Waterloo 9 (Pens: Nutt 3 (27, 40, 48). 

Plymouth Albion 45 (Tries: Penalty try (4), Sestaret 3 (31, 58, 80), Oxley (44), Van Eyk (63), Cruickshanks (80). Cons: Neethling 4, Barnes.

Waterloo’s return to National One got off to the worst possible start with this heavy home defeat at the hands of Plymouth Albion.

They got off to a bad start when referee Greg Garner awarded Albion a 4th minute penalty try which debutante Wihan Neethling converted for 7-0.

It took till the 27th minute for the next score with the home side getting off the mark with a Stephen Nutt penalty goal. Four minutes later the visitors got a second try with left wing Nicholas Sestaret going over for 12-3, just before the break Nutt reduced the deficit with a second penalty goal.

The second half saw Albion run in five more tries after Richard Oxley got them on their way four minutes into the half, winger Sestaret went on to complete a hat trick.

Debuts: Waterloo 5. Plymouth Albion 3.

Moseley 13 (Try: O’Leary (21). Con: Thomas. Pens: Thomas 2 (10, 12). 

Earth Titans 35 (Tries: Jacobsz (39), Smith (41), Allen (48), Burke (53), Penalty try (76). Cons: Whitehead 4, Steenson.). 

Moseley made a great start to the match on their return to National One rugby but in the end were well beaten by the Earth Titans.

Two Ollie Thomas penalties saw them go into a 6-0 lead after 12 minutes and when centre Daren O’Leary went over for a try in the 21st minute they were 13-0 ahead and looking at an opening day win.

The Titans had other ideas and managed to get on the scoreboard just before the break with No 8 Barry Jacobsz, a summer signing from Bradford & Bingley, going over and Mike Whitehead converted. 

Two tries in the opening eight minutes of the second half saw them go 21-13 ahead after backs Showan Smith and Tom Allen touched down and Whitehead was again on target with the conversion.

They had the four try bonus point in the bag by the 53rd minute when another new boy full back Brendan Burke went over and Whitehead made it four out of four.

The fifth and final try came in the 76th minute when the referee awarded them a penalty try  which Gareth Steenson converted after coming on as a replacement to make his Titans debut.    

Debuts: Moseley: 2. Earth Titans: 6.

Sedgley Park 17 (Tries: Evans (4), Roko (40), Cons: Jones 2. Pen: Jones (9). 

Coventry 32 (Tries: Stewart (1), T Johnson 2 (16, 55), Rimmer (23), Walls (50), O’Connor (74). Con: Russell. 

Excellent away win for Coventry who out scored the home side six tries to two with both sides giving out eight debuts.

The visitors were in front in the opening minute with full back Apoua Stewart going over and former Saracens player Ben Russell converting.

Park were soon in front though with prop Geralt Evans going over for a try which Phil Jones converted and then put over a 9th minute penalty goal for a 10-7 lead.

Coventry got a second try on 16 minutes when flanker Tom Johnson went over and with debutante prop Carl Rimmer going over on 23 minutes they were 17-10 ahead. Park were level at the break after an injury time try from left wing Saula Roko and the extras form Jones.

In the second half two tries in five minutes saw Coventry go into a 27-17 lead after 55 minutes with scrum half Michael Walls and a second try for Johnson getting the points as the four try bonus point was secured. 

They sealed off the win in the 74th minute when another debutante John O’Connor went over for the sixth try.  

Debuts: Park 8. Coventry 8.

Bedford Blues 29 (Tries: Philips (32), Straus (46), Moir (56), Dodge (80). Cons: Broadfoot 3. Pen: Broadfoot (73).  

Pertemps Bees 29 (Tries: Qera 2 (13, 66), Goodridge (63), Nutthal (67). Cons: Higgins 3. Pen: Higgins (3). 

Excellent away performance by a much changed Pertemps Bees side which had 10 players making their debuts compared to just two for the Blues.

Fly half Jon Higgins gave the visitors the lead with a third minute penalty goal on his debut and another debutante got a try to make it 8-0, Flanker Akapusi Qera went over on 13 minutes. Just after the half hour mark the home side were of the mark with second row Jon Phillips touching down and former Leicester fly half Ross Broadfoot converted.

In the third quarter the Blues pulled away into a 19-8 lead with tries from flanker Nic Straus and right wing Craig Moir and Broadfoot adding a conversion.

At the start of the final quarter the Bees turned the match upside down with three tries in five minutes. Full back Jonathan Goodridge got a try on his debut joining the club on loan from Gloucester,  Qera got a second and left wing Matt Nutthal got the third and with Higgins converting all three they were 29-19 ahead.

In the 73rd minute Broadfoot narrow the gap with a penalty goal before a try on 80 minutes from on loan centre Ollie Dodge converted by Broadfoot sent both sides home with three points each.      

Debuts: Blues: 2. Bees: 10.

Doncaster Knights 27 (Tries: J Boden (15), Forster 2 (26, 47), Wilson (63). Cons: Woodrow 2. Pen: Woodrow (74).  

Newbury Blues 11 (Try: Ireland (35). Pens: Walsh 2 (21, 32). 

Winning home start for Doncaster as there home form continues where it left off last season and they got the fourth try for the bonus point.

They trailed at the break despite taking the lead on 15 minutes when full back Jon Boden touched down for an unconverted try. Six minutes later and the visitors were off the mark with a Tim Walsh penalty goal. Flanker Jason Foster got the second Knights try on his debut for the club on 26 minutes. Newbury though with Walsh, adding a second penalty goal, and centre Mark Ireland touching down led 11-10 at the break.

Seven minutes into the second half and Forster completed a double to see his side go 17-11 ahead with Mark Woodrow adding the conversion this time.

No 8 Glen Wilson, also making his debut, got the fourth try and secured the bonus point on 63 minutes, Woodrow again converted and sealed the win with a penalty goal in the final 10 minutes.  

Debuts: Knights: 8. Blues: 9.

Leeds Tykes 10 (Try: Schusterman (59). Con: Hinton. Pen: Hinton (15). 

London Welsh 16 (Try: Tauialo (65). Con: Ulph. Pens: Ulph 2 (2, 11). DG: Ulph (10).  

Shock of the weekend!!! The Tykes with eight players making their debuts for the club came unstuck against a Welsh side that had one of the worst away records in the division last season.

The Welsh were 9-0 up in the opening 11 minutes with Full back Sam Ulph slotting over a couple of penalty goals and a drop goal on his debut. Leigh Hinton pulled three points back for the home side on 15 minutes after which we had to wait 45 minutes for the next score.

The home side went ahead when debutante flanker Martin Schusterman went over on 59 minutes and Hinton converted for 10-9.

The lead lasted just six minutes before the visitors went over for the winning score. It came from hooker Amo Tauialo and Ulph added the extras and the Welsh took an unexpected win. 

Debuts: Tykes: 8. Welsh 2.

Nottingham 19 (Tries: Duffy (66), Thompson (80), Barlow (80). Cons: Barlow 2.  

Exeter Chiefs 24 (Tries: Baxter 2 (20, 31), Miller (61). Cons: Yapp 3. Pen: Yapp (13). 

Excellent away win for the Chiefs in a fixture they lost last season. They got the better start and went ahead when Tony Yapp put over a 13th minute penalty goal. A brace of tries form No 8 Richard Baxter was enough to see the visitors build up a 17-0 lead after 31 minutes with Yapp adding the extras as they went in at the break in a strong position. The home side lost two men to the sin bin in the first half and were down to 13 for a five minute spell half way through the half. 

The third quarter was scoreless but just after the hour mark the visitors went in for try number three from flanker Alan Miller. And Yapp again hit the target.

The home side finally made it onto the scoreboard in the 66th minute when prop Joe Duffey went over for an unconverted try.

They got two more tries in injury time to claim a losing bonus point with full back Ben Thompson and debutante fly half Tom Barlow crossing the Chiefs line and Barlow adding the extras.    

Debuts: Nottingham 4. Chiefs 2

Cornish Pirates 39 (Tries: Ma’asi (15), McAtee (22), Barrett 2 (32, 68), Penalty try (59). Cons: Di Bernardo 4. Pens: Di Bernardo 2 (3, 6). 

Otley 0  

The Pirates had a comfortable start to the new season at Truro on Sunday against Yorkshire side Otley.

They were 6-0 ahead in the opening six minutes with two penalties form debut boy Alberto Di Bernardo. Three tries by half time had the home side in a winning lead at 25-0. Hooker Viliami Ma’asi got the first try and this was followed some after by a try from left wing Rhodri McAtee and just after the half hour mark another debut boy, centre Henry Barrett touched down and Di Bernardo added a couple of conversion. During the first half both sides lost a couple of players to the sin bin.  

It took them 19 minutes of the second half to add to their score when the referee awarded them a penalty try to secure the four try bonus point. They sealed of the win when Barrett completed a double on 68 minutes.

Debuts: Pirates: 5. Otley: 5.