Ampthill secured their second straight bonus point Championship home win of the season, defeating Caldy at Dillingham Park, and in process condemning the visitors to their fourth straight defeat this season.
The game was scrappy and error-strewn in the early stages, but Ampthill scored the first try of the match after 11 minutes. After many opportunities in the Caldy 22, The Mob finally used the rolling maul effectively, getting to within a metre of the try line, before Richard Barrington spun away and dived across the whitewash.
The Ravers responded brilliantly to the opening try, levelling the match just 3 minutes later, with scrum half Ollie Wynn scoring his 4th try of the season, after exploiting the huge space around the fringes to dot down unopposed. Following a Matt Kilcourse conversion, Caldy held a 5-7 lead after 15 minutes.
The common theme of the first half continued, with Ampthill scoring their second try of the afternoon within 2 minutes of Wynn’s try. Off the back of a lineout just outside the 22, a smart interchange allowed Josh Hallett to break the line, and had the simple task of passing inside to captain Josh Barton, who then strolled across the try line.
Despite a yellow card to Olamide Sodeke on the 28th minute, The Mob continued to dominate the territory and apply the most attacking pressure. After a yellow card to Nathan Rushton for a deliberate knock on for Caldy, Ampthill scored with the last play of the first half. Despite some resistance from The Ravers, hooker James Hadfield grounded the ball from close range, and following a simple conversion from Barton, Ampthill held a 19-7 half time lead.
The visitors needed the opening score in the second half, and they delivered it in the 50th minute. After winning a scrum penalty against the head deep in Ampthill territory, they sustained the attack well following a rolling maul, Callum Ridgway burrowed underneath the Ampthill defence to score from close range.
Caldy upped their intensity to try and find their way back into the game, but a mis-thrown pass in the midfield in the 54th minute gifted Brandon Jackson the opportunity to intercept, and run it in from almost halfway to extend Ampthill’s lead to 14 points, following Josh Barton’s conversion.
The Mob all but secured the win 13 minutes later, after once again sustaining the pressure after a dominant rolling maul, and eventually Lekima Ravuvu battled his way across the line to secure Ampthill’s 5th and final try of the match.
The Ravers scored the final points of the match in the 78th minute, after being awarded a penalty try following persistent infringements from The Mob, with Karl Main and Barney Merrett both given a yellow card for their involvement.
Speaking after the win, Ampthill Head Coach Paul Turner said “It was a much improved performance today. There’s still a lot to work on but the important thing was the result. There’s real potential in this group and we can only get better as we play more together”
Ampthill’s next home game is in Round One of the Premiership Rugby Cup against Bath Rugby on 2nd November. Tickets are available now here
Ampthill Points Scorers
Tries: Barrington 11, Barton 17, Hadfield 39, Jackson 54, Ravuvu 67
Conversions: Barton 18, 40, 55, 68
Player of the Match: James Hadfield
Attendance: 752
