Junior World Champion prop Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi started for Coventry in their National League One trip to Esher. It was a hard-fought battle at Molesey Road, with Coventry’s two tries in the opening 26 minutes putting them on the way to a 20-14 win.
Also in National League One, Under-20 Six Nations winner Danny Herriott started in the Loughborough Students front row against Cinderford. The Students had a good first half, running in three of their five tries, and although Herriott’s yellow card gave Cinderford the impetus to start a fightback Loughborough held on for a 36-28 win.
At Portway there was another fightback to hold out for Harry Morley and the rest of the Birmingham squad. With four tries in the opening 20 minutes Birmingham were cruising against Preston Grasshoppers, but the Lancastrians forced their way back into the contest over the next 40 minutes to take a 24-22 lead. However the home pack turned on the power on the hour mark to secure the winning try and a 29-24 success.
Meanwhile at Volac Park, Paul Diggin stood out as Cambridge’s star performer in his debut for the Blood and Sands. Playing at full back, Diggin had a hand in several tries as Cambridge put six past Exmouth on their way to a 40-23 National League Two win.
The only blot on the weekend came at the Richmond Athletic Ground, where props Adam Parkins and Tom Warren could not help Moseley overcome high-flying London Scottish. Moseley scored all their 17 points in the opening half-hour, but the power of the Scottish pack eventually told and they eased to a 38-17 win.
