St Ives extended their fine run of form with a composed 36–24 home win over Brackley, overcoming a fast start from the visitors and showing once again that this side can dig deep, stay organised, and find moments of real quality when it matters most.

The game began at full throttle, with Brackley’s lightning-quick winger sprinting down the touchline to score in the corner inside the opening minutes. A second try soon followed, and at 0–10 down, the hosts found themselves needing to wake up fast.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what they did. Jack Fitch got Ives on the board after some neat interplay with Michael Drake, touching down under the posts, with Charlie Mandley converting to close the gap to 7–10. Not long after, the same duo combined again — Fitch once more finding space and finishing calmly for his second try of the match giving Ives their first lead of the day at 12–10.

Momentum swung firmly Ives way from there on out as Connor Newsome powered over the line in the corner after sustained pressure near the Brackley line. Then came one of the plays of the afternoon — Michael Drake burst free from a ruck deep in Ives territory, sprinting downfield before chipping ahead for Albie Tayedzerwa, who showed brilliant pace to collect and score just before the ball rolled dead. Another conversion drifted wide in the breeze, but Ives were firmly on top at 22–10 going into the break.

Brackley struck early in the second half with a converted try to make it 22–17, but Ives responded immediately. Tayedzerwa once again proved unstoppable, cutting through the defence to score his second, with Mandley once again converting to stretch the lead to 29–17.

The visitors refused to fade, breaking from halfway to narrow the gap to just five points in the closing stages. But any hope of a late comeback was swiftly crushed as Josh Dear powered over following sustained Ives pressure. Mandley’s conversion sealed a well-earned 36–24 victory.

It wasn’t always tidy, and both sides traded mistakes in a fast-paced, physical match, but St Ives’ dominance in the scrum and composure in attack proved decisive. Once again, they showed that even when tested, they have the control, and the firepower, to finish the job.

Man of the Match: Michael Drake

Final Score: St Ives 36 – 24 Brackley