Magnificent Matson have been blazing a trail at the top of Western Counties North since the start of the season.

Eleven wins from 11 tell their own story and it’s not just the victories, it’s the way they’ve been playing that has been so impressive.

They are averaging 44 points a game and their points difference is a massive 406, with obviously plenty of power to add.

No wonder player/coach Jack Hayes told The Local Answer that he is enjoying his rugby at the moment!

Hayes, a Matson man through and through, has been back at the club for a couple of years, but because of Covid this is his first proper season at the helm.

And the 30-year-old is certainly liking what he is seeing.

“We try to get five points every time we play, although that obviously depends on how the game is going,” said Hayes.

“We work very hard on our skills, everyone’s got to be able to pass whether they are a prop or a winger.

“We’ve got a dynamic pack – they’re not old school. They’re fit boys, we’ve got a hooker and a prop who could both play in the back row.”

Hayes is doing his bit from inside centre – “I’m not a massive try-scorer, I’d rather set them up,” he said – and it’s certainly all coming together very nicely for a club that has always been one of the powerhouses in this division.

Hayes, understandably, is reluctant to pick out individuals from his all-conquering team, but he did have some words of praise for captain and no 8 Tom Porter.

“He’s leading well and he’s playing well, he’s having a helluva season,” said Hayes.

And Hayes knows what he’s talking about having been handed his 1^st XV debut at Matson at the age of 16.

He played on the wing that day and he said with a laugh: “I was asked how old I was and when I said I was 16 I was told, ‘Right, you’re playing’. You did as you were told!”

Hayes, a qualified electrician, has since played for Chinnor and had two years in the full-time game with Championship club Rotherham – he played 30-odd games for them – and four years with Cinderford before returning to the club where his dad Malcolm was a player back in the day.

It’s not the first time that Jack Hayes has coached at Matson because it was a role he took on for a short period in his early 20s when he was recovering from a knee injury.

“They needed a coach at the time and I was happy to help out,” said the one-time Gloucester Academy player.

He’s happy to be helping out again, of course, but while the players have deservedly taken the lion’s share of the credit for their storming start to the season, Hayes is anxious to mention other Matson stalwarts who have more than played their part.

“Assistant coach Mark Stokes and team manager Paul Jones have been a big help,” said Hayes. “They make my life easier, they take a lot of weight off my shoulders.”

And Hayes is equally delighted with the work being put in by forwards coach Ciaran Knight.

“Ciaran is a full-time professional at Gloucester and a Matson boy through and through,” Hayes said. “He’s a great addition to the coaching team.” 

Matson travel to play unbeaten second-placed Cheltenham on Friday evening.