The visitors, who were also unbeaten before kick-off, are usually a physical side who have enjoyed their fair share of success over the Red & Greens in recent seasons but it was the home side who dominated this match for lengthy spells running in eight tries to the visitors’ two.


Playing with a gusting wind in the first half Rasen got on the score sheet as early as the fifth minute when Rob Mitchell barged his way to the line after a number of powerful surges by the forwards had secured territorial advantage. This was followed up with a try for Chris Miller who angled his run to take a pass off Hutchinson before a dummy pass and sidestep created a gap which the veteran centre took advantage of to score close enough to the posts for Nick Johns to convert.


Rasen began to boss the game for the rest of the half and were only pressed back when penalised for offences at the breakdown of rucks. Rasen knew that the visitors would attempt to use the wind in the second half as well so upped their game to create more scoring chances. The first of these fell to Johns who strolled unopposed to the line after good interplay amongst backs and forwards created large holes in the Ashby defence whilst Ian Matts had the relatively easy time in scoring his third of the season after forward domination had allowed Andy Neesham to dart around the base of a ruck.


Despite two successful conversions to add to the total it was likely that the wind would yet play its part with Ashby in possession of genuine pace out wide and a fly-half with an accurate kick. Rasen duly prepared themselves at half time for an aerial bombardment but from the kick off Dean Hutchinson powered is way downfield before the ball was lost and subsequently returned back into the Rasen half by way of a booming kick.


This was fielded by winger Nick Harvey who strapped on the afterburners to leave a trail of tacklers in his wake before outfoxing the last two defenders into running into each other and allowing a score beneath the posts.


Not to be outdone, from the next kick-off Dave Starling made a similar run down the wing before finding Rob Mitchell in support who gratefully accepted his second try of the day. Both tries were converted.


Ashby rallied briefly but the Rasen defence stood resolute until midway into the half when after a penalty the ball was recycled to the Ashby backline where the referee adjudged that a tackle on the Ashby full-back was late and prevented him from collecting his own kick ahead and with this occurring close to the Rasen line a penalty try was awarded.


The visitors scored a second when the usually reliable communication in defence between backs and forwards broke down and the Ashby fly-half ran untouched from fifteen yards to score a converted try.


Despite this Rasen never really looked uncomfortable with the support play throughout the team securing consistent possession and it was inevitable that further scores would come.