Newark ready for Ampthill
Newark Rugby Club had the perfect warm-up for tomorrow’s crucial home match against Ampthill by beating Leighton Buzzard 67-0 at Kelham Road on Saturday.
Two tries from Matt Brewer led the way in a flowing exhibition that lifted Newark into third place, one point behind Ampthill and two away from leaders Dunstablians.
The other tries came from Michael Dobson (2) Ed Collishaw (2) Andy Moore, David Rhodes, Dave Shiels, David Fagan and Mark Staines, with Danny Coen kicking six conversions to make him the leading points scorer in the league on 77.
Ampthill are returning to Newark for the second time this season, following the first game in October that was eventually deemed to have been abandoned because it finished in uncontested scrums.
Kettering 2nds 14 - Newark 2nds 24
Angus Spencer raced the length of the field to score a stand-out try in a fast and flowing game at Kettering.
Spencer struck in a second half that featured a substitute appearance by Micky Barker, a member of last season’s victorious cup-winning team, at prop.
Newark’s opening try had come from Mark Miller at outside-half and two from Jamie Eveleigh.
Southwell 3rds 14 - Newark 4ths 38
Rhys Overland topped off his best game at scrum-half by scoring a second half try and kicking three conversions.
The other tries came from Chris Wildgust (2) Gareth Ward-Walters, Will Orrey, and Stan Hutchinson, with Hutchinson averaging a try a game this season — not bad for a veteran.
For Southwell, it was a case of all remaining hands to the pump, with former captain Andy Guy bravely stepping into the hot seat to lead a hastily arranged side for the match against their local rivals.
A mixture of old, very old, and some very new players were rewarded for their efforts with two tries by 2nd XV skipper Nigel McHale that were converted by Mickey Hucknall.
Youth
Newark Under-13s v Scunthorpe W43-0 (tries — Keegan Monteiro 4, Charlie Stubbs, Will Lyon, Liam Westcott; conv — Ben Dixon 4).
Ashby 1sts 45 - Southwell 1sts 14
The Redmen travelled to Leicestershire for their league match against tough opposition with a team which had been once more ravaged with injuries, and they slipped to another defeat.
Young winger Liam Rockley came in for his debut in only the 12th game of his rugby career, but the improvement he has shown in the Reapers was enough to convince the first team powers-that-be that he deserved his chance.
Southwell’s consolation tries by skipper Nick Dunsworth and centre Jamie Speed-Andrews were both converted by fly-half Paul Rich, while second row Andrew Legge regularly broke free of the defence with a sidestep or two and made some considerable ground.
