Old Pats 0 Bournemouth 50

Bournemouth kicked off the new South West Premier campaign in style with a half-century winning margin.

The south coast side ran in a total of seven tries in Cheltenham to exorcise the demons of April’s promotion play-off defeat to Guernsey.

The bonus point was secured in less than an hour with the visitors topping their previous biggest win over the Everest Road side from six years ago.

Kicker Grant Hancox also passed the 800-point mark for the club in a day for records.

The stand-off - who was operating at outside centre - was given a false start when he failed to split the posts after just a few minutes with a penalty - leaving him on 799 points temporarily.

That wait would not last long because he was given a second chance on five minutes - which he did not miss for a second time to lead 3-0.

Fleet-footed winger Dan Stewart then snatched a wayward Pats’ pass out of the air at halfway, before cantering in for the opening try after nine minutes, which Hancox converted for 10-0.

Inside centre Scott Chislett then passed the 400-point mark for the club on 42 minutes with the first of his two eventual tries.

The away side set up camp on the Pats’ whitewash, before the ball was eventually spun out to the backs, where Chislett smashed over from five metres out.

Hancox landed the conversion for a 17-0 half-time advantage and just four minutes into the second period, Bournemouth picked up where they had left off at the end of the opening period.

With the away side camped in the 22 of the home team again, the ball went through the hands of the backline where left wing Adam Higgins eventually finished off in the corner.

Unfortunately Hancox had a tough job to improve it from the touchline - leaving them 22-0 up.

The hosts then lost their number eight Scott Alldritt to the sin bin on 54 minutes and Bournemouth took full advantage in the final quarter.

Hancox sent the ball into the corner before a series of failed scrums then resulted in a penalty try for the Bournemouth bonus point following complete dominance at the coal face against the division new boys, for 29-0.

That seemed to open the floodgates because the gloss was added to the scoreline in the final 20 minutes.

It was all Bournemouth just after the hour, and one long pass down the backline in the Old Pats’ 22 saw Higgins grab his second score and Hancox improve it for 36-0.

Chislett then cut back against the grain of play with 10 minutes remaining in the home side 22 to secure his second try and his side’s sixth score - which Hancox improved to 43-0.

The momentum was temporarily halted with the only negative of the day when prop Joe Tarrant hobbled off injured on 73 minutes.

But the day was finished on a high with a minute left when Higgins bagged his first ever hat-trick for Bournemouth when he grabbed Bournemouth try number seven.

Loosehead prop Adam Davies made a great break through the defensive line before looking for support and on his shoulder was Higgins who gratefully dotted down with Hancox registering the half century with the extras.

Old Pats: Lee Hathaway, Duncan Spurrier, Jack Harrod, Kristian Taft, James Aherne; James Hayden, Tom Knight; Jasper Frost, Chris Dean (C), Rob White; Haydn Jennings, Josh Stevens; Rich Hance, George Angell, Scott Alldritt. Replacements: Joe Hart, Tom Langton, Jackson Ellmers

Bournemouth: Jeffes, Higgins, Hancox, Chislett, Stewart; Pope, Hardcastle; Davies, Manning, Tarrant; Roberts, Rees; Jack Hennings, Flett (Firetto, 24 minutes), Bennett. Replacements: Firetto, Davies, Russell.