Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFC West clash between the St Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams will be looking to bounce back from their heavy defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday as they fell to 1-2 in their season, with their second loss in a row.

The 49ers are also 1-2 as they suffered their second defeat in a row on Sunday at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts after being hammered by the Seattle Seahawks in their first divisional clash of the season the week before.

Jim Harbaugh's side will have to win this game without All-Pro linebackers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith. Willis is out with a groin injury while Smith was placed on the non-football injury list to undergo treatment for personal problems after being arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence last week.

49ERS INACTIVES: Willis, Asomugha, Harper, Daniels, Moore, Looney and Marecic

RAMS INACTIVES: Pead, Saffold, Jones, Washington, Person, McNeill and Hayes

No Willis and Smith for the 49ers and they are also without former All-Pro cornerback Nmadi Asomugha, who is out with a knee injury. However, there is good news for Harbaugh's side as tight end Vernon Davis will play despite still suffering the effects of a hamstring injury.

The Rams are still missing offensive tackle Roger Saffold and running back Issiah Pead as they are making their recoveries from their respective injuries.

After lighting the league up last year 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has struggled at the start of this season. He has thrown four interceptions in his first three games and has a quarterback rating of just 72.9. In his side's last two games he has a completion percentage of under 50, which has resulted in their two defeats to the Colts and the Seahawks.

Compare Kaepernick with Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, who has enjoyed a decent start to the season with a QB rating of 88.7 and has thrown six touchdowns to two interceptions. His side are 1-2 but that has little to do with him and the team have shown faith in him by announcing that they are looking into handing him a contract extension.

We're about to get underway in Edward Jones Dome, with the Rams set to receive the ball.

Dawson kicks the ball out of the endzone and Braford will begin on the 20.

The Rams are rolling straight away as Bradford hits Givens down the left-hand sideline on a curl route as he beats Tarell Brown in coverage to pick up the first down on a 10-yard reception.

A big pickup by Bradford on third and eight as he finds Pettis on a slant route to pick up the yardage for the first down. A good start for the Rams, after going just one of 13 on third down against the Cowboys.

The Rams' drive comes to an end as Bradford's attempted pass to Austin is tipped at the line by Bowman and falls short of the receiver. Earlier, Richardson had two runs for just three yards against a stout 49ers defensive line.

The Rams interfere with the fair catch from their punt at the 49ers' 19 and that moves them to the 34. Not a good start for the home side's special teams.

The 49ers get another penalty as Langford is penalised for encroachment and the visitors are awarded five yards. Kaepernick picks up the first down as he fires a strike to Miller on a play-action pass.

Gore picks up a huge chunk of yardage on the ground as he goes in between a gap at right guard. He gets 18 yards downfield before he's hauled down by Laurinitis.

The 49ers are halted as Hunter is stopped for a loss on third down needing 11 yards by Laurinitis, who drifts through the line and brings him down with a great hit. This forces the 49ers into a 53-yard field goal.

Dawson gets his kick off from 53 yards, he gets enough power on the ball but it veers off to the right at the last moment and goes comfortably wide.

The Rams are rolling now as Bradford nails a strike down the left-hand sideline to Quick, who does well to beat Brown in coverage as he goes up to get the ball. Penalty yards are added as Justin Smith grabs the facemask of the quarterback. Rams are on the 49ers 30.

The Rams blow a great chance for touchdown as Bradford underthrows a wide open Pettis in the endzone. He was under pressure but should gotten more loft on the ball but it could only land at the feet of the receiver. Zuerlein will attempt a field goal from 40 yards.

The Rams take the lead as Zuerlein's kick smacks the inside of the post and goes through. Slightly fortunate but it's good enough. 49ers 0-3 Rams.

The 49ers get a huge call on a pass interference penalty on Jenkins as he covered Boldin, which erases the damage of a sack on Kaepernick by Quinn a play earlier. Not much in that call.

Harbaugh's side can't do anything with that beneficial call as they're stopped on their next three downs as Gore runs into a wall on first, while Hunter does the same on second. Kaepernick throw to Patton on third but he is stopped well before the first down marker. Austin takes Lee's punt back to the 20.

A penalty on Trumaine Johnson puts the Rams back to their own four-yard line with a holding penalty.

Bradford comes up big for his side on third down as he stays in the pocket and delivers a throw to his tight end Cook down the seam to pick up the first down. He took a hit right at the end of the play, a real gutsy effort from the quarterback.

Bradford gets away with one this time as he throws a risky pass on third down towards Givens, which is nearly picked off by Brown but he can't get both hands to it and the Rams's drive ends. Hekker's punt takes a friendly bounce and lands at the 49ers' 30 before it's downed.

The quarter ends with a three and out for the 49ers. They thought they had picked up a first down with pass to Boldin but that was brought back for offensive pass interference following a push on Jenkins. The corner came back on second and made an excellent play knocking the ball out of the hands of the receiver to make another pass fall incomplete. On third, Kaepernick's pass down the seam was nearly picked off by Laurinitis but he could not hold on. Offense is not clicking so far for the 49ers.

A penalty allows rookie Austin to have a good chance at a punt return, he tries to look for space and fumbles the ball. Fortunately for him, he gathers it and falls down at his own eight-yard line.

Bradford bounce back from being sacked by Dorsey on second with a brilliant throw to Givens to pick up the first down on third with a 20-yard reception.

OH DEAR! Bradford throws the ball right into the hands of 49ers safety Whitner but he drops it right into the hands of Cook, who picks up the first down for the Rams on an 18-yard pickup.

DROPPED! Another drive ends for the Rams as Bradford is chased out of the pocket and attempts to find Austin on the run, but he throws the ball just out of the reach of the receiver. Hekker's punt goes into the endzone so Kaepernick and co will begin on the 20.

The 49ers pick up a first down for what seems an age, as Gore runs over the left tackle for 28 yards before he's brought down by Jenkins on the left-hand sideline.

Finally a third down conversion from the 49ers and it's a big one as Kaepernick fires over the middle of the field to Boldin, who beats the coverage of Finnegan and runs to the Rams' 10 before he's brought down. The visitors needed that desperately.

The 49ers take the lead as Kaepernick throws to Boldin on an out route, he beats the challenge of Finnegan and shows amazing athleticism to keep himself in bounds and break the line with the ball to get in for the score with a dive into the endzone. The play is under review so this could come back.

Boldin kept his feet in bounds and the 49ers will take the lead. The coverage on that touchdown was really poor by the Rams, the visitors were in third and long and they should have really have held them to a field goal there. Dawson kicks the extra point and the 49ers lead by four.

The Rams get rolling straight away on offense as Bradford hits Pettis on a drag route and he picks up the 10 yards under pressure from Wilhoite.

Bradford goes to Pettis again this time on the left sideline he throws the ball deep and the receiver comes up with the ball under pressure from Brown. The cornerback is flagged for pass interference but the penalty is decline as the Rams pick up 27 yards.

Bradford goes deep down the right sideline looking for Quick on a go route, but Brock has him covered all the way and tips the ball away from the receiver into the path of Whitner, who makes a diving catch into the endzone to get the turnover. The 49ers will begin on their 20.

Kaepernick gets his side moving as he throws a short strike to his tight end McDonald and he glides through a tackle from Johnson to pick up the first down.

The 49ers offense is rolling now as Gore picks up another first as he runs out to the left and beats a couple of tackles to pick up 17 yards before he's knocked out of bounds.

A big play as Kaepernick beats the rush from the Rams defensive line and throws a strike out wide to Boldin on an out route but he can't make the catch in bounds after replays show, his backside hit the white line in the process of making the grab. Hunter picks up valuable yards on second to leave a crucial third and one for the 49ers.

Gore powers over the left-hand side again on a power run and he looks to have picked up the first down but the play is under review again.

OVERTURNED! The officials state that Gore is short of the first down and the 49ers are presented with a fourth and inches situation, which they look like they are going to attempt.

The 49ers extend their lead as on fourth and inches, Gore runs straight through the line untouched and runs all the way to the endzone for the 34-yard score. Dawson kicks the extra point and Harbaugh's side lead by 11.

The Rams go three and out as Austin drops a pass on first down and Richardson gets nowhere on second and third. Worse news for the Rams as tackle Jake Long goes down with an injury.

Odd end to the half as the 49ers go for an ambitious free-kick effort from 71 yards, which if Dawson nails between the posts would be three points. However, his kick is wide and the Rams try to return the ball but Pettis is brought down swiftly to end the half.

So the 49ers lead the Rams at the break despite enduring a tough start to the game. Two moments of quality from Jim Harbaugh's side from Boldin and Gore is the difference between the teams as the Rams have struggled to get anything going.

The other difference between the sides is the way they are running the ball. Gore has 107 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries for the visitors while Richardson has only 16 yards on 12. The 49ers are most certainly winning the battle in the trenches in this game.

The home side will need to find a way of moving the ball on offense as their defense have shown they're vulnerable if put back on the field straight away.

Zuerlein's kick goes out of the endzone and the 49ers will begin on their 20.

Gore runs through the line again and picks up a first down but has the ball knocked out of his hands by Ogletree and McLeod gathers it for the hosts. Bradford will start on the 49ers' 44.

A really bad three and out for the Rams as Bradford throws three straight incompletions as Pettis and Cook drop the ball with it right on their hands. The supporters are not happy that Hekkers has to punt again. Williams takes the fair catch at his own 10.

The 49ers pick up a first down right away as Jenkins is flagged for a pass interference call on Boldin. It's a really interesting battle between that duo tonight, as both have been called for penalties tonight.

Kaepernick delivers on third down as he fires a strike over the middle for Baldwin, who gets his first reception as 49er, on a post route for 15 yards.

Kaepernick picks up the first down again but this time he uses his feet for the first time in the game and runs for seven yards before TJ McDonald brings him down.

It's not pretty from the 49ers at the moment but they're getting results as Gore powers over the middle for eight yards on the ground and in the next play on play-action Kaepernick avoids Langford and fires a pass to Miller to pick up two yards for the first down.

The 49ers strike again and Kaepernick ends an 88-yard drive with a touchdown as he loops the ball to his tight end Davis on a corner route and the receiver makes the catch to further Harbaugh's side's lead. That was far too easy for the visitors.

Cunningham will run Dawson's kick back for 32 yards and the Rams will begin at their 24.

Bradford tries to get his side moving and does well to pick out Cunningham on play-action on a corner route, he beats his man to catch the ball and picks up the first down and a bit more before he's brought down.

However, the drive comes to a grinding halt on the next series as Austin and Pettis can't get open and Bradford throws three incompletions. Not his night so far and he's getting no help from his receivers.

The 49ers respond with a three and out of their own as Kaepernick can only find Boldin for a four-yard completion on third down. Lee's punt is collected by Austin and he takes a loss as he's brought down by at his own 24.

A three and out again from the Rams as Bradford can't find any open targets as he overthrows Givens on third down by a considerable distance. He got out of jail on second when his tipped pass was dropped by 49ers linebacker Bowman for a sure interception touchdown.

This game is turning into a punting contest as the 49ers now go three and out. Hunter and Gore get nowhere on running plays on first and second and Kaepernick's pass falls incomplete. Lee's punt is collected by Austin and he moves his team to their own 44.

SACK! Bowman drives through the middle of the Rams' offensive line and brings Bradford down for a loss on third down. Yes that's right yet another three and out. Hekker's punt lands out of bounds at the visitors' four-yard line.

Kaepernick can't help his side pick up the first down as Baldwin catches the ball short of the marker. So, there's yet another punt, which will take place in the third quarter.

Lee's punt is collected by Austin and he runs the ball back to his side's 37, where Bradford will begin yet again.

FIRST DOWN! The Rams finally pick up a first down as Givens runs a curl route and Bradford drills a pass to him for 13 yards. That is their second first down of the half so far!

That didn't last long, three more incompletions from Bradford and nearly an interception as Brown nearly picks off a pass thrown to Givens but he can't quite grab the ball at his feet. The crowd aren't happy and they are letting their team know it, as boos echo around Edward Jones Stadium.

A three and out for the 49ers again! Gore does well to pick up eight yards on first down but Kaepernick takes a huge sack from Long on second. On third he throws down the seam but his pass falls incomplete. Austin's punt return from Lee's kick goes nowhere and Bradford will begin at their 21.

Bradford is sacked by Bowman as he spins past left guard Williams and knocks the ball out of the hands of the quarterback. The ball bounces towards the endzone and Dorsey lands on it to claim it. It will be first and goal for the 49ers.

Dixon runs the ball through the right of his offensive line and goes over for one-yard touchdown to further extend his side's lead. This is well and truly a blowout now as Dawson kicks the extra point.

Bradford gets a pass off under huge pressure on third down on a screen to Richardson, he picks up nine yards and is short of the first down. We'll put this down as an off day for the Rams' offense.

Hunter picks up the first down for the 49ers on a 12-yard run after Boone was penalised on first for holding. This game is in danger of stagnating here.

The Rams jump on the ball as Kaepernick drops the ball on the hand off to Hunter on another run. They're in the redzone for the first time tonight, can they make it pay?

The Rams get their first touchdown of the night as Bradford throws a strike down the seam for his tight end Kendricks, who catches the ball for a six-yard reception. The task was made easier in the redzone as Whitner was penalised for a hit on Givens in the endzone as he attempted to make a catch on an earlier play.

The Rams go for two and they get it as Cunningham is handed the ball on a draw play and he powers through the line to get into the endzone.

The home side try and onside kick and it nearly pays off as the ball hits Miller but before a Ram can gather the ball it goes out of bounds.

The 49ers are piling up the score as Hunter runs the ball in from 29 yards out on a toss play. He evades several challenges before speeding into the endzone. A really good run by the running back there, the Rams look absolutely shell shocked.

Another three and out for the Rams. Bradford's pass on third down is nearly picked off as he tries to find Quick on a slant route by Brock was there to knock it away.

Two minute warning and the 49ers are just looking to kill the game off here with several runs to keep the clock running.

James doesn't get the distance he needs on third down but bad news for the 49ers as left tackle Joe Staley goes down in agony. It doesn't look good for the offensive lineman as he appears to be in a lot of pain.

Staley leaves the field under his own steam, so the injury might not be as bad as first feared for the 49ers.

The Rams get the ball back and they just take a knee to end the game. Probably best for both sides, as there is no way the home team could mount a comeback.

The 49ers have cruised to win in this divisional clash. They've dominated the Rams all over the field and full deserve their win and by the emphatic margin.

As a result the 49ers move to 2-2 in their season while the Rams drop to 1-3. Both trail the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, a quarter of the way through their respective seasons.

The 49ers outbattled the Rams in the trenches tonight and their use of the running game was the key to their victory as Gore ran for over 100 yards, while there were touchdowns for Hunter and Dixon.

The Rams couldn't get anything going on offense especially in the running game, where they amassed just 22 yards in 16 carries. Bradford struggled throughout the game, as his offensive line gave him no protection and none of his receivers could get open. Truly a bad day at the office for the offense.

Thanks for joining Sports Mole's commentary this morning. We'll be back with all the NFL action on Sunday. Until then, goodbye.