Barnes 6 Rosslyn Park 25
Out-gunned in just about every department, Barnes still played with an unquenchable spirit to deny Park the bonus point their degree of superiority might otherwise have brought.
With skipper Rob Jewell injured and three other players unavailable from the team that beat Clifton the previous week, Park made several changes of personnel.
As early as the second minute Park put down a marker with a massive shove at the scrum that made mincemeat of the home pack and brought a penalty out wide. Laidlaw narrowly missed.
Adam Gates made further dents in the Barnes defences with a couple of barnstorming runs at number eight.
A clever kick from Anthony Fenner bounced kindly for him and the pressure finally paid off with Marc Sweeney claiming his first try for the club, Laidlaw converting to take Park 7-0 ahead.
Barnes managed their first real attack after nine minutes, but Laidlaw cleared comfortably.
The fly-half’s boot was seen again in a different role when a neat grubber kick sent Billy O’Driscoll away but Park knocked on just as a score seemed on the cards.
The visitors continued to press and were rewarded with a penalty after 15 minutes, well struck by Laidlaw for 10-0.
From the kick off Barnes themselves were awarded a penalty, but it was struck well wide.
The home side made a good attack up the right, winning a scrum in a good position, but the difficulty facing them was underlined when Park simply drove them off the ball and gained a penalty themselves from which to clear any danger.
In terms of territory and possession, Park had a clear superiority but the home side’s constant harrying was enough to restrict the sweeping three-quarter moves that have come to characterise Park’s play.
Some good kicking kept up the pressure, but spirited defence meant the scoreboard operator was in no danger of repetitive strain injury.
Towards the end of the half, Barnes enjoyed their first period of sustained possession.
A promising move drew a good clearance from John Swords off his wrong foot.
Back came the home side and Park were penalised for not releasing, Warren Gower nailing the penalty for 10-3.
Back came Barnes again, but as Park’s forwards comfortably forced them onto the back foot in a maul, home prop Joel Burgess horrifically dislocated his knee and there was a long delay as he was stretchered off.
Park regained the initiative from the restart and a good run into the Barnes half by Laidlaw eventually drew a penalty that the fly-half himself converted for 13-3 at the interval.
The visitors made a lively start to the second half, but were penalised inside the home 22.
Barnes came back, kicking a penalty to the corner but again Park’s defence was too good and a penalty allowed them to clear.
Park returned to the attack and punishing drives from Chris Ritchie and Howard Quigley could only be stopped by committing defenders.
Laidlaw, in close support, spotted an undefended channel and sprinted through from outside the 22 for a fine try, converted himself for 20-3.
A Barnes incursion brought a penalty in front of the posts, Gower reducing the arrears to 20-6.
But Park surged back with a massive attack after a penalty to the corner.
Barnes stopped the move at the cost of a penalty close to their line.
Laidlaw took a quick one, floating a peach of a ball to Anthony Fenner on the opposite wing who had only to touch down, but the referee was in the process of yellow-carding a home defender so it had to be re-taken.
This time a kick to touch saw Simon Etheredge nearly score a debut try, but the move was again stopped at the cost of a penalty 5m out.
If Park felt hard done by not to be awarded a penalty try, then most touchline ‘experts’ felt they should have forced the issue by opting to scrummage.
They kicked to touch and Barnes defended brilliantly a man short to gain a scrummage.
Park pushed them off it, Gates nearly got over, but eventually an error allowed the home side to breathe again.
However, Barnes’ relief was short lived. Park again took a scrummage against the head, Gates drove on and the ball was worked to the right and Sweeney hared in for his second try, the angle for the conversion proving too tight.
At 25-3 with barely 10 minutes to go, Park needed to make one last squeeze for the bonus point.
They returned to attack but Etheredge marred an otherwise faultless debut by ending it 10 minutes early thanks to incurring a quite unnecessary yellow card.
It wasn’t a late tackle, he simply failed to either stop or change direction and clattered straight into a Barnes defender, well after the ball had gone.
Worse incidents went completely unpunished, but it was silly and unfortunately for Park it handed Barnes a fillip just when they needed it.
Against 14 men, Barnes managed enough of a death rattle to force Park to take a step back.
A penalty on halfway provided the visitors with one last chance. Laidlaw hoofed it to touch in the home 22 and from the throw Swords nearly got over, but when play stopped for an infringement it brought the final whistle.
By the standards they set themselves, Park may be slightly disappointed not to have got the fourth try, but you can’t really be too downcast with a 25-6 away win against a side as spirited as were Barnes.
Park: Chris Simmons (Allen Chiltern); John Swords, Marc Sweeney, Billy O’Driscoll, Anthony Fenner (Dylan Pugh); Ross Laidlaw; Graham Barr; Steve Millard (Nick Huggett), Chris Ritchie, Will Collier (John Dawson); Howard Quigley (Adam Slade), Adam Jones; Morgan Jones, Simon Etheredge, Adam Gates.
Park scorers: Sweeney (2T), Laidlaw (T, 2P, 2C).
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here