UPTON 72PTS, TENBURY 3PTS

UPTON recorded their biggest ever league win in their 26-year history, with a demolition of Tenbury Wells 72-3 at Fortress Upton on Saturday.

Some sympathy must go to the visitors who have had a very difficult start to the season with injuries, and difficulties in fielding their strongest team.

That said, nothing should be taken away from home team in the way the went about their business. They played their best rugby of the season so far, with the forwards and backs combining well together, against a side that was not prepared to give up, no matter what the score.

Paul Pickering scored the first after five minutes, and added a further two more to his tally, following an excellent all round display at hooker, getting around the pitch to link with the threequarters.

Alex Pimlow scored five tries, the pick of them being after Upton had disrupted a Tenbury scrum, on one of the few occasions when they were in the Upton 22 metres, the ball being fed to Pimlow who scorched the length of the pitch to score.

If Chris O'Neil had had his kicking boots on, the score would have been higher, but with the first half ending 34-3, nobody was complaining.

It would have been easy for Upton to relax in the second half, but contrary to this, the began the second as they did the first, and with the pressure of the result off the team, they really began to enjoy themselves, playing sublime rugby.

As usual Oli Jones was everywhere, winning turnovers at the rucks. Luke Boulton and Russell Price were making hard yards up field with ball in hand.

Dan Keyte's kicking out of hand was of the highest quality, clearing his lines when necessary, and making yards up the touchline.

When Rob Healey and Jason Tolley came on in the second half, there was no disruption to Upton's game plan, and when the final whistle came, the last play of the entertaining match was a disallowed try by Chris O'Neil.

With the festive season just around the corner, it was just the sort of boost Upton needed following the disruption caused by the floods, with the sports club still being unusable.

2:35pm Tuesday 4th December 2007

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