RUNNING in nine tries and converting every single one of them, Raiders thrashed Guildford in their final home game of 2016 and with it consolidate sixth spot in the National Three London and South East table.

There was a hat-trick of true by impish scrum half Adam Nixon, two bulldozing scores by veteran replacement Cameron Craine and one apiece from Luke Jones, Owen Thomas, Dale Martin and Ned Brown.

Between them, Kenny Hellier and Owen Thomas kicked 24 points out of 24 and everyone, bar Guildford, left happy, not least the head coach who after spoke about this current squad continuing the legacy established in recent seasons and responding to the challenge of doing just that after some dodgy efforts of late which belied the strength of the squad.

And to make the weekend even better, our Ladies ensured they end the year top of South East South One, with a battling 33-15 ay victory at Barnes. More on that success later, but back to Footes Lane where there was a good crowd in with circa 400 in the stand to watch a fantastic effort by our lads.

Nine tries, nine conversions and you might easily say nine out of 10 in terms of overall performance. The Raiders were irresistible from the first minute to the last. From the first kick, Raiders were on the offensive and Guildford we given no room to breathe.

It was not just the quality of Raiders' attacking moves which had the visitors on the back foot it was the power of the pack which, time and again, decimated the Guildford scrum and won ball against the head. And until Raiders lost their captain Lewis Hillier to a nasty cut above the eye, the home six were dominating the line outs.

Head coach Jordan Reynolds said tackling is about attitude and in Raiders' final home match of 2016 nobody could doubt the passion and determination to put everything on the line. That was no more evident than in the first 10 minutes of the second half when turning around 34-5 to the good, Raiders came under strong pressure deep in their 22.

A fortnight ago Raiders had produced a similarly one-sided opening period against bottom of the table Amersham, only for the visitors to hit back as Raiders lost focus and and a desire to tackle. Not this time.

The was impressive solidity right across the Raiders defensive line and they simply got their heads down, pulling down every blue shirt that came their way until the ball returned their way and slowly, but surely, made their way upfield. Raiders' passing was a joy to watch, but it was that period of resistance that pleased the coach, as much as any of the scores.

'I thought in the second half we played excellent. We went the length of the pitch on a few occasions,' said Reynolds, who might have seen it as the perfect day had it not been slightly worrying injuries to Kenny Hellier, Luke Jones and Malcolm Barnes, the old maestro who probably won't resume action until the New Year after slightly popping a shoulder late on.

Playing with the wind, which strengthened as the game progressed, Raiders flew out of the blocks and inside eight minutes had two tries under their belts. Hellier had already kicked an early penalty when strong Raiders pressure saw Brown break through and slip a short pass to Jones on his left shoulder, to score under the posts.

Nixon then added a second try, ghosting off the back of a close-range scrum to dart over in the corner. Guildford centre Rory Andrews hit a post and passed up three likely points before Raiders, through replacement Cameron Craine, forced his way over in the corner.

Hellier was kicking impeccably ahead of his premature temporary departure with a rib injury and just before the half-hour mark Guildford got themselves on the board courtesy of a try by Andrews in the Hockey Club corner. The centre made a mess of the conversion attempt and a could of minutes later Thomas read a telegraphed pass on halfway and nipping in raced away to score unchallenged under the posts before kicking the extras himself.

On the verge of half-time Thomas slotted over a 30m penalty in front of the posts and Raiders trotted off 29 points ahead. Guildford began the second period on the front foot, but before long Raiders were scoring again through Nixon. Barnes put Dale Martin in for the next and when on the hour mark Nixon clinched his hat-trick, Raiders chalked up their half-century.

Guildford had taken a battering everywhere and in the final after Craine, for a second time and Brown dived in for the ninth try which, for the sixth time in succession, Thomas expertly slotted over the extras.

Raiders:
Steventon, Ceillam, L. Batiste, Hillier, Merrien, Martin, Mercadal, Hill; Nixon, Thomas, Whitehead, Brown, Jones, Barnes, Hellier
Replacements:
Craine, Campbell, Davison

Guildford:
Read, Holden, Williams, Scott, Mitchell, Pollett, Garner, Burrill, C. Jordan, Vaughan, A. Jordan, Andrews, Hooper, Clarke, Paton
Replacements:
Powell, Kippenberger, Burden