Chester 69 Bradford & Bingley 12

Any ideas the Bees had of containing their hosts and engaging them in a forward battle were soon disabused as the rampant Chester backline ran in three tries in the first 12 minutes, out-pacing and out-thinking the Bees defence with apparent ease.

The speed with which the Chester backs were able to get the ball away from the Bees pack and into the wide open spaces was impressive throughout, with the Hayes brothers Lloyd and Rhys to the fore from the outset.

With Rhys running the show from stand-off, every player in the Chester backline was brought into the attacking line at speed and from all areas of the pitch.

It was imperative that the Bees made their first-up tackles to stem the flow but far too many were missed and, even when a Chester player was held, they were largely able to ship the ball away from contact before the Bees could slow the game down.

The home side were bettering a point a minute as they extended the lead to 19-0 before flanker Chris Fisher was able to plunge over for Bees. Richard Scull added a conversion.

Chester kept the pace up for the rest of the half to claim seven tries in the first 40, with five converted by Lloyd Hayes. Stern words appear to have been the order of the day at half-time as a far more resolute Bees defence appeared for the second half.

For nearly 20 minutes the Chester waves of attacks foundered on the rocks of a defensive wall that refused to yield.

Skipper Guy Ford was able to crash over for another consolation score in the middle of the half but the fitness of the home side eventually told as the Bees began to leave gaps and Chester begun to pour through those holes.

Four more tries followed and the Bees will have to regroup quickly next week as Percy Park come to Wagon Lane.