Wharfedale and Doncaster show no mercy on home soil

However, Cinderford contributed in no small way to their own demise.Three of the home tries were scored while the Foresters were reduced in numbers. They collected three yellow cards and each time the Greens took full advantage.

When at full strength, the visitors showed themselves capable of exerting serious pressure on the Wharfedale defence, who endured a torrid period in the second quarter. Twice held up when over the line, Cinderford finally got their try when, with Wharfedale depleted by lock Richard Rhodes’s yellow card, centre Sam Hanks crashed over. Full-back Michael Wilcox converted, and at half-time Cinderford trailed 16-10.

However, the Dalesmen controlled play for the bulk of the second half.

The Greens had begun with their familiar early surge. Scrum-half Dan Stockdale grabbed a try, with stand-off Tom Barrett adding the conversion plus three penalties. Wilcox contributed a penalty for the visitors.

A Barrett break released winger Christian Georgiou for a try in the corner. With Foresters centre Jack Adams in the bin, flanker Aaron Myers combined with 
No 8 Rob Baldwin for the third try, and flanker Jack Barnard touched down on behalf of the pack for the bonus score.

Finally, Baldwin scored after a Cinderford scrum had been overwhelmed.

Barrett converted two of the second-half tries for Jon Feeley’s in-form side.

Stung by last week’s shock defeat at Henley, Doncaster Knights responded in the correct manner by hammering lowly Tynedale 55-3.

Clive Grifftiths’s side ran in nine tries and had the bonus point in the bag before half-time.

Centre David Clark scored a hat-trick of tries for the Knights but otherwise the scoring was shared around.

Backs Bradley Field, Bevon Armitage and Paul Jarvis all crossed, as did forwards Matt Challinor, the captain, Shaun Jones and Ben Hunter.

The only blemish was a red card for winger Dougie Flockhart on his 100th appearance for Doncaster.

Flockhart had earlier kicked five conversions before his dismissal.

Hull Ionians came away from the Rectory Field with nothing for the seventh time this season after a 32-16 defeat.

In what was a largely abject performance, the defensive effort of Stephen Slingsby was the visitors’ solitary positive.

Ionians were in front after five minutes, for the first time in any match this season, when Lloyd Hayes scored a penalty.

But Blackheath responded with Jack Walsh touching down and David Marshall converting before adding two penalties and another conversion following David Allen’s try.

After the break Ionians drew first blood again with No 8 Alex Campbell grounding the ball at the back of a pile of bodies, and Hayes added the conversion to make it 20-10.

But five minutes later left winger Ben Summers’s try for Blackheath was converted by Marshall and their lead was restored to 17 points.

A brace of penalties from Hayes closed the gap somewhat just after the hour mark, but Blackheath had the final word with Geoff Griffiths crossing.