and they produced an admirably professional performance to run in 12 tries.
There were hat-tricks for Adam Collingwood and Mikey Ho but the most eye-catching performance came from left wing Eugene Madzima who scored a brace of tries on his first team debut.
Madzima, a product of the club’s pathway programme, did the same for the Blues against Upton on Severn earlier in the season, and again wasted no time in displaying his talent.
He was in the action in the first minute when he beat off two tacklers on a powerful 40 metre run which only narrowly failed to bring him a try and he remained a constant menace to Nuneaton’s over worked defence until he cramped up late in the first-half.
Bourns were faced into a late reshuffle by the unavailability of Henry Harper which meant Joe Jenkins had to switch to the centre with Rhys Williams Goldman brought into the starting XV at full-back and Reiss Price added to the squad as a replacement.
The disruption proved to minimal as Bourns committed to attack and produced some superb handling rugby which proved too much for Nuneaton who conceded 50 or more points for the 16th time in a tough season.
The tries came thick and fast with Adam Shaw powering over for the opener after five minutes with Madzima opening his account five minutes later.
A strong crossfield wind made place kicking difficult for Jacob Fewtrell but he converted the next two tries scored by Williams Goldman, after a superb sustained attack and Collingwood who took a quick tapped penalty and strolled over from 30 metres for the bonus point score.
Ho’s first try came from another excellent handling move and there was time for Bourns to be awarded a penalty try in the last minute of the first-half for a deliberate knock-on after George Jewell had taken play right to the home line.
Collingwood scored his second try in the first minute of the second period as Bourns maintained a high tempo with Madzima adding his second, converted by Fewtrell, five minutes later.
Ho continued to torment Nuneaton’s defence and he crossed twice in a four minute period, the first of them after a brilliant length-of-the-field attack in which forwards and backs combined superbly.
Jonjo Fanning bounced off a couple of tacklers to score from close-range and Collingwood, by now playing on the left wing, rounded things off with his third try six minutes from time.
Before kick-off a minute’s silence was observed in memory of former Bourns scrum-half Jon Hillier and a Nuneaton official who also passed away recently.
*Bournville Blues secured two valuable bonus points in a 31-24 defeat by Birmingham & Solihull at Avery Fields.
