Sat 6 Dec 2025
Leamington 27 Alcester 33
Alcester recorded their first away victory of the season, with an excellent bonus point win at Leamington to move up to third place in the table in the process.
With the two teams starting in fourth and fifth place in the league table before they game, this was always going to be a close affair and so it proved, with the home side also claiming two bonus points of their own with this result.
On a wet miserable day at Leamington’s Moorefields ground, the visitors started well and they went in front after six minutes through a try from loosehead prop and man of the match, Ieuan Hopkin, which was converted by skipper Ed Gough.
After fifteen minutes the home side hit back with their first try, before they came close again but were denied by the Alcester defence, although the red and blacks wing, Alex Chiles, was yellow carded for a high tackle in the process.
Being a man down, didn’t hamper Alcester and they moved into a 12-5 lead thanks to a Morgan O’Dell try, following good work by Sam Lear and Nigel Burrows in the run up.
With Chiles still off the field, the home side made their numerical advantage count with their second score which was the final one of the half to leave Alcester with a narrow two points lead at the break.
Alcester started brightly, following the restart, and showed good ball handling skills to send play wide for left wing Jamie Harland to exploit the overlap and race in to score, which Gough converted.
Less than ten minutes later, Alcester extended their lead with a fourth and bonus point score from Josh O’Connor after Ed Gough broke through the Leamington defensive line to set him free. Gough also added the conversion.
Midway through the half the home side hit back with their third try, which was converted, to leave Alcester 26-17 in front, going into the final quarter of the game.
Number 8, Lewis Wright, was next to score, with a trademark powerful run from distance, which Gough also converted for a 33-17 lead going into the final stages.
Leamington hit back with their bonus point try inside the last ten minutes, which was converted and the home side began to apply the pressure in the final stages of the game, which forced Alcester into a number of infringements and the referee yellow carded skipper, Gough, because of this. With the likelihood of overturning the score now gone, Leamington elected to kick the resulting penalty to bring them within losing bonus point range.
This was a really pleasing win for Alcester, who now turn their attention to the visit of their old adversaries from Nuneaton, Manor Park, on Saturday for a 2.15pm kick off.
