Bedford Blues treated a sell out 5,000 crowd at Goldington Road to a festive treat as they scored seven tries in beating a lacklustre Cambridge side 50-7 in the latest round of Championship fixtures on Saturday (28 December).
A brace from the effervescent Dean Adamson, alongside tries for Joey Conway, Louis James, Ed Prowse and Lucas Titherington ensured the Blues went into the winter break with a much-needed bonus point win to hold on to third place in the Championship.
The capacity Goldington Road crowd were out in force and were nearly treated to a vintage Blues try just three minutes in only for Matt Worley to drop the final pass on the right wing.
Dean Adamson also opened the taps for a couple of pacey forays forward but they came to nothing before Will Maisey kicked off the scoring with a simple penalty in front of the posts as the clock ticked past fifteen minutes.
Former Blues man, Louis Grimoldby missed a relatively simple penalty to restore parity but the Blood and Sand were on the scoreboard moments later as their rolling maul was completed with a try for hooker, Ben Brownlie on his 100th appearance.
The Blues hit back just short of the half hour mark and in similar fashion.
The visiting defence held firm at the rolling maul but the ball remained in Bedford hands and a few phases later, Joey Conway spotted a space on the try line to bundle over, with Maisey’s conversion increasing the Blues lead to 10-7.
Two minutes later, Bedford had two tries as they careered forward in numbers and when the ball was worked out quickly to the left wing, there was only one man waiting as Dean Adamson raised the roof with another sensational try in Blues colours.
They should have had a quick third as Will Maisey broke straight through the centre, only for the final pass to go begging again and despite some late Cambridge pressure, the Blues went into the break 17-7 ahead.
Blues surge clear in second half
The second half kick-off – presided over by replacement referee, Ben Simpson – gifted the Blues an opportunity from the start as Gareth Baxter dropped it, but the visiting defence were once again resolute in keeping Bedford from extending their ten-point lead.
The long-awaited third try came on the 48-minute mark, as Louis James stole the ball on the halfway line and was left unopposed to sprint in under the posts, before Joe Howard scored the bonus point score as the Blues began to turn the screw on the encounter.
Soon after, the fifth try put the Blues out of sight; first Matt Worley darted through a tiring Cambridge defence, releasing Jake Garside and although the replacement couldn’t find the whitewash, Adamson certainly could as the winger secured his brace with aplomb.
Two of the three tries were converted by the ever-consistent, Will Maisey as the Blues opened up a 36-7 advantage.
The scores kept coming; Ed Prowse came off the bench to bundle over the Blues’ sixth try before Adamson turned provider in taking an excellent high ball and setting up another sub in Lucas Titherington for the seventh and the Blues’ half century.
The second half surge from the Blues had left the clash petering out to a tame end, but it mattered not as Mike Rayer’s charges secured a much-needed 50-7 victory in what has been a tricky December.
At half-time, this festive encounter looked finely poised but the Cambridge defence that had stood firm in the first forty minutes proceeded to crumble in the second, and Bedford Blues took full advantage.
Coventry lose again as Ealing pull clear
A matter of weeks ago, Ealing were second, sandwiched between a perfect Coventry and a solid Bedford Blues but now the title favourites have pulled twelve points clear at the top after Coventry lost 41-26 at Nottingham.
Ealing completed an expected and comfortable 55-26 victory against struggling Caldy, while London Scottish beat Chinnor 26-15 in Saturday’s only other fixture.
Ampthill host Cornish Pirates on Sunday (29 December) with Doncaster Knights welcoming Hartpury in the Championship’s final fixture of 2024 before the division takes a three-week break.
Bedford Blues will be back in action on Saturday 18 January when the Championship resumes with the Battle of Bedfordshire against rivals, Ampthill at Goldington Road.
