East Midlands (@EastMidsRugby) hosted Warwickshire (@WarwickshireRFU) at Northampton Old Scouts (@NOSRFC) for the opening match of the Bill Beaumont Cup (@BillBeaumont) in Division 2.

Both teams started with a pace more akin to a game of Rugby 7s than the 15 a side match. As if to wear each other out in the early stages both sides played at a blistering rate under an unusually warm sun. Any expectation of settling into a sensible pace didn't seem to cross the mind of either team as they continued their high speed antics to the end.