YORK RUFC enjoyed their first match of the round robin stage of the RFU Intermediate Cup – thrashing Medicals from Newcastle-upon-Tyne 98-7.

Shane Goulding was absent so Joe Maud started at number eight, while Luke Stockton began at flanker and Daz Rutherford joined Chris Fox in the second row. Jon Dawes partnered captain Sam Forbes in the centres with George Davies playing at full back.

The strength of the York team and their good form was soon evident as they scored four tries within the first 20 minutes.

Davies was in the attacking line and the ball was fed accurately for him to score before Dawes claimed the second try, again finding and exploiting space to finish a fluid attack.

The Medicals’ defence couldn’t hold Maud and he gained 60 metres before passing to Toby Atkin to score. Fox then capped a structured driving maul with a try, with Dawes landing half of his initial four conversion attempts.

Medicals got their only points of the game when Fergus Robertson at inside centre got on the outside of his defender and showed good running balance. Henry Parkinson, the Medicals' fly-half, kicked the extra two points.

However, York scored four more tries before half-time, with Lewis Hannibal (flanker) supplying Maud for the next score.

Hannibal got his own try next after an effective line-out. Next, Chris Fox capitalised on a turnover of possession. He linked with Will Atkin on the wing who found a supporting Toby Atkin to score.

The Medicals defence committed to stopping York prop forward Steve Johnson but Toby Atkin used the space created to score his hat-trick try and make the score 50-7 at half-time.

York continued to score tries aplenty in the second half. Davies finished off a break by Dawes, Will Atkin fed Toby Atkin to score, and Fox broke free and passed to Davies to get another try. All three tries were converted, the third being an excellent strike.

Five more York tries followed. Davies scored his fourth try after linking with Rob Hodges (winger), who then got his own try in the corner.

Maud then released Liam Hessay to score, Will Atkin got a try after a messy breakdown and Maud scored his second to end the game after a line-out drive. Hessay missed the wide conversion to leave York two points short of a century as the match finished 98-7.

Many congratulations to Tom Williams (flanker) who made his debut for the York first team after playing for the juniors and colts. Lewis Jackson (prop-forward) also represented an ever-strong York youth section.

York wait until February before their next game in the cup, away at Gateshead.