Mowden were not quite at full strength due to some unavailabilities behind the scrum, but you’d never have known it from the way they played. The victory was built on uncompromising defence, but the home side were not short of attacking intent either, even if most of the line breaks came from close to the breakdown.

All of the pack carried well, and with some-time back row forward, Rory Duff, orchestrating the runners from fly-half, Ionians found themselves under pressure from the first whistle. Their defence proved up to the task though, so it wasn’t until the 34th minute that the first points were scored.

A series of pick-and-drives, interspersed with some shrewd short passing opened a gap close to the visitors’ pack, and powerful lock, Talite Viaoleti was on hand to make full use of the space for a run-in. Scrum half, Max Connon, added the easiest of extras, and Mowden had a 7 – 0 lead, which they carried into half time.

The visitors started the second half with a lot more attacking intent, showing that they too were more than adept at the pick-and-drive. In a similar way to the home side earlier, they made a gap for their impressive inside centre, who ran in from the twenty-two to put his side within two points. The extras were missed, but Mowden knew they would have to step up their efforts if they were to emerge victorious from what was obviously going to be a tight game.

They only had to wait two minutes to restore, and indeed extend their earlier lead, as a penalty kick to the corner led to a textbook catch-and-drive, which was finished by Viaoleti without the defence every getting sight of the ball. Connon’s well-struck conversion made sure the visitors would have to score twice in the last thirty minutes to win, and in truth, they never looked likely to achieve this. They continued to press hard whenever they had the ball, but with the Mowden pack in command at both scrum and line-out, their opportunities were limited, and the home side closed out the win comfortably enough.

After last week’s disappointment at Blaydon, this was exactly what was needed to get the show back on the road, and it is testament to the side’s great spirit that many of the team who suffered such a heavy defeat in one game could turn it around completely against an equally good side the next.