26^th November 2005
Biggleswade 2^nd  XV 15 - Ampthill Extras 5 

It’s always interesting when Ampthill’s third team better known as the Extras plays Biggleswade second fifteen. Interesting because if the Biggleswade first team are playing it is quite often cancelled.  

On this cold Saturday afternoon Biggleswade seconds boasted several subs, most young and athletic looking. Things must be on the up for them as when they were due to play at Ampthill earlier in the season they could not raise a team to cross the long width of Mid Bedfordshire to take them on.

 The Extras are certainly not a team to deny a player a game of rugby so agreed to allow Biggleswade to use their substitutes as and when they chose. 

Ampthill started the match playing with an advantageous cross wind and in the opening encounters seemed to have more than the lion’s share of possession. They were therefore a little disappointed when Biggleswade opened the scoring with a break away try. This did nothing but add more determination and soon after, having set up camp in the Biggleswade half, Adam Wilson charged over the line and touched the ball down (even though from some angles it looked as if the ball may have been dropped) to level the scores. 

The remainder of the first half was a close cut contest. Perhaps Ampthill did not utilise the wind as much as they should have but they by no means looked a lesser team. The Extras also failed to take any points in the last ten minutes of the first half when a late challenge on The Major resulted in a David versus Goliath wresting match for which Goliath, clearly the instigating bully, received his ten minute punishment for picking on an officer. 

The second half saw Biggleswade make use of the conditions and their spare players. Ampthill had just two subs of their own Shaun Wood, on remand with the Extras awaiting trial for desertion and Raff Troiano who would later come in to the fray only to be picked up and dumped to the ground like a Cornetto being dropped by an un-attentive child. 

The Extras spent long periods under the cosh in the second half and it was a credit to their resilience that Biggleswade failed to score after many of their onslaughts. It was testament to the Extras defence that when awarded a penalty, less than ten yards from the try line and right in the middle of the posts, Biggleswade chose to kick rather than go for a try. The option of the scrum was out for Biggleswade, as despite their first team front row leading their pack, they had gained no advantage from previous scrums against the Extras. Biggleswdae successfully kicked the penalty and now had a three point lead. 

The Extras fought on right to the end of the game but the wind was strong enough to ensure that Biggleswade had constant periods in attack in the Extras’ twenty two. Biggy scored just one further try which was converted to flatter a team whose jubilation at having scored showed they had worked much harder than they expected to secure their victory.      

Forwards: Adam Wilson, Dougey Parks, Darren Oatley, Terry Nelson, Matt Taylor, Liam Duffin, Chris Denton, John Wood

Backs: Phil Stanton, Gareth Williams, Darren Jones, Neil Fordham, Ian Browning, David Backhouse, Rob Hill.

Subs: Raff Troiano, Shaun Wood

Try:  Adam Wilson