Their seventh successive victory saw Clifton run in eight tries and demonstrate how well organised this team has become with a strong defensive line and the ability to inject pace across the team with some delightful handling to create momentum.

Bournville kept in the game in the early stages through the place-kicking of scrum half Freddie Morgan who sent over three penalties. Clifton needed to react to reduce the penalty count against them.

A line break by centre Matt Smith sent winger Luke Daniels over in the corner with some clever footwork. A loose Bournville pass found its way to “AK” Kilbane who sprinted fifty metres to touch down. Fly half Ollie Milner, who launched his backs at every opportunity, kicked the first of seven conversions

Strong play by hooker Tom Anderson sent Smith over before good play by flanker Freddie Myatt presented the opportunity for Anderson to go under the posts

Myatt’s power and basketball like ball skills then saw him on a weaving run of sixty metres to score and earn him the Clifton Sausage Man of the Match award. Danny Rundle took his chance well to keep Bournville in the game with a try. However, livewire Clifton captain Mitch Spencer was on hand to gather a superb offload from Marcus Nel to score and he then stole the opposition ball from the back of a scrum to add his second. A further Kilbane effort topped off the scoring as he cut through the tiring defence.

Key factors contributing to this win and the recent sequence of performances are the squad’s high level of fitness and the timely interventions from a strong bench backed by player rotation to keep all players up to the level of intensity required and awareness of patterns of play.

As this game progressed the dominance of the lavender and black pack in both tight and open play was impressive and created territory and frustration for their opponents.

Clifton Wanderers 24-20 Old Bristolians 1st XV

In a fiercely contested match at Old Bristolians, Clifton Wanderers edged out the hosts 24-20 in a dramatic encounter, showcasing clinical finishing and tenacious defence despite limited player availability.

The Wanderers, fielding a reduced squad size due to injuries and unavailability, were forced into an early defensive stance. However, they struck first in the 14th minute when Sam Thomas intercepted a loose OBs pass and sprinted clear to score under the posts. Tom Quinlan added the conversion, putting Clifton 7-0 ahead.

Old Bristolians responded strongly, capitalising on sustained pressure to score their first try in the 22nd minute through a well-worked move down the left wing. Moments later, a powerful maul from a lineout saw them cross again to take a 7-10 lead.

The Wanderers regained momentum late in the half when Beno Edwards broke through the OBs defensive line after a clever pass from Quinlan. Edwards offloaded to Chris McCann, who ran in a superb try from 50 meters out. Quinlan’s conversion restored Clifton’s lead to 14-10. Tempers flared just before halftime, with OBs reduced to 14 men following an illegal tackle and a push in the buildup to McCann’s try.

Clifton started the second half brightly, extending their lead in the 43rd minute as Thomas crossed for his second try of the afternoon, finishing a flowing backline move, extending the Wanderers lead to 19-10.

Old Bristolians refused to back down, narrowing the gap to 19-15 with a try in the 59th minute. Clifton was forced to make their only substitute of the match after an injury to Sam Pine, bringing Seb Noto into the action.

Despite being reduced to 14 men in the 65th minute, with Ollie Seagrove being shown a team yellow card for repeated red zone infringements, the Wanderers struck again. Louis White powered over the line after a strong carry. The extras were missed to make the score 24-15.

OBs clawed back to 24-20 with a try in the 70th minute, setting up a tense finale. Deep into added time, the hosts launched a thrilling counter-attack from their own half, only to be denied twice in dramatic fashion. First, Noto produced a try-saving tackle, and then Jamie Stevens held up the ball over the line to secure a hard-fought victory for the Wanderers.

Despite being light in numbers, Clifton Wanderers demonstrated immense resilience and composure under pressure. Their opportunistic finishing and defensive heroics proved decisive against a determined Old Bristolians side.

Alex Baker was awarded the Thatchers Man of the Match award for his contribution in defence, chopping everything within sight.

Dings Crusaders III 22 - 12 Misfits

After securing their first win of the season last week against St Brendan's, the Misfits were back in action this week with a highly anticipated derby clash against Dings Warriors. Clifton were forced to field a much-changed team due to injuries and several players were called up to the second team.

The match got off to a difficult start for the Lavender & Blacks, as they were penalised multiple times in the opening minutes. A series of infringements led to a penalty kick for Dings, which they successfully converted, taking an early lead. 
Clifton's defence was tested again in the 22nd minute, as Dings scored a try out wide, extending their lead to 0-8 
Just minutes later, Dings capitalised on a Clifton mistake and crossed the line again. The conversion was successful. 
Clifton had a potential try ruled out in the 33rd minute when they were held up just short of the line. The half ended with the Misfits trailing 0-15.

The hosts started the second half with renewed intensity. Just after the break, they managed to score their first try of the game. A powerful close-range effort from hooker Matin Nassiri was converted by fly-half Will Lang. 
The game swung further in Clifton's favour when Dings were reduced to 14 men. Two yellow cards in quick succession led to a red card for Dings in the 45th minute.
With a numerical advantage, Clifton continued to press, and in the 65th minute, Leo Howard powered over the line for another try. The Misfits were now just three points behind. 
Despite two further tries being disallowed for being held up, Clifton's momentum was building. However, with just five minutes remaining, Dings struck again. After a knock-on that went unnoticed by the referee, Dings quickly capitalised on the stoppage in play to score, extending their lead to 12-22. 
Full-Time Score: 12-22

While the Misfits came up short in the end, they showed considerable improvement from previous weeks. Their defensive work was noticeably much stronger, with standout performances from young flanker George Millet, prop Ben Lang, hooker Matin Nassiri, and centre Adam Walters.

The Thatcher’s Man of the Match, however, went to talented, young inside centre Cam Silverthorne, whose powerful runs through the midfield were a constant source of frustration for Dings.

Next up, the Misfits will travel to Avonmouth 1st XV next Saturday, aiming to build on this improved performance.

Tries:
M Nassiri
L Howard

Cons:
W Lang