After a busy summer on the training pitch and following a promising competitive pre-season warm-up session against aspiring neighbours Veseyans, when the 2 teams competed against each other in 4 twenty minute sessions, Sutton 1st XV completed their pre-season preparations last weekend with a convincing 66-7 win over level 7 side Old Leamingtonians in the first round of the Warwickshire Cup.

The well timed game gave both sides a chance to introduce new players alongside the established team members in a serious competitive match ahead of the league season, which starts this weekend when Sutton look to kick start their National 3 League campaign with an opening day win on Sat 6th Sept against old rivals Bournville at the RSG, Walmley Rd. KO 3pm.

Whilst the ambitious level 7 side performed well in this opening match of the new season, the pace and fluency of their National League 3 visitors took the game away from them in the early stages and Sutton went on to score 10 tries plus 8 conversions against a solitary consolation penalty try for the hard pressed but plucky home team, who to their credit competed fiercely for the full 80 minutes making Sutton work for their victory, which was just the work out Sutton needed ahead of the upcoming National 3 league fixtures.

The fast flowing and highly entertaining game was played in a competitive but sporting manner and was a credit to both sides and their coaches at this early stage in the season.

The Sutton try spree was led by winger Andy Tovey with a hat-trick and a brace a piece for winger Nathan Burchell and skipper Fraser Tait at no8. Rhoss Price at 7 and Tom Harris at 9 each scored fine debut tries with established centre Alex White adding a try and 7 conversions. But the conversion of the final try on the stroke of fulltime went to young fly half Ben Morgan as just reward for an excellent debut, which he made alongside Rhoss Price, Tom Harris and Sam Harris each achieving a successful and impressive transition from the Sutton Colts and Development side into the senior side. The game also saw excellent debuts for new signings Lewis Snowden (2nd row), Tosan Edrems (2nd row), Tom McNamee (fullback) and flying winger Chevel Taylor, all of which bodes well for the coming league season.

Old Leams kicked off the game with the wind in their favour and within a minute they were awarded a long range penalty attempt, which their left footed fly half David Canning confidently took on from 38 metres but although the kick had the distance with the wind assistance it drifted safely to the right of the posts. From the 22 metre restart Sutton set up a series of attacking drives which drove play up field but simple early handling errors and penalties hampered progress but then a decisive break by Sutton's exciting no6 Luke Stewart, who stole the ball at the end of the line when the home side over threw at an attackling lineout on the Sutton 22, set up an opening try for new skipper Fraser Tait to appropriately mark his first game at the helm. The lively no8 finished off the move with a fine 20 metre solo run to the line after the ball had been taken on from the initial break and play driven deep into Old Leams territory through quick hands and fine support play by the Sutton side.

Centre Alex White added the conversion and Sutton moved smoothly into a 7-0 lead after 7 minutes of play and then just 3 minutes later the strong centre added Sutton's second try, which he converted himself, after he strode over to score following a sweeping cross field move, which started with a break on the right wing and swung across the field exposing a gap for the fast moving centre to exploit. After 10 minutes of play the score had moved onto 14-0 and Sutton continued to press the home side with Old Leams defending well and counter acting when they could but gradually Sutton were starting to find their rhythm and the increasing pressure produced an overlap on the left wing for flanker Rhoss Price to claim a prized debut try extending Sutton's lead to 19-0 midway through the first half.

With Sutton in the ascendancy the second quarter saw Sutton's fullback Nathan Burchell race in for successive tries on 24 minutes and 36 minutes respectively. The first came following a smart counter attack set up by scrum half Tom Harris on the Sutton 22. The spritely scrum half took the ball on at pace then delivered it to centre Alex White who sent a perfect pass out to put fullback Nathan Burchell into space and on a devastating 65 metre run to the line for an excellent score. The second score came following a perfectly worked turnover by left wing Andy Tovey, who tackled and then stole the ball from his opposite number to set a counter attack on the halfway line. The ball was taken up field by 2nd row Lewis Snowden who stormed up the left wing before passing in field and the ball found its way to centre Jon Raistrick, who then delivered the scoring pass which sent fullback Nathan Burchell in from 20 metres for his second try and with Alex White adding both conversions Sutton carried a convincing 33-0 lead into the break.

Sutton started the second half strongly with a try for winger Andy Tovey in the left corner after just 4 minutes, when the wily winger applied the perfect finish to force his way over after an attacking passing movement which took play across the Old Leams 22 from right to left and into the corner with centre Alex White delivering the scoring pass to move Sutton into a 38-0 lead.

However, the home side rallied well and came back strongly to apply sustained pressure on the Sutton try line with a series of attacking rucks and mauls which led to penalty try, converted by David Canning as Sutton were penalised for repeatedly going off side on their own try line, reducing the Sutton lead to 38-7 with 12 minutes of the second half played.

But Sutton again stepped up their game and a debut try by scrum half Tom Harris on 18 minutes plus a second try for skipper Fraser Tait on 20 minutes followed and with both tries converted by Alex White, Sutton stretched their lead to 52-7 with three quarters of the game played.

Sutton closed out the game with 2 scintillating tries by winger Andy Tovey who showed in spite of a season disrupted by injury last year he has returned as sharp as ever and looking good for the coming season. The first of his final two tries came 3 minutes from the end, when he took a perfect line coming off his left wing to receive a pass from skipper Fraser Tait to race in for the score and the final try was a piece of magic as he emerged from a group of would be tacklers to score under the posts on the stroke of full time.

The second last try was converted by Alex White but the honour of converting the final try fell to fly half Ben Morgan, who closed out the game at 66-7 on behalf of all the debutants, who performed so well to take Sutton into the second round of the Warwickshire Cup and on into this seasons campaign for honours in National League 3 Midlands, starting this Sat 6th Sept with the visit of Bournville to RSG, Walmley Rd. KO 3pm. All support welcome!!