A second season in Western Counties North beckons for Avon after they produced their best all-round performance of 2012-13 to win 30-3 at Cirencester.
In perfect playing conditions, the visitors' win was based on a massive performance from the pack, who dominated the scrum and lineout, while the backs carried an attacking threat out wide.
After weathering an early Cirencester onslaught, an inspired Avon took a stranglehold on the game and seized the lead when prop Kane Book – one of the season's unsung heroes – scored his first try of the campaign.
Rob Fitch was pulling the strings at fly-half and soon added a penalty before intense Avon pressure on the home line resulted in a scrum five metres out. Skipper Kai Harwood duly launched himself over the tryline to extend his side's lead.
A rare Cirencester attack led to a successful penalty attempt but it was immediately cancelled out as Rob Fitch replied in kind to give Avon a 16-3 half-time lead.
Playing with the elements in their favour after the interval, After the break, Avon's forwards and backs inter-linked to retain possession and stretch their opponents.
Ben Dilloway caught the eye with some dangerous runs from an unfamiliar role at blindside, while Ed Bolton staked his claim for a place in the second row. Stalwart Damien Sawyer was a constant threat in the centre. A committed first-up defence, where Ben Crane, Scott Book and Jake Dixon featured prominently, ensured Cirencester's attacks were readily repelled.
Scrum-half Ollie Flight launched the next score with a blindside break from broken play which found mobile prop Chris Mutlow. He raced down the wing to pop up a sweetly-timed pass for his hooking colleague Ben Hurd to touch down, with Fitch adding the conversion.
With the result wrapped up, Avon sought a bonus point try and, after being denied by desperate defence on successive attacks, it arrived when Harwood scored a carbon-copy try from a powerful five-metre scrum.
A repeat performance at home to Chosen Hill on Saturday should guarantee Avon's place in the division for another year.
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