Biggleswade RUFC

Enfield Ignatians 3rds 15 - 15 Biggleswade 2nds 

Another second team game and another tale of what could have been - adding to the sense of déjà vu within the second team plot line this season.

Making the familiar journey to Donkey Lane (where they’d beaten Finsbury at the end of October) a bare 15 Biggleswade second team took on Enfield 3rds, a team with similar league results to their own.

The early exchanges saw Enfield reveal their tactics of pick and go and crash ball runners off the fly-half. However the Biggleswade defence stood firm and took their opportunity to launch a swift counter-attack, with Joel Watson shooting out of the 22 to go all the way for his second try of the season. Cameron Plant stepped up after a brief delay to find the kicking tee so instead knocked it over as a drop-goal to make it 0-7.

Enfield continued to throw hard runners at the Biggy line. Further opportunities fell Biggleswade’s way, highlighting the the visitors’ more dangerous running game. Young tyro Jack Mulholland-Dear - improving with every match - was on especially good form. 

Enfield continued to threaten and eventually managed to get over the Biggleswade line for an unconverted try. Despite this Biggleswade still held the lead, without yet playing a single phase outside of their own half.

Biggy did manage to play good attacking rugby when they had possession. The extra distribution skills of fly-half Jimmy Hart, making a comeback on the back row alongside the ever-energetic Tom Harding, allowed the backs to stretch the Enfield defence time after time.

This attacking game was to bear fruit when Dave Leslie burst through a tackle with a good turn of pace to go over for Biggleswade’s second try. Plant was however unable to add the extra two points so the scores stood at 5-12.

With both sides picking up knocks throughout the game, the first half was a scrappy affair and full of set-pieces as the respective packs tried to outwork each other. Whereas Biggleswade had the advantage at scrum time, the home side’s mauling game gave them a platform from which to build. This pressure told and the home side managed to go over for another unconverted try. This saw Biggleswade up at half time with a two point advantage.

After the break injuries and a lack of substitutes began to cause issues for the Biggleswade side. First Liam Panton went off after a knock to the head. With the back rower off the field there was extra work for Biggy’s 14 remaining players.

With around 30 minutes left on the clock the game began to fracture. Players from both sides began to lose their discipline and at ruck time things got niggly, which led to a yellow for an Enfield player for persistent infringements which briefly evened up the sides.

The game turned into a slugfest as both teams looked to find the killer blow with which to take home the four points. Biggleswade were also dealt a further blow when promising young prop Brook Collett was side-lined with a neck injury. This saw them two men down after their player returned from the sin bin.

After a long period defending their own line, Biggleswade secured a penalty which was sent long into opposition territory. Noting the home side’s lack of discipline, Captain Jack Unite urged calm amongst the ranks, which his troops duly delivered as Enfield coughed up another penalty. This allowed Plant to send a penalty kick between the posts to extend the lead to 10-15 with 20 minutes to go.

In the frantic final exchanges it was Biggleswade’s turn to lose a player to the bin, meaning the final 10 minutes were to be played with only 12 men. Despite the 3-man advantage Enfield couldn’t find the gap in the defence as Biggy emptied the tank and threw in their most aggressive defensive effort of this season. Enfield also had a role to play when one of their players dropped the ball in the motion of going to dot the ball down which would have won them the game.

With the clock ticking down Biggleswade gave away another penalty in their 22. From this Enfield encamped themselves and with the final play of the game managed to sneak over the whitewash. The difficult conversion was missed, which saw both sides share the points and the final score 15-15.

It was another hard-earned draw for the Biggleswade 2nds and they can be buoyed by their defensive showing, but it was another case of what could have been. If they had stuck to their attacking game and had a little more luck with injuries, they could have come back up the A1 with the full points.

Next week 2nds host runaway league leaders St Albans 2nds.