Weston ran in nine tries at home against Amersham & Chiltern.

WESTON 58 pts

AMERSHAM & CHILTERN 10 pts

A TRY hat-trick by full-back Ross Bennett and an 18 point haul from fly-half James Mackay were the main ingredients to the demolition of Amersham & Chiltern at the Recreation Ground.

This was the best possible start for the Seasiders who ran in nine tries, seven of them from the back division, but it was the pack which provided most of the ammunition.

The visitors were well beaten at scrum time and the Seasiders’ driving mauls made continual inroads, and it was the first of these which provided an opening penalty by Mackay.

Another huge drive which covered 30 metres saw Bennett give Matthew Watkins an easy run-in to the left corner.

The visitors’ backs were looking promising but Bennett intercepted an attack to sprint 75 metres to the posts. Mackay converted and 10 minutes later, the No 10 added the points to his own solo try for a 22-0 scoreline in as many minutes.

They made it 29 in first half stoppage time when Mackay provided a try for centre Sylvan Edwards on his debut.

Weston started the second half well with Bennett’s second try following Mackay’s break. Mackay converted again but Amersham replied at last with a corner try by replacement wing Sam Portland.

However, the hosts persisted and after several picks and drives, centre Harry Jones delivered the scoring pass for Watkins’ second.

Mackay’s fifth conversion took the score to 43-5 and eight minutes later, lock Harry Somers’ line-out catch produced a try for replacement hooker Craig Withers.

A passing move from inside their own 22 saw Watkins donate a try to supporting flanker Kevin Hobbs before centre David Hughes reduced Amersham’s arrears with their second try.

But as the visitors attacked in time added, it was Bennett who intercepted again to give Weston the final word.

This was a splendid performance by Weston in a match which was not as one-sided as the scoreline suggests. Amersham won plenty of possession from the line-out and loose, but the hosts’ defence was well up to the mark.

Centre Edwards, a new recruit from Dings Crusaders, had a fine all-round match and skipper Gavin Simpson’s pack gave a good account of itself in both providing and defending.

Simpson’s knee injury will be a worry and the other debutant Sam Smee has a similar problem. But Weston will look forward to Saturday’s home match against Maidenhead.

Weston: R Bennett, S Smee (J Arnold 16), H Jones, S Edwards, M Watkins, J Mackay, D Waldon, D Swann, D Burge (C Withers 57), P Hobbs (S Donegan h/t), S Eaton, H Somers, G Simpson (c) (P Hobbs 47), K Hobbs, G Sparks.