By Geoff Pettitt

Tonbridge Juddians had no answer to seven-try Cambridge as their struggles in National League 1 continued.

The first minute was an omen of what was to come when it looked as though Cambridge had scored under the posts off the first lineout. But, thankfully for bottom-of-the-table TJs, a forward pass saw the score chalked off.

However, Tonbridge were soon behind when a series of penalties gave the home team a good attacking lineout position and, after the first maul was stopped, a further penalty, lineout and maul produced a try for hooker Ben Brownlie. Fly-half Lawrence Rayner converted.

TJs began a good spell of possession but were adjudged ball held-up on two occasions before losing possession at the ensuing lineout. They were eventually rewarded for a long period of pressure with a try by Murray Galbraith-Lowe, with Rob White converting from the tee for 7-7.

Parity did not last long when Cambridge wing forward Jake McCloud broke through. He was well backed up by scrum-half Jake Garside, who crossed for a try which Rayner converted.

The points gap widened just before half-time. Penalties conceded allowed Cambridge another attacking lineout close to the Tonbridge line and the second maul produced another try for Brownlie, Rayner again adding the extras.

Four consecutive penalties by TJs at the start of the second half saw Cambridge setting up their lineout close to TJs' line once more and yet again the Brownlie-Rayner combination added another seven points.

There was little respite for Juddians. Garside made a devastating break three quarters the length of the field, only to be caught a few metres from the line. TJs scrambled the ball into touch but, from the lineout maul, Brownlie and Rayner struck again taking the score to 35-7.

The next try some eight minutes later did also result from a lineout, but this time the ball was passed out to the backs for wing Will Wand to touch down.

A good spell for the visitors came to nothing with Cambridge’s defence as unforgiving as their attack was brutal. The ball was, once more, deemed held up over the line. To add salt to Tonbridge wounds Cambridge added another try to their tally by replacement Darryl Veenendaal.

TJs doubled their try tally when centre Duncan Tout, 30 metres out, crashed through Cambridge’s first line and, as he was finally brought down, just managed to cross the whitewash. White converted, but it was very much a case of too little too late.

Juddians host Darlington on Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm.

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