Rugby Union: Round-up from December 14

In National Two South Paul Turner’s third-placed AMPTHILL were beaten 41-24 by table-topping Hartpury College at Dillingham Park, and now trail the league leaders by 14 points.

Ampthill made an excellent start, taking a 17-0 lead following early tries from Daryl Dyer, Paul Davies and Joe Tarrant, but they let the league leaders back into the game just before the break.

“At 17-0 there followed five minutes of madness, where we allowed Hartpury to wrestle control and go in 19-17 ahead,” said Turner.

“Although we got back into the lead early in the second half, you need to go back to that period where we threw the game away, Hartpury are a very good side, but at that stage, they were on the ropes, we failed to capitalise, it was a harsh lesson.”

Dyer’s second try of the afternoon restored Ampthill’s lead at 24-22, but Hartpury scored a converted try and four penalties without Ampthill responding, finishing the scoring, and the game, on a wet and windy afternoon.

BEDFORD ATHLETIC made the trip up to Birmingham to play Bournville, and will need to wait until the New Year for their first league victory in National League 3 Midlands after going down 32-24.

Ath trailed 24-8 at the interval, following a Sven Meiland try and James Mortimer penalty in the first period, but they came out and enjoyed much larger periods of dominance after the break and won the second forty minutes 16-8.

A Will Affleck try, converted by James Mortimer, who also added three penalties, rounded off Ath’s scoring.

It was another competitive display by Ath, who have now lost 12 out of their 14 league games by less than 20 points, suggesting their luck will surely turn in the New Year.

BEDFORD QUEENS recorded their sixth win of the Midlands 3 East South campaign against Northampton Casuals, narrowly beating them 20-19. A converted Stuart Shinkwin try and two Ashley Tapper penalties set up a 13-12 half-time lead for the Queensmen. Darren Stapleton then drove over for Queens’ only try in the second half, which he converted, to secure the narrowest of victories.

“Our mental attitude was great,” said Queens skipper Luke Wilson. “We were dogged and determined, it’s the kind of win we’d let slip away from us in the past.”

BEDFORD SWIFTS, sitting third in Midlands 4, got back to winning ways with a 22-3 victory on the road up at Stamford College.

“We should have won by more, though it’s a step in the right direction,” said Swifts’ chairman Sean White.

A first-half try from Matt Wilson, converted by Sam Richbell, who also added a penalty, gave the visitors a 10-0 lead at the break, with second half tries from Harvey Robjohn and Simon Bunday completing the scoring for Swifts.

KEMPSTON slipped to eighth in Midlands 4 following their 52-19 defeat away to Old Newtonians. “We played well, we just didn’t convert our chances”, said hooker John Nichols.following tries from Dan Court, Stewie Jordan and Mick Mills, with two conversions by Lewis Perrin.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24339698

Rugby Union: Round-up from December 14