Ampthill travelled to the Wirral in the final game of 2025 looking to build on three successive wins – away at Richmond and Doncaster and at home last week to London Scottish. Head Coach Dave Ward predicted a forwards battle between the old rivals and that was to prove the case with the hosts ending the game six tries to four winners on The Paton Field.
Caldy opened the scoring after just three minutes – wing Ene finishing after slick hands in midfield following a textbook Caldy catch and drive. Conversion missed 5 v 0
Ampthill didn’t take long to hit back and following multipole phases stretching Caldy left then right, Brandon Jackson’s quick thinking opened the defence and Efan Jones fed Sione Va’enuku to stroll in under the posts. Finn Keylocks conversion have the Mob the lead 5 v 7 and Caldy reduced to fourteen following a yellow card to ex-Ampthill scrum-half Ollie Wynn.
The Mob then had a chance to extend their lead. After being awarded a penalty Louis Grimoldby kicked it within 15 metres and the forward pack caught and drove the lineout when they were told to use it and conspired to allow the Ravers to turn it over and go the length of the field to score what proved to be a decisive score, and instead of leading 5 v 14 they went behind 10 v 7.
Caldy reclaimed the lead on 18 minutes – Robinson scoring in the corner after the host forwards kept the ball alive, and a yellow card to Tino Mapapalangi for a high tackle. Caldy extended their lead minutes later when following multiple penalties against Ampthill they worked phases on the Mob try line before Gallagher burrowed over. A successful conversion giving Caldy a 17 v 7 lead with 27 minutes played.
The Mob reduced the arrears to a single score through a Finn Keylock penalty before a Brandon Jackson try on the stroke of half time made it a two point game at the break, Jackson collecting Louis Grimoldby cross field kick and diving over.
Five minutes into the second half Caldy again edged away, Louis Grimoldby’s attempted cross field clearance kick turned out to be an error that allowed the Ravers to punish the mistake was punished as Caldy scored their bonus point try. 22 v 15
They extended their lead five minutes later – nice interchange and yet more poor defence by the Mob on the left wing put Logan through for his second and Caldy fifth try. 29 v 15
Ampthill hit straight back scoring through a training ground catch and drive – hooker Seb Smith coming up with the ball, Keylock converting 29 v 22.
Caldy scored their final try minutes later – paying with advantage the ten put a kick crossfield for Ene to collect and acrobatically score his second of the game. 34 v 22
Ampthill scored what were to be the final points of the game with a quarter remaining – Richard Barrington claiming the score after nice work from the Mob pack, Keylock converting.
The Mob spent the final twenty minutes trying in vain to find a way through a resilient Caldy defence – multiple chances spurned through overplay, unforced errors and that Caldy defence.
Following the game, Head Coach Dave Ward said “we’re our own worst enemy, we cant keep gifting good teams like Caldy opportunities to score because they will always punish us. Caldy are a strong side at home but we’ve given them three tries today and we need to stop doing that. It’s a frustrating result but we go again next Saturday when we welcome Nottingham to Dillingham Park and we’ll need the Mob support there in numbers to roar us on”
