Craig Ratford

National Two South: Hartpury College 62 Barking 6

Barking conceded 10 tries as they slipped to another heavy National Two South defeat at the hands of a youthful Hartpury College side on Saturday.

Director of rugby Dean Cutting was able to call on club captain Craig Ratford for the first time this season in the league and it was the Gale Street side who took the lead via a fifth-minute penalty from the boot of Ratford.

But that was as good as it got as two minutes later the hosts went over for their first try of the afternoon when hooker Callum O’Connell touched down at the back of a driving maul and Billy Burns added the conversion.

Winger Ian Clark scored the first of a hat-trick with 17 minutes on the clock, before Oliver Forrest slotted over another penalty to keep Barking on the comeback trail.

O’Connell was at it again though as he scored a carbon copy of his opener and Harry Casson secured the fourth-try bonus point for the hosts inside 31 minutes.

And the half ended with the well-drilled Hartpury side on the front foot with Clark on hand to cross the whitewash for his second try of the encounter.

It was a lightening quick counter-attack from the hosts after turning over the ball, with Burns on hand to add the extra two points to give Hartpury a 31-6 half-time lead.

Barking could well have folded, but they continued to battle, though Brandon Walker added a sixth try nine minutes into the second half.

Ratford was taken off around the hour mark to protect the fly-half with this his first appearance back in the first team, while there was a steadying influence in the scrum from new signing and former youth team player Nathaniel John, who came on halfway through the second period.

But further scores from Tom Ailes, Sam Raven, Jack Hayes and the hat-trick sealing try from Clark in a spell of eight minutes punished Cutting’s side even further.

There was a blow for Cutting’s side, who currently sit bottom of National Two South as No.8 Mitchell Sinfield was forced off with a dead leg and will miss this weekend’s crucial game with Dings Crusaders.

Crusaders are the side directly above the Goresbrook outfit, and they will also have to do without the services of inside centre Andrew Mead, who is away due to work commitments.

Barking: Forrest, Ibberson, Lowe, Udo-Udoma, Foster, Ratford, Fouracre, Turner, S John, James-Nicholls, Kearsey, Anderson, Yellowlees, Sinfield. Replacements: McFarlane, N John, Quirk, Peasnall.