2nd xv v ON’s 2nd April 2016

Leighton Buzzard 2s Vs Old Northamptonians 3s

On a sunny afternoon at Wrights Meadow Leighton Buzzard 2s welcomed an experienced ON’s side for their last home league game.

The young Leighton side knew that if they could keep the ball away from their older and more experienced opponents then they would win the game, so from the kick off the ball was moved well through the hands in the backs and the ball was given to Jack Kempster on his own 10 metre line who then went on a Massey run to the line to score in the corner, Jack Bowen converted this score, again from the restart the ball was being moved really well amongst all players but it was Ryan Tift that got the last pass to score out wide, again Bowen converted a touch line kick, it was then Bowens time to score a try himself but was unlucky not to convert as he hit the post.

You could see that Leighton were now starting to play some great rugby and you could start to see that the ONs team thought it might be a long afternoon at the office.

It was around 10 minutes before Leighton managed to get themselves back on the score sheet again and although it was Dan Baroux who scored it was mainly due to a storming run from Jacob Barker who had caught the ball in his own 22 and made it to the opponents 22 before being tackled and passing to Baroux to score ,the next try was a well worked try that saw just about every player touch the ball before Huw Davies got the ball about 10 metres from the line and barged his way over, Bowen after some early good conversions had now seemed to lose his kicking boots and again the conversion was missed, Dan Baroux again got his name on the score sheet and Tift then converted this try, with half time approaching and ONs now playing some good passages of play through their forwards they were unlucky not to score but were held up over the line, from the scrum the ball was struck well against the head and the Leighton backs then moved the ball well before giving it to Phil Crawthorne to run from the half way line to score under the posts, again Tift converted to make the half time score 43-0.

With the 2^nd half kicking off with Leighton playing up the hill it was not long before they got on the score sheet again and it was Ryan Tift that showed a clean pair of heels and raced in to score under the posts, he then converted his own try.

At half time the Leighton team had been able to make 4 changes and with the ONs team only having 15 it was always going to be hard for them but it was from another attacking position from Leighton that the ball was dropped and the ONs centre picked up and raced down the pitch to score in the corner, although the Leighton team were disappointed to have let a score in they applauded the try.

One of Leighton’s new players Andy Harris Smith was next to score and it was with a bang that he announced himself to the game as he was given the ball on his own 22 and raced up the pitch to score, after having done it once he must have liked it because he then scored 2 more in quick succession of which Tift converted 2.

With the scoreboard ticking over at will it was not long before Leighton were to score again and this time the ball was given to scrum half James Ward who ran round the opposition winger to  score under the posts, Tift was to convert this try to finish the game with 20 points to his name.

Now with only minutes left and the ONs side praying for the final whistle to go it was Ross Bevan who managed to be on the end of a nice looping pass from Harris Smith to score out wide, at this point both team thought it may have been the last play of the game but the ref said there was enough time for the restart, and it was after the ball had gone into touch on the full twice that Leighton then decided to go for the scrum in centre field, from this scrum the ball was given to Mike Roberts who had been making big holes in the opposition centre field all afternoon to race through to score in the corner.

Final score 86 – 5 to Leighton Buzzard, a special mention must go to the ONs team who although well beaten never gave up.