RUGBY UNION: ANOTHER all-round team performance earned Birmingham and Solihull Bees a fourteenth straight league win, this time against Derby.
The win stretched Bees’ Midland Premier Division lead to eight points, with two games in hand.
In addition Bees are now the only club in the top five levels of English rugby to hold a 100 per cent record this season.
And Bees had star fly half Max Rodman to thank following their latest fixture as the youngster scored two of Bees’ five tries in the 23-36 victory.
Hooker Zane Raimondi scored the first try after seven minutes after Rodman weaved his magic in the midfield.
Four minutes later, Rodman bagged his first try after a break from Jimmy Oliver and superb support play.
Harry O’Brien added the extras – the Bees’ full back went on to slot four conversions and a penalty during the afternoon in another sure-footed display.
Derby opened their account on 25 minutes when Derby turned the ball over which allowed centre Marlow to sprint in to score in the right hand corner.
A yellow card for Bees’ flanker Michael Stephens could have given Derby further opportunity, but Rodman had other ideas.
Cleverly stripping the ball from the Derby winger’s hands, he evaded covering tackles to saunter in for his second try of the game.
A penalty for Derby on the stroke of half time allowed south paw fly half George Castledine to open his account at the third time of asking to make it 8-19 at half time.
The early skirmishes in the second half lead to three further points apiece for O’Brien and Castledine but, restored to 15 men, the Bees started to assert their forward domination.
Matt Spink made it 11-29 to Bees, securing a crucial bonus try point in the process, before Chipadza added to his season tally moments later.
Derby fought hard to the final whistle and were rewarded with two late tries – one from close range by Wilmott and a second for centre Marlow.
But it was too little too late against a Bees side who came through another thorough examination of their title-winning aspirations.
Bees are next in action against Doncaster Phoenix at Portway on Saturday, January 20 (2.15pm).
Birmingham & Solihull Bees- 1. Kurtis Payne, 2. Zane Raimondi (T), 3. Matt Probert, 4. Andy Weaver, 5. Matt Spink (T), 6. Danny Wright, 7. Michael Stephens (YC), 8, Umraan Jadwat, 9. Jack Secher, 10. Max Rodman (2T), 11. Steve Johns, 12. Nathan Tilsley, 13. Jimmy Oliver, 14. Tawanda Chipadza (T), 15. Harry O’Brien (3C, 1P), 16. Joe Foreman, 17. Keenan Cooper & 18. Ben Phillips
