Spalding 52
Ashby 0
Spalding made it two wins on the bounce in stunning fashion but seeing off the challenge of a buoyant Ashby outfit.
The visitors were full of confidence following a narrow defeat against Counties One Midlands East (North) leaders Loughborough and that appeared to be valid with a number of home players carrying injuries. That meant a revised back line with Alexander Creak making his debut on the left wing, Jack Patrick returning at outside centre and Henry Duce on the right wing
Despite those changes, it was the Elephants who ran rampant, chalking up a resounding 52-0 victory.
The early exchanges favoured Ashby but Jack Lambe and Henry Hobson put in some thumping tackles to keep them at bay.
Spalding won turnover ball at the breakdown after ten minutes and launched a counter attack, with Duce bursting down the wing to score. A good conversion by fly-half Willis Ingleby put the first points on the scoreboard.
Within four minutes Ingleby ripped open Ashby’s static defence as he weaved in and out at speed to score between the posts and a simple conversion made it 14-0.
Ashby’s flanker was then yellow carded and Ingleby converted the penalty kick.
Spalding pinned Ashby back into their 22 and hooker Tom Rollinson’s interception and carry set up a ruck ten metres out.
Scrum half Jim Wraith passed out to Ingleby and he sliced through the Ashby defence to score, leaving a simple conversion to put the hosts 24 points clear at half time.
Lock George Douglas, who had been dominant in the lineout, was yellow carded soon after the break and not long after he returned, Jordan Templer also received a yellow card.
Captain Ingleby settled any apprehension by scything through Ashby’s defence, adding his own conversion, with a hat-trick of tries to celebrate later.
The try spree stepped up in the last six minutes with Charlie Beecham speeding past the visitors’ defence to cross the line, with Ingleby again adding the extras.
Right wing Duce then steamed along the byline before cutting back inside and breaking a couple of tackles for his second try. Ingleby converted that and in the final minute added another after Jack Grundy burst through to complete a scintillating performance.
Elephants: Connor, Rollinson, Parker, Douglas, Templer, Hobson, Lambe, Grundy, Wraith, Ingleby, Creak, Patrick, Booth, Duce, Machin.
Subs: Humphreys, Beecham, Mason.
