Pre-season round-up: Ampthill make a statement by prevailing over Champ holders Worcester Warriors

The hosts, who finished 10th last term, prevailed in difficult conditions as tries from Barney Merrett and Jamie Fallon, both converted by Luke Davidson, proved enough to see off a Worcester side featuring 12 players pulling on the Warriors jersey for the first time.

Merrett broke the deadlock after half an hour, crashing over from close range following sustained Ampthill pressure to give his side a 7-0 interval advantage.

Worcester made wholesale changes at half-time and hit back through new signing Kofi Cripps, who went over from a rolling maul shortly after the restart.

Fight

Fallon restored Ampthill’s advantage from another driving maul before James Cherry’s try from a powerful five-metre scrum ensured a tense finish, but the hosts held firm for an encouraging victory.

Try-scorer Merrett said: “They were tough conditions but the boys stuck in the fight really well.

“The main goal in pre-season has been to fight for everything.

“We knew Worcester were a good outfit and they would be a challenge but I thought we dealt with them well.”

Coventry also made an entertaining start to their preparations as they ran out 47-35 winners at RGC.

Dan Green gave Coventry the perfect start with a second-minute try, converted by Bruce Houston, but RGC hit back to lead 21-14 midway through the opening half.

Houston had scored Coventry’s second after starting and finishing a slick backs move.

The visitors had restored parity at 28-28 by the hour before taking control late on. A driven score following a Murray Davidson lineout put Coventry ahead and, after RGC levelled at 35-35, Alex Garrett powered over following good work from Davidson, Mackenzie Graham and Morgan Strong.

Matt McNab then completed his brace in the final minute, gathering a loose ball before racing away down the right to put the seal on the win.

Tommy Mathews added two second-half conversions.

With the new football season now under way, fans can also keep across the latest football tips as the sporting calendar swings back into action.

Touchdown: Barney Merrett scores for Ampthill, and below, Josh Ioane on the charge for Connacht

Thriller

There was another thriller as Sale FC beat Caldy 40-33, overturning a 19-7 deficit. Caldy had seized control through Nathan Rushton, Ollie Hearn and Monty Weatherby, but Jack Pinder’s try with the final play of the first half cut Sale’s deficit to 19-14.

The hosts then surged clear after the restart.

Oli Longmore went over from a driving maul before Andrew Lamb’s break released Pete Vickers and Saba Asyanti added another to make it 35-19.

Caldy refused to go quietly, with Toby Wilson and Ryan Higginson reducing the deficit to just two points, but Corbin Thunder struck from the back of a ruck six minutes from time to secure Sale the bragging rights ahead of next weekend’s season opener at Rams.

Connacht were denied at the death in a 36-35 defeat to Vannes despite appearing to have victory in their grasp.

They led 21-12 at half-time and stretched their advantage to 16 points with 17 minutes remaining, only for the French side to mount a dramatic late comeback and score on the final play.

There was at least encouragement for Connacht in the return of Mack Hansen, who played 52 minutes in his first outing since last December and helped create Sam Gilbert’s first try.

Gilbert was one of the visitors’ standout performers, scoring twice — including an 85-metre interception effort — while Shane Jennings, Josh Ioane and Finn Treacy were also on the scoresheet.

Ruthless

Munster were also beaten in France, going down 47-26 to La Rochelle in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,000 at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

Ronan O’Gara’s side, much further advanced in their preparations for the Top 14 season, ruthlessly punished Munster’s early rustiness and raced into a commanding 40-12 half-time lead.

Gavin Coombes had given Munster the perfect start with a try inside the opening minute, while Lee Barron also crossed from a driving maul, but La Rochelle responded with six first-half tries.

Munster changed almost their entire side at the interval and produced a much stronger second-half showing, outscoring their hosts two tries to one.

National Two East side Colchester enjoyed a comfortable afternoon as they overwhelmed level six Wymondham 52-10.

Archie Kean completed a first-half hat-trick before being helped from the field, while Jonah Varela’s try gave the visitors a commanding 33-0interval lead.

Matt Parker crossed shortly after the restart, captain Cam Kerr added another and Harvey Ellis scored his first try for the club, with Henry Newman among the conversions.

Elsewhere

There was also an eye-catching Steel City result as National Two North’s Sheffield Tigers edged third-tier Sheffield 14-12.

Elsewhere, London Scottish, relegated from the Championship into National One, secured a 22-7 win at National Two East Esher in front of an impressive pre-season crowd of 425.

Cinderford rounded off their preparations with successive victories on consecutive nights.

They followed Thursday’s 20-12 success against Newent with a 32-21 win over Hartpury University.

Preston Grasshoppers were 45-12 winners against Rossendale, while Loughborough Students beat Henley Hawks 31-12 and Exeter University won 31-26 at Plymouth Albion.

With the new season now just around the corner across the sporting calendar, attention will soon turn from pre-season results to the games that really matter – and the predictions that come with them.