BUZZARDS returned to form on Saturday when they thrashed Oadby Wyggestonians 67-5 for their biggest win of the season.
A week after their Midlands 2 East (South) promotion hopes suffered a blow with defeat away at Market Harborough, Buzzards were at their devastating best at Wrights Meadow, running home 11 tries to remain second in the table and now six points behind leaders Huntingdon & District.
With the game only a minute old, Buzzards were forced into a change when Euan Irwin turned his ankle, but they soon opened the scoring when Ollie Taylor showed his opposite number a clean pair of heels and touched down under the posts.
Dan David converted and the home side began as they meant to go on as they produced some of their best rugby of the season.
Jake Wheeler replaced Irwin, but he himself went down with a knee injury moments later after attempting to crash through to score, meaning Irwin was forced back onto the field in his place.
However, the changes didn’t stop Buzzards from dominating the game and a second try soon followed when Graham McGill finished a good move out wide.
David missed the conversion, but Buzzards were at it again a few minutes later, with Russell Cohen the man to score after he side-stepped the Oadby full-back.
Taylor then turned provider for Ed Payne to score Buzzards’ fourth try of the first half, and even with David missing both conversions with a strong wind in his face, the hosts had built a commanding 22-0 lead at the break.
With a bonus point in the bag, they could have been forgiven for taking their foot off the gas, but Buzzards did anything but that as they continued to run riot in the second half.
Taylor completed a good team move for his second score of the day, and before Oadby – sat third from bottom in the table – knew what had hit them, McGill went through to score try number six under the posts – David again on target to make it 35-0.
Even though the game was comfortably won, the message from the coaches was to maintain the pace, and Buzzards almost got another try out wide when Perry got pushed into touch.
However, from the lineout it was Ed Taylor who took the ball against the throw and gave it to Zak Tift to force his way over to score.
At this point of the game, with the score approaching 50 points, the ball was put out wide once to often, and it was Oadby scrum half Luke Clifford who intercepted it on the halfway line and managed to find his way to the try line to score a consolation.
Buzzards made a couple of changes with about 15 minutes to play, bringing on James Burroughs for his final appearance for the team before moving away, and Nick Turney to make it an all prop front row.
Now with tails up, it was Jack Whitehouse who managed to find himself a gap to score under the posts, and then again a couple on minutes later doing exactly the same thing to score again, with both tries converted by David.
There was still time for Taylor to complete his hat-trick of tries, and for Jack Micans to get in on the act with Buzzards’ final score of the game in the closing stages.
Buzzards will face a much harder test at third placed Bugbrooke on Saturday, but on the back of such an impressive display, the league title could still be there for the taking this season.