SWANAGE & Wareham overcame one of their stiffest tests of the season when they chalked up a 27-12 victory over fellow Southern Counties South high-fliers Walcot.

Number eight Joe Desmond crashed over the try line to give Swans an early five-point lead against their Bath-based opponents, who had been third heading into the contest.

Although Walcot levelled, Swans continued to dominate in the forwards but were stunned when the hosts forged into a 12-5 lead after 28 minutes with a converted try.

However, tries from Charlie Rowberry and fly-half Charlie Parish saw Swans hit back and gave them a well deserved 15-12 advantage at the interval.

A sweeping move which saw the ball passed along the three-quarters ended with full-back Callum Baird beating two defenders and scoring to complete Swans’ bonus point try.

Parish added the extras to give Swans a 22-12 lead and they never looked back, with debutant winger Todd Stevens passing inside to hooker Jack Fielding who completed the scoring with his first try for the club.

Victory maintained Swans’ 100 per cent winning record in the league and left them at the top of the pile with a maximum 45 points from their nine games.

Swans meet Salisbury in the final of the Dorset & Wilts Cup at North Dorset’s Slaughtergate in Gillingham on Saturday (2.15pm).

Swans: Baird, Rowberry, Cottrell, Graves, Spencer (Stevens, 60), Parish, Tomes, Sheldrake, Fielding, Wyburgh (Audley, 52), Collins, Pring, Scott (Corsie, 48), Wright, Desmond.