March defeat Saffron Walden in opening league clash

March Bears launched their league campaign with a commanding 75-0 victory over Saffron Walden 2nds on a blustery afternoon at Burrowmoor Road.

Confidence and cohesion flowed through the home side, who combined intelligent play with slick handling to completely overwhelm their visitors.

Despite Saffron Walden’s determination and refusal to give up, they were simply outclassed by a Bears outfit brimming with power, pace, and precision.

March adapted smartly to the windy conditions by keeping the ball in hand, and their patience paid off after nine minutes when Ed Harwin powered over following a series of controlled mauls.

Harvey Brown began what would be an outstanding kicking performance, slotting the first of his nine conversions.

Just three minutes later, Will Paul sliced through the defence to score under the posts, and by the 19th minute, the floodgates had opened.

Man of the Match Billy Robinson, immense in both attack and defence, crossed for his first try before Paul added his second after another fine handling sequence.

Scott Conway and Callum Campbell both finished off flowing team moves as the Bears’ offloading game tore Saffron Walden apart, and Devan Bates added a seventh try before the break to make it 49-0 at half-time.

There was no let-up after the restart. Robinson completed a superb hat-trick with two more well-worked tries, both converted by Brown against the wind.

Ciaran Brown then raced over in the corner, though an injury and a rare missed conversion briefly halted the scoring rhythm.

The final try came from Bryn Pughsley, who showcased his pace and footwork to round off a brilliant individual run, with Campbell converting.

With Saffron Walden reduced to 13 men through injuries, both sides agreed to end proceedings after 65 minutes, sealing a 75-0 triumph for March Bears, a dominant display to mark the perfect start to their league season, cheered on by a strong crowd boosted by an Old Boys reunion.