Ampthill kicked off the rebranded Champ Rugby season with a local derby away at Cambridge Rugby in the eye of Storm Amy.
With winds to 40mph sweeping across The Ellgia Fields and bending the posts during the warm up, playing the conditions would be essential to a positive outcome in the game.
Ampthill won the toss and opted to play with the wind and took only five minutes to open the scoring. Awarded a penalty on the hosts 22, Grimoldby found the corner, the forwards secured the ball and Efan Jones looped pass found the advancing Seva Kava who dived over for his first try in Maroon and Gold. Grimoldby added the conversion from the touchline.
An overthrown Cambridge lineout in their own twenty-two presented the Mob with their second try – debutant hooker Seb Smith reacting quickest to the loose ball and driving over the line. Louis on target again and it was 0 v 14 with sixteen played.
Cambridge reduced the arrears capitalising on Ampthill defensive errors and ex-Ampthill prop Jake Elwood ran a strong line to score.
The Mob restored their 14 point advantage almost from the restart. The Ampthill pack worked multiple patient phases in the Cambridge twenty-two before Jones picked up and went solo stepping between defenders to score his first try in Champ Rugby. Grimoldby added a third conversion but our hosts reduced the arrears to 9 points on the stroke of half-time scoring from a line-out catch and drive.
Ampthill took control of the game early in the second half. Tatoa Auvaa drove over after breaking off the base of a maul before flanker Barney Merrett finished a sweeping Mob move that started on their own ten-metre line. Minutes later Josh Barton broke in midfield and fed wing Sam Kildunne who beat the Cambridge defenders to race home on his competitive debut. 12 v 40 with twenty to play.
To their credit Cambridge weren’t rolling over and they grabbed a try-bonus point with a brace of catch and drive scores that would give the Ampthill coaches something to think about before the Pirates visit The Olney Field next weekend. But it was Ampthill that completed the scoring, replacement hooker Samson Adejimi finishing on his return to the Mob.
Following the game, Head Coach Dave Ward said “Cambridge are a decent side and they’ll upset a few teams this season and we didn’t want to be one of them. We won the toss and took the wind. We didn’t think it would be a big enough lead at half time but the wind dropped and we managed to control the game”
Ampthill Team:
1Harrison Courtney 2. Seb Smith 3. Callum Norrie 4. Totoa Auvaa 5. Aidan King 6. Barney Merrett 7. Charles Rylands (vc) 8. Tino Mapapalangi 9. Efan Jones 10. Louis Grimoldby 11. Seva Kava 12. Fraser Strachan (c) 13. Oscar Wilson 14. Sam Kildunne 15. Josh Barton
16. Samson Adejimi 17. Rich Barrington 18. Jevaughn Warren 19. Kennedy Slyvester 20. Ollie Mullarkey 21. Kima Ravuvu 22. Alex Davies23. Matt Salisbury
Points Scorers:
Try: Sava 5, Smith 15, Jones 25, Auvaa 42, Merrett 48, Kildunne 55, Adejimi 79
Conv: Grimoldby 6, 16, 26, 44, 56
Man of the Match: Charles Rylands
