Another trip down the motorway for DMPRFC 1ST XV this weekend, to the Dillingham Park HQ of Ampthill & District RFC in South Bedford, as the visitors seek to end a spell of 3 consecutive losses.

That said, the task will be a tough one, as the league’s newcomers have had a cracking start to the season, are unbeaten and will be anxious for that to remain the case against familiar opposition.

Although newcomers to National League 1, both clubs are no strangers to each other, having lined up in opposition on 3 previous occasions, once in a pre-season friendly last season, where DMPRFC scraped a 28 – 33 victory at Dillingham Park and then the DMPRFC promotion of 2013/14 season, where bizarrely both teams met twice at the Northern Echo Arena.

On the first meeting in 2013/14 in a pre-season friendly, it was Ampthill & District RFC who prevailed in a tough pre-season friendly, as both clubs were in National 2, but in the different leagues – North & South.

Then the last game of that season thrust both sides together in the play-off on that momentous encounter, where it went down to the wire again at the Northern Echo Arena, with DMPRFC coming out on top (30 – 28) in the last play of extra-time.

It hasn’t taken Ampthill & District RFC to get over that loss, as last season they too were promoted in the play-off game and are doing well in their first season in National League 1.

So much so, that after 4 games, they are in the ‘silver medal’ position, currently unbeaten, with 3 wins and a draw, with 17 league points.
Their wins have come via Esher RFC (A, 16 – 27), Blaydon RFC (H, 41 – 12) and Cinderford RFC (A, 25 – 27) and the draw last week at home to Henley Hawks RFC (14 – 14).

They have scored 15 tries in the process, enabling them to claim 3 try bonus points to add to their tally.

Like DMPRFC, under the leadership of ex- Welsh International fly half Paul Turner, Ampthill & District RFC are a very ambitious club and have recruited astutely, with a very good mix of experience and youth, revolving around Tongan ex-Internationals Maama Molitika, Viliami Ma’asi and former DMPRFC player Paino Hehea, not to mention the scrum coaching skills of Viliami Taumoepeau.

All DMPRFC players and connections will have been disappointed with the result last weekend at Blackheath RFC (23 – 7 loss), but realistic enough to know that giving a team 20 points head start, is hard to recover from, no matter who you represent.

The fact that the second half against Blackheath RFC was much more competitive than the first for whatever reason, augurs well, as although the first half tally of the hosts was never going to be overhauled, there were opportunities to attempt the comeback, as the defence stood firm and prevented any further try scoring, adding a try from lock Rob CONQUEST, converted by fly half Garry LAW.

With that behind the squad now, an opportunity to get back at it is the best remedy and the focus on the weekend coming started with the final whistle at Blackheath RFC.

There is no doubt that this fixture will be the toughest yet, but in National League One there are no easy games and each team will have to be at their very best to emerge victorious.

15. George Wacokecoke

14. Callum Mackenzie

13. Tomas Appleton

12. Ben Frankland

11. Pete Homan

10. Gary Law

9. Bruno Bravo

8.Ali Bone

7. Luca Pettillo

6. Joe Craggs

5. Toby Salmon

4. Rob Conquest

3.Iggy Darknitis

2. Simon Uzokwe

1. Darren Fearn

REPS

16. Ralph Appleby

17. Santi Socino

18. Rory Duff

19. Matt Walsh

20. Ed Coulson