Banbury Bulls 14, Dudley Kingswinford 55

Banbury Bulls had no answers to the unbeaten leaders’ pace and precision in this Midlands 1 West clash at Bodicote Park.

It was not as if Banbury played that badly, more so that Dudley Kingswinford were a class apart.

Bulls, who were led well by enterprising scrum half Eddie Phillips, ended the match well with two converted tries.

But had it not been for some useful defence at times, they would have conceded more than nine tries.

Dudley soon had Banbury pegged back in their own 22 and struck following a second successive five-metre scrum.

Fly half Gareth Brown ran a good line to crash over and added the conversion himself.

Bulls full back Pete Flemming did well to stop Dudley wing Jak Davis scoring their second try, but centre Tom Weaver was soon dotting down after combining well with Robbie Jones.

That try stemmed from a turnover, one of many Dudley earned as they were quicker to react at the breakdown.

The visitors’ third try came from a superb move and saw speedy full James Jefferson finish with a full-length dive.

Dudley had a fourth try inside 30 minutes when wing Jones jinked through with real aplomb and scrum half Jon Higgins converted.

Bulls were shoved off their own ball with embarrassing ease and Dudley created a second try for Jefferson out wide.

Dudley centre Gareth Davies finished a fine handling move on 43 minutes.

Three minutes later, Davis broke a couple of tackles to score on the right and Higgins converted for 41-0.

Bulls flanker Chris Phillips gathered his own charge down, but play was brought back for an earlier knock-on.

Weaver’s break allowed Davis to bag a second try on 53 minutes, Higgins converting.

Just before the hour-mark, Bown latched on to Higgins’s intelligent chip kick and the latter converted.

From the restart, Banbury wing Sam Boyle was taken out in mid air by flanker Ian Langford, which earned the Dudley man a yellow card.

Banbury put together their best passages of play as Eddie Phillips went close from a sniping break.

The ball was recycled for Boyle to notch on the left, fly half Mike Smith converting.

Banbury’s resurgence continued, and, from the final play, Eddie Phillips showed great determination to touch down his own chip through, Smith converting.

Banbury: Flemming, Davies, Sturla, Heywood, Boyle, Smith, E Phillips (capt), Dymond, Ell, Wilkins, Kelcher (Gilbert 60), Williams, C Phillips, Papenfus, Brand. Reps not used: Boys, Holmes.

Referee: J Sampson (Bucks).

Banbury man-of-the-match: E Phillips.