8 January 2006
It took just a minute for the Medway team to take up where they left off at the end of last year, as Jamie Chapman finished a fast passing movement through the backs from right to left wing after Ian Findlay had driven through the Deal forwards.
Four minutes later inside centre Stewart Stockford stepped inside after pass from Ellis, and fly-half James Davies expertly looped and straightened to cut thorugh the the puzzled Deal defence.
More pressure on the Deal line gained a penalty, Stockford took advantage to dive in under the posts, and Richard Verrall converted the try. The Deal forwards were strong and well-organised, but the aggression and power of the Medway pack won lots of ball, and the pace and handling of the backs used it to best effect.
A series of drives and rucks by Tom Barnes and Richard Petch drew in the Deal defence on the left wing, and when the Medway moved the ball swiftly right there was a two-man overlap that Richard Verrall exploited for the fourth try. The teams turned round at half time with Medway leading 22 - 0.
In the second half Deal were able to apply pressure only for short periods while Medway enjoyed the majority of possession.
A burst by Gavin Hyder from his own 22 left the Deal pack stranded. Jonathan Saddington fed Chapman who cut inside from the right touchline and sliced through three attempted tackles to score under the posts. Two minutes later a sliced penalty fell invitingly for Chapman and in a trice he was across the line for his hat-trick.
It took four defenders to stop a burst of power-running from Richard Verrall inches from the line, but the respite was only momentary as Stockford followed in to pick up and score.
A speedy passing move from a 5-metre scrum allowed Tom Bourne to go over for the eighth try, and Stockford completed his hat-trick with a blind-side run from a scrum on half way. Two conversions each from Stockford and Verrall brought the score to 55 - 0, and the referee brought the game to a close 5 minutes early.
