Sat 4^th January 03

Ampthill Extras 32 – Biggleswade 3^rd XV 12

The Dogfight Biggles didn’t win.

Ampthill started off the New Year in victorious style at home to Biggleswade. However not everything went their way.

Despite losing the toss, Ampthill played the first half up the steep Dillingham Park slope. This along with the cumbersome style in which the extras tried to carry their Christmas pud, (Speak for yourself Skipper!!) laden bodies led to the Biggleswade backs quickly scoring two tries in the first half.

This woke the Extras up and soon pressure was mounting on the Biggleswade line. Tom Read was the first to breach the Biggy defence after some great forwards pressure. Just before the half time whistle, from a tap penalty, Carl Simpson, playing at number eight piled his way over gathering as many Biggleswade defenders as he could before touching down to make the half time score twelve ten to Biggleswade.

With the slope in their favour for the second half, confidence was high in the Extras’ camp. Tim Lane was first to score in the second half, closely followed by scrum half Matt Troiano.

Precision kicking from fly half Rob McInnes ensured the rugby was being played behind the Biggleswade twenty two metre line. The Extras pack spent all of the scrums going forward giving Biggleswade very little to play with.

A try for Rob McInnes, and a second for Carl Simpson left little for a Biggleswade comeback.  

Yet to score this season, Liam Duffin, was on a ‘free beer’ for the evening (safely sponsored by Engine landlord Tony Petersen) try scoring bonus. Tony’s heart and Liam’s liver both breathed a sigh of relief when twice Liam Duffin had tries disallowed. (Only mentioned three times this week, slipping Skipper!)

Tries:         Tom Read, Carl Simpson (2), Tim Lane, Matt Traono, Robert McInnes

Cons:          Tom Read