Sat 2^nd  Dec 00

Ampthill Extras 30 – Cambridge 4ths 0 

Tries:  Gareth Williams (3), Graham Clarke 

 When he arrived at the club on Saturday afternoon Gareth Williams would never have dreamt he was to score a hat-trick of tries for the Extras. He also had no idea he was going to be stuck out on the wing.

But he did and he was! (Another excellent decision by the skipper! Ed. Available next week by the way)

 The Extras won the toss and elected to play the first half uphill. Handling from the whole team was good, as was support. It took about five minutes to turn effort into points when the ball was passed down the line to let Gareth Williams in for a try.

 Cambridge were putting up a real fight and came hard at the Ampthill pack on many occasions. The Extras defence was solid, Graham Clark, the latest result of the Extras late night E&T recruitment policy, was inspirational at  8 as he time and time again stopped Cambridge battering rams in their tracks. Ampthill had the edge on possession and deservedly it was Clarky who crossed the line next for the Extras.

 Next came the first injury, despite the protection of his surgical stocking, Toddy had to leave the field of play with a bad leg. Then there was a worrying moment for Brian Geary as he took a knock on the shin. Brinnel (BG), determined to win Extras Big Brother, played on.

 A second try for Gareth Williams put the Extras 15 – 0 ahead at the break.

 The start of the second half saw the Cambridge XV come out of their blocks a lot quicker than Ampthill. A couple of rucks and mauls on their back foot soon woke the Ampthill pack up. Gez was the next to leave the pitch injured and made way for Ray Nix to enter the arena.

 Playing downhill the Extras were hoping to get more than one score in the second half, but only one they did. It was that man Winger Williams that ran thirty metres to score his third of the day. Let it also be known that this try was scored only around five minutes before his father arrived to watch the rest of the game. He’d missed the lot.

 Cambridge were not without their moments, their finest chance came when a move starting in their own twenty two was halted only yards from the Extras line. This was more down to the Cambridge forward’s greed in not releasing his winger than it was down to the Extras defence.

 A great win for the Extras and the second consecutive shut out puts the Extras in fine stead for their trip next week to Wellingborough.