Ampthill Hold On To Secure Fifth Win Of The Season Over Doncaster
Ampthill welcomed visitors Doncaster to a cold, dry, windless and overcast Olney Field where the pitch was, as usual, in very good condition for the Knights first ever fixture against the home side.
Amps squad saw three changes in the starting lineup and three on the bench from the record defeat at Ealing. Up front Dave Ward rotated to hooker, Matt Collins to prop and Shay Kerry to lock. In the backs scrum half Kevin Barrett replaced Darryl Veenendaal while Argentine centre Sefafin Bordoli rotated. The bench saw hooker Syd Blackmore, prop Luvuyo Pupuma & centre Sam Hanks rotate while flaner Will Allman & outside back Will Foster returned.
Some spice was added to the fixture by the return of former Ampthill Head Coach Clive Griffiths and former player Joe Sproston to Dillingham Park.
Ampthill began well achieving a 16pt lead before a serious injury break to a Knights player seemed to affect Amps more than the visitors as they came back with 2 converted tries by early in the second half.
First flanker Joe Bercis touched down on 5 minutes after concerted pressure on the visitors defence, then, wing Sam Baker caught in stride a fine cross kick from fly half Louis Grimoldby and raced over by the left corner flag, Grimoldby missing both conversions. A’s extended their lead with two penalty goals from Grimoldby on 18 & 30 minutes after Doncaster twice cynically infringed with the hosts on the attack in front of the posts.
After the injury break the home side appeared to have lost focus as Knights scored either side of half time through a driving maul (Ben Hunter, 36 minutes) and a backs move (wing Tyson Lewis, 42 minutes).
The hosts then stretched away again with two more converted tries of their own, a Jarryd Sage mid field break (53 minutes) and Bercis’ second from close range (61 minutes).
Leading 30-14 with 20 minutes remaining Ampthill again allowed the visitors to step up, forcing the home side on the back foot leading to a yellow card to centre Sam Hanks and a Doncaster try to replacement wing Jack Roberts (74 minutes) converted by fly half Sam Olver.
Just 3 minutes later while again under the cosh home Number 8 Sam Hudson was also sent to the bin leaving Amps to play the rest of game first 2 players then 1 player down.
Despite the best efforts of the 13 men Knights ran in another try on 78 minutes through centre Kyle Evans, Olver adding the extras.
With 2 minutes plus time added on to play A’s, restored to 14 players, were leading by just 4pts, to the relief of the home spectators the last play of the game attacking lineout inside the hosts 22 was stolen and the ball kicked dead.
A fine game for the neutral, with either side able to win at the death, this was Ampthill’s 5th win of the season.
Doncaster Coach Clive Griffiths commented “Ampthill throughly deserved their win, our squad were warned during our preparation as to what they might expect but we did not follow the game plan in the first half, choosing to play rather than concentrating on territory. We had our chances to win the game at the end but failed to take them. A sad day for Doncaster and myself personally but a great day for Ampthill”
Ampthill Director Of Rugby Mark Lavery commented “We played well for large parts of a game which ebbed and flowed but when leading 30-14 in the second half we failed to put the game away and allowed them back, this wasn’t good enough. Now we focus on our away trip to Newcastle Falcons, an experience no one associated with Ampthill could have imagined a few years ago!”
Half time:- Ampthill 16 Doncaster 7
Referee:- Greg McDonald
Attendance:- 980
Man of the Match:- Billy Johnson, Ampthill
SCORERS
Ampthill
Tries: Bercis (5, 61), Baker (13), Sage (53)
Cons: Grimoldby (54, 62)
Pens: Grimoldby (18, 30)
Yellow: Hanks (68), Hudson (77)
Doncaster
Tries: Hunter (36), Lewis (42), Roberts (74), Evans (78)
Cons: Olver (37, 43, 79)
Ampthill Doncaster
Lineouts Won 9 9
Lineouts Lost 2 3
Scrums Won 2 4
Scrums Lost 1 1
Penalties Conceded 15 12
Yellow Cards 2 0
Ampthill
Lynch 7, Sutherland 6 (Foster 64, 6), Sage 7 (Hanks 59, 6, YC 69), Bordoli 6, Baker 6, Grimoldby 6, Barrett 7 (Fukofuka 62, 6), Tonga’huiha 6 (Pupuma 49, 7), Ward 6 (Blackmore 51, 7) {Ward 78}, Collins 7 (Lutui 49, 7), Johnson 8, Kerry 6 (Langley 48, 7), Arthur 6 (Allman 62, 6), Bercis 7, Hudson 6
Doncaster
Cowell 8, Packman 7 (Evans 24, 7), Hayes 7 (Roberts 63, 6), Foley 6, Lewis 7, Olver 6, James 6, Hislop 7, Hunter 7 (Edgson 6), Quigley 6 (Sproston 7), Challinor 7, Eames 6, Calladine 6, Conradie 7 (Lokotui 64, 6), Stedman 7 (Pickford 34, 6)
