Won5 Lost2 to Won4 Lost3 in a day!

Playing down the slope, NB took the lead as their burly prop crashed over after a series of pick and drives.
Avon struggled to get outside their own 23 despite some individual forays from makeshift scrum half Lucas Pratt, Tom Boreham and Ian Burnell. Incessant NB pressure then resulted in their second score as they took advantage for a converted try after the ball popped out the side of a 5 metre scrum.
With debutant Luther Powell and chairman Ian Monachino-Ayres in the engine room, Avon worked their way back up field. But they wre undone when a loose line out was picked up by the home number 8 who scored an unlikely try from the half way line.
Eventually Avon’s efforts were rewarded when a clever kick ahead from Pratt saw Iain Parris score in the corner.
With Batchelor slotting the conversion for a 7-17 deficit at half tine with the slope and elements in their favour, Avon were fairly satisfied. However they were guilty in the second half of trying to play too much rugby through their hands with the greasy ball rather than kicking for territory.
Little errors and unfamiliar combinations didn’t allow any concerted phases and the NB scum half produced a master class in tactical kicking to keep his forwards on the from foot. This allowed NB to add another 2 penalties and, although Avon struck back after another mesmerising run from the Cashnella man of the match Jonny Batchelor for Will Hayward to score out wide, it was too little too late.
Afterwards coach Kai Harwood praised the efforts of his reorganised team in adversity, particularly debutants Luther Powell, Dave Rutter and Connor Charmney.
Strangely this result seeS Avon move from 2nd to 7th in Somerset Premier as Bristol Barbarians have withdrawn from the league. Avon’s 108-5 win against the BaaBaas has been expunged from the records, leaving Avon now having played a game less than their closest rivals.
Next week Avon host Weston Hornets at Hicks Field.