A five-point away win was “job done” for Rosslyn Park, but a 36-29 win at Loughborough Students on Saturday was far from the sort of commanding performance they would have wanted. 

With early season injuries causing several changes week on week, absolute cohesion is not easy.

But Park will not be pleased with some of their defending and will have to play better when they meet the top sides.

The Loughborough pitch looked in perfect condition but has a distinct slope to the bottom left hand corner, and Park started the match playing uphill.

An early Loughborough scrum on halfway came under heavy pressure but somehow they squeezed the ball out for number eight Matt Rogerson to take it on and deliver a pass to full-back Jack Pons, who scored out wide on his left with only four minutes on the clock.

A great opportunist effort that caught Park a bit flat-footed, but not a try that Park will have been happy to concede.

Park soon came back, forcing a penalty on half way, which fly half Scott Sneddon hoisted to touch.

A well-worked ploy at the back of the lineout saw them ratchet up the pressure in the 22.

When their drive was stopped the ball was worked wide and centre Kiba Richards committed defenders before passing outside to winger Joe Ajuwa, who scored in the corner for 5-5.

The visitors held a clear edge at the scrum, and looked genuinely perplexed to be penalised when they had the home pack well under the cosh.

Fly half Josh Sharp’s kick lacked the legs to score and Sneddon caught it in front of the posts and walloped a good clearance to half way.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Taking the lead: Jack Gash starts a Park attack

A promising move was spoilt when Park were caught in possession. Sharp this time kicked to touch and some questionable defending saw lock Ed Taylor go over close enough to the posts for the conversion to be no trouble for Sharp, which took the score to 12-5.

A good drive by Park won a penalty on half way and Sneddon feinted to kick for touch up his left, but pivoted and kicked to the right corner, where the ball only narrowly eluded the grasp of speedy winger Tom Howe for what would have been a classic try.

Good inter-play up the left between Richards and Ajuwa nearly bore fruit for the visitors.

Park then took a Loughborough scrum against the head for a good move through the middle.

A kickable penalty was spurned to kick to the corner from where skipper Hugo Ellis bullocked over, and Sneddon nailed a difficult conversion to bring the scores level at 12-12 on 26 minutes.

A super run from Tom Howe saw the ball turned over illegally when he was finally stopped, and Sneddon put his side ahead for the first time with the resulting penalty.

Three minutes later Park proved that their generosity knew no bounds, conceding an unnecessary penalty to allow Sharp to put his side back on level terms.

Sneddon restored the lead with a penalty of his own two minutes before half time, and the first period ended with Ajuwa bundled into touch close to the line after a good run by Mark Ireland.

Park had looked the better side despite playing up the slope, the closeness of the score reflecting Park’s defensive aberrations rather than the clear edge they enjoyed in going forward.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Coming through: Park's Joe Ajuwa looks for a gap

With the slope now in their favour, they would have been expected to pull away in the second period.

The visitors started strongly and a Loughborough scrum was murdered on halfway for Sneddon to kick to the corner.

Park drove, spread the ball and won another penalty - they rejected the certain three points to keep up the attack.

A massive drive had the home defence in such desperation that the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try and Sneddon slotted over the conversion for 25-15 on 48 minutes.

Loughborough simply refused to lie down, playing fast and loose following a scrum they had Park’s defence looking distinctly dodgy until flanker Sam Shires intervened illegally and earned himself 10 minutes rest.

Loughborough racked up the pressure and centre Rhys Owen got over, converted by Sharp for 25-22.

When Sneddon’s re-start kick sailed directly into touch, and Park then got themselves penalised at the resulting scrummage, it looked as if things could not get much worse.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Pressure point: Henry Staff attracts the attentions of the Loughborough defence

But they pulled themselves together, and it was not noticeable that they were playing a man short.

Skipper Ellis led by example with a super try -  he picked up the ball at the base of the scrum and set off on a brief run, passing to scrum half Jack Gash who carved a way past several defenders and, when he found his passage finally barred, there was Ellis at his shoulder to finish off the move that he had started.

That made it 30-22 and – importantly – secured the four-try bonus point.

A scrum saw home tight-head Harry Elrington yellow carded and Park awarded a penalty in front of the posts and, with the four-try bonus already in the bag, Sneddon accepted the three points for 33-22.

A super run by Richards put Park back in the red zone, where Ajuwa took the ball on and when Broughton was bundled into touch the referee brought play back for a penalty in front of the posts.

Sneddon took the pragmatic option of adding the three points that left Loughborough needing more than two converted tries to win.

As the match entered its final play, Loughborough’s unquenchable enthusiasm saw them still trying to attack.

Park appeared to have everything comfortably covered until the ball found full-back Pons.

He tried a run to the left corner, and he probably expected to be tackled – but he wasn’t - so he touched the ball down for a really soft try. That gave Loughborough the four-try bonus point.

A brilliant conversion by Sharp with the last kick of the match took them within seven points for a second bonus point.

The spirit with which Loughborough played throughout certainly deserved the reward. Park were never in serious danger, but the 29 points they conceded should worry them.

Park: Edwards; Ajuwa, Ireland, Richards, Howe; Sneddon; Gash; Lundberg, Bellamy, McKenzie; Treadwell, Boyle; McFarlane, Shires, Ellis.

Subs: Wright, Staff, Baldwin, Broughton. Sub (did not play): Whelan. 

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Up where we belong: Line out action from Rosslyn Park's win at Loughborough on Saturday