BISHOPS DE-FROCKED!

Only one signal matched Worthing's in boreboding: the 27-12 defeat for rivals Richmond at Cambridge. Worthing's bush telegraph understands that the Varsity town team now bursts with undergraduates whose college rugby season is now in low key '” and to the extend that reputedly only two England players make their main 15.

Simon Alcott was touching down near the posts after a forward drive, Ben Coulson was converting to get the scoreboard up and running, and Worthing were on their way to the highest tally of the day in their division in maintaining their 100% home record.

Two sides can go up but the runners-up have to negotiate a play-off against their South West 1 counterparts.

Worthing RFC had more than 100 sitting down for pre-match lunch and, after welcoming their guests from Hertfordshire, stuck seven tries on their highly respected but, this time, quite young team.

It was hooker Alcott's sixth try of the season. A Gavin Stephens hat-trick were the left-wing's first scores for two months. Two by Rowan O'Gorman took the No 8 to 13 for the season. And Terry Butler bulled through three tackles to get his fourth of the campaign after a stunning angled skim through midfield by Mike Kimmer.

With a concluding Coulson penalty, Worthing led 20-0 at half-time, having kicked into a wild gale that cost Coulson three of his five place-kicks, although his longest bounced back off the crossbar.

The wind abated in the second and Bishops' 6ft 8in lock Tom Butler scored from a second consecutive line-out in Worthing's left defensive corner while Worthing's leading jumper, lock Charlie McGowan, was in the sinbin. Fly-half Tom Coleman, at 18 one of three Bishops colts in action, converted. Openside flanker Richard Gill is in the England Under-18 squad.

The line-ups featured the division's leading kicker, Coulson, who moved to 160 points, 130 from the boot, and O'Gorman as the top try-scorer. Bishops captain Stuart Haslam, third in the kicking charts, handed the boot to young Coleman this time.

The contest was over by the interval and at the end Bishops coach and head of rugby Phil Corbin was satisfied the better side had won. He commented: "Worthing disrupted our lineout in the first half, though it was even Steven in the scrums. At our place Worthing won 16-11 with an interception try (by Coulson] but this time they were head and shoulders above us.

"The difference was their tackling and their aggression around the breakdowns. I was disappointed to concede 48 points but Worthing played really well."

Stephens' three scores warmed the happy crowd like hidden, suddenly discovered unopened Christmas tree presents.

He came across to his opposite wing to make a scoring overlap in the 14th minute. Chipped and chased then pounced when full-back Adrian Moore dropped his catch in the 38th. Then showed his British Universities 200m title pedigree with a 40-metre flee soon after Bishops had replied.

O'Gorman's brace of New Year pheasants capped a 60-metre move with a 35-metre gallop and followed a Steve Dove line-out catch and feed to Alcott on the peel.

Coach Mick Orton wants Worthing to be free to express themselves.

This display expressed plenty.

WORTHING: Taylor; Coulson, Butler, Kimmer, Stephens; Imrie, Dudley; Storer, Alcott, Nacagilevu, B.McGowan, C.Charlie, Levett, Kirchell, O'Gorman. Bench: Dove (B.McGowan 66), Quirk (Imrie 72), Bennett. Att: 250.