St Ives continued their storming start to the season with another statement victory, sweeping aside Rugby Lions 41–3 away from home. Even after conceding early points — as has become something of an Ives tradition this season — the visitors quickly found their rhythm and never looked back, producing a confident, physical display that combined sharp attack with relentless defence.
The Lions struck first, slotting a penalty inside five minutes after Ives were caught holding on. The hosts’ brief lead didn’t last long, though. St Ives seemed to take the early setback as their cue to wake up — as one supporter muttered from the touchline, “They just need a kick up their backsides to get going.”
The game’s tone was set early when Elliott Mortimer made his presence felt, flattening a Lions player in a fierce tackle that unfortunately ended the opponent’s afternoon with a collarbone injury. Minutes later, Mortimer turned his physicality into points, picking up from halfway, weaving through defenders, and crossing for Ives’ opening try. Mandela couldn’t quite add the extras, but Ives were up and running at 3–5.
Momentum snowballed quickly. Declan raced through next, darting under the posts for the second try, and Mortimer added another out wide to stretch the lead. Before the break, Rees Burns finished a flowing team move to secure the bonus point and a commanding 22–3 half-time advantage.
The second half brought more of the same. Straight from the restart, Ives’ pack controlled possession, and Sam made amends for his earlier yellow card by driving over from the back of a maul. Charlie’s conversion attempt drifted wide, but the visitors were firmly in control at 27–3.
Michael Drake, ever industrious in both attack and defence, then took centre stage. First, he powered through the line to score Ives’ fifth try, before adding a second in quick succession after a slick passing move. Mandela found his range with one of the conversions to round off the scoring at 41–3.
It was an afternoon that underlined St Ives’ growing confidence — strong in the scrum, quick in the backs, and disciplined in defence. On debut, Jack Ines impressed with composure and solid tackles, while Michael Drake’s all-action performance rightly earned him Man of the Match.
Another emphatic result, another marker laid down: this St Ives side are looking very hard to stop.