The Rams faced the Gateshead Senators in an unfamiliar location, owing to John Charles Stadium being unavailable and no other date being possible for both clubs, but West Park RUFC would ultimately be as lucky for the home side as it has been for fellow Academy team and reigning BUCS Champions, Leeds Becket Carnegie.

The visitors received the ball to open the game and started well with their first drive ending in a field goal attempt but it was blocked by the defense and when the Rams drove down the opposite end of the field to set up their own attempt for three points, it looked like the game would have plenty of opportunities for scoring on a shorter field than usual.

The snap was too high though and although the Rams managed to recover, the ball was back in the Senators’ hands but they could not capitalise and had to punt the ball back. This would lead to the Rams’ first endzone visit of the season as Keimar Stuart ran the ball in and Chris Lawton kept the ball for the 2PAT to lead 8-0.

A fairly quiet second quarter saw the Senators punt multiple times and as the two minute warning was called, the Rams were driving again. This time it was Luke Campbell that took the ball in for the TD and when Lawton took the ball in again for the 2PAT and the Yorkshire players could leave the field with a 16-0 lead and a much better feeling than the previous two weeks.

The second half started with another touchdown for the Rams, as Conor Robson went on a long run which ended in the endzone! This time the 2PAT was unsuccessful after penalties pushed it back.

The rest of the third quarter was fairly uneventful but a fake punt from Campbell kept a Rams drive moving after an interception from Nick Halfpenny got them the ball back. The Senators would get the ball back deep in their own half, though and when they had to punt from there, it was blocked and the home side took over at the Gateshead 18 yard line only to fumble the ball right back to the visitors…

Gateshead decided to focus on their run game and with their Quarterback keeping the ball for most of the drive, they managed to get a touchdown on the board, although their 2PAT attempt was unsuccessful so the score stayed 22-6.

On the next drive, the Rams were 3rd-and-20 on their own 10 yard line but some great work from the offense mean that the drive ended in the opposition redzone with a turnover on downs. Gateshead couldn’t add any more points to the scoreline and the game would end with a Rams victory, the first of the season, a step in the right direction and continued a unbeaten run over the Senators stretching back to 2010.

Next up, we face the second trip to Scotland of the season, as we face the East Kilbride Pirates.