Mission accomplished

It can be quite difficult playing a game against less experienced sides. Everyone expects you to win easily, so whatever you do - in a way - you "can't win". Its also a difficult balancing act as you do not want to completely destroy an up and coming club.

Despite that I think we got it about right yesterday. Charlie and Nikki in particular were brilliant ambassadors for our club, playing the full game for Ampthill as hard - if not harder! - than ever, with Charlie scoring a try and Nikki on just falling short - Jess catching her just before the line.

But it was not just them. Ampthill clearly have the potential to be a good side - there are some talented players there who lack only experience, experience that meant that they often reacted just a fraction of a second slower to situations - which makes all the difference, especially with someone like Natalie around, grabbing two more tries by simply reacting faster to loose balls. It was noticeable how much they improved as they game went on - the second half was fairly even until the final few minutes when perhaps match fitness told. If the Ampthill girls are given regular fixtures I think we will find that future meetings will be much closer.

For Letchworth, it was a chance to use various back moves and it was good to see the ball moved wide. Jess was always dangerous - and not only in attack, but her tackling was good as well - while Sasha showed a remarkable turn of speed for one of her longest sprints to the line ever. Ruby also made her mark ("their fly half is really aggressive!" I heard one of the Ampthill girls say). The pack was predictably dominant, though a few scrums were lost maybe because people relaxed a bit - a dangerous thing to do against any opposition.

Finally a word of praise for everyone's behaviour after the game as well - it was good to see both teams sitting down and mixing together so well afterwards. Rugby is more than just what happens on the field.

Looking ahead just as we are getting going its county for two of the next three weekends, but other than that November promises to be a taxing month with home games against Kettering and Basford - we won't be able to relax against them!