Near three months had elapsed since Nottingham RFC last tasted success, that coming at home to Doncaster Knights in late January; fast-forward to Sunday afternoon, also at Lady Bay, and the Archers put a seven-match losing streak firmly to bed with an eventually comfortable 61-22 success over Cambridge.

Recent defeats for Craig Hammond’s side had seen them slip to an 8-9 record, and seventh place in the league, following that much needed result, a one in which they ran in nine tries, and keeping their noses above eighth place Ampthill (by a point), and within touching distance still of the top five.

A back-and-forth first half would see the Archers lead 26-22, the visitors twice leading, and constantly being on the hosts’ tails; in-fact it would be the Championship’s basement club who raced into a ten-point lead.

Ben Brownlie crossed inside five minutes for the visitors, with Eli Caven converting, before Caven then slotted a home a penalty to put the visitors into double figures, before the hosts got themselves into the game with hooker Harry Clayton crossing off a maul, and Matthew Arden converting.

David Williams then set the Archers #15, Jack Stapley, free to score as the hosts edged in-front, however, the conversion was wide of the uprights and the Blood and Sand eventually got themselves back in front, for a second time, Pete White kicking through for Caven to score.

The see-saw opening half continued as the Archers restored their lead juts before the half hour mark, and it was from this they never looked back, adding two tries in quick succession to move 26-15 ahead; first Williams darted through a hole to score, then Toby Venner grabbed himself a score, with Arden good with the boot on both occasions.

The visitors kept themselves in the contest, for then at least, with another score of their six minutes from the half, Joe Green offloading for White to crash through and score, Caven again converting.

If the first half was a see-saw occasion, the second was a dominant procession from the hosts, who suddenly became free-scoring, and locked up at the back at the same time.

Within seconds of the restart and Jack Dickinson had burst over (Arden converting), to open an eleven-point gap, and it just kept widening, George Timmins crossing for his first Archers try just minutes later (Arden converts) prior to a quiet period, on the scoring-front at least.

That quiet was burst in the final fifteen when Ryan Olowofela scored from a breakaway (Arden converting), before Antonio Harris spun himself into a score off the back of a maul.

Harris then added his second of the game late on, this time with Jamie Anand converting, the Archers posting their ninth try of the Easter Sunday bonanza, the Archers eventually romping to a 61-22 success on home soil.

Archers Starting XV vs. Cambridge – Aniseko Sio, Harry Clayton, Ale Loman, Osian Thomas, Jack Shine, George Timmins, Jack Dickinson, James Cherry, Toby Venner, Matthew Arden, Marcus Ramage, Levi Roper, Kegan Christian-Goss, David Williams (capt), Jack Stapley (Replacements – Antonio Harris, Kai Owen, Dan Richardson, Jacob Wright, Michael Green, Will Yarnell, Jamie Annand, Ryan Olowofela)

There are still some five games to play for Hammond’s Archers, all of which come next month (May) against Chinoor (2/5, away), Caldy (9/5, home), Coventry (17/5, away), Hartpury University (23/5, home), and the end-of-season journey to Cornish Pirates (31/5, away).

Note that the games against Chinoor, Caldy, and Hartpury, are all being played on a Friday night, check with respective hosts for more details.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @NottinghamRugby a huge long awaited win for Nottingham.