The Bulls produced moments of attacking brilliance but were ultimately undone by defensive frailties as they fell to a 46–24 defeat away at Burton. Despite a spirited second-half comeback that saw them reduce a 13-point deficit to just three, Burton pulled away late to seal the win and the bonus point.

The hosts struck early, twice exploiting gaps around the maul to crash over within the opening ten minutes. A cruel bounce from a chip kick brought a third for Burton, leaving Banbury reeling at 15–0 and without influential forward Kelvyn Togia, who left the field with a wrist injury.

Banbury rallied well, though. James Hibbert finished off the Bulls’ first meaningful attack with a close-range score, and Charlie Cranley soon followed that up with a sensational solo effort from halfway, bringing it back to 15–14. But defensive lapses continued to cost the visitors, with Burton adding two more tries before the break, one a soft effort through the middle.

Half Time - Burton 27-14 Banbury

The second half began chaotically, with both sides throwing caution to the wind. Jacob Drabble capped a wild passage of play with a try, cutting the deficit to eight, and moments later, Quinten Blythe danced through a forest of defenders to score in the corner. With the score at 27–24, Banbury looked poised to take control.

But a knock-on just short of the line proved pivotal. Burton immediately capitalised on poor tackling to score in the corner and restore breathing space. Despite the Bulls briefly returning to full strength with Quade Leo back on the pitch, the hosts exposed tired defence twice more in the closing minutes, finishing with a flourish and a final scoreline that flattered the home side.

Full Time - Burton 46-24 Banbury

It was a game of what-ifs for Banbury — flashes of excellence in attack, but too many missed tackles and key injuries at crucial moments. After four weeks on the road, the Bulls finally return to the Graf next weekend, where they’ll host Stourbridge looking to steady the ship.

Burton RFC
Starting XV
15 Dominic Phillips; 14 Cyrus Griffiths; 13 Alexander Nesbitt; 12 Wilfred Simpson; 11 Tristian de Jager; 10 Niall Collett; 9 Charlie Bunting;
8 Lewis Sturgess; 7 Macauley Green; 6 Keifer Laxton; 5 John Kirwan; 4 Steffan Griffiths; 3 Joseph Gazzard; 2 Thomas Collingwood; 1 Benjamin Smith;

Replacements [/b
16 James Davies; 17 Conor Bradley; 18 Luca Goldthorpe;

[b]Banbury RUFC
Starting XV
15 Patrick Sturla; 14 Callum Tarbit; 13 Quinten Blythe; 12 Oscar Triggs; 11 Charlie Cranley; 10 Tommy Gray; 9 Joe Mills;
8 James Hibbert; 7 Jacob Drabble; 6 Eóghan Evan-Jones; 5 Jacob Turner; 4 Will Thurlow; 3 Quade Leo; 2 Kelvyn Togia; 1 James Leonardi;

Replacements
16 Ollie Rowe; 17 Louis Tooth; 18 Dan Kirwin