The week off arrived at the perfect time after a difficult block of games including Yorkshire Carnegie and Hartpury away in a six-day time frame which utilised nearly every member of the playing squad.
#CommunityRugbyClub #CommunityRugby #ChampRugby
After an unexpected rest weekend due to Storm Ciara and events off the pitch this week, the boys are raring to get out on the field and play some rugby.
New signing Michael van Vuuren will make his debut from the bench – we’re sure the #Mob crowd will give him a warm welcome! It’s @LSFCOfficial first competitive visit to Dillingham Park for what will be a great example of #ChampRugby – let’s hope Storm Dennis doesn’t spoil the day!
Ampthill won this fixture 53-22 back in October but they are facing a very different Carnegie with a changed coaching team and several new players on the field and expect a tough challenge.
#AmpthillRUFC #CarnegieRugby #ChampRugby
Ampthill make four changes to the starting line-up and three on the bench for the first visit of the Knights to Dillingham Park.
Matt Collins comes in at tighthead and Shay Kerry returns in the second row. Kevin Barrett takes over the nine jersey in a rotation of the scrum-half pool with Serafin Bordoli returning to the starting fifteen at inside centre.
On the bench, Syd Blackmore and Will Allman are among the forwards replacements with Will Foster covering the back three.
“We were all very disappointed with last week’s effort against a good Ealing side and if we play like that against a very experienced Doncaster Knights it will be a long afternoon.
I’m looking forward to welcoming Clive Griffiths back to Dillingham Park where he used to help out with the coaching. Clive has built a very good side that has had a dreadful run with injuries but they are now getting most of those players back. They did a really good job on Nottingham last week and thoroughly deserved the win.
The Knights have a very big and experienced forward pack and a backline that play a flowing and attacking brand of rugby. They have been in the competition for a long time and understand how to win on the road – we will need to be at our very best if we are going to get anything out of the game.”
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Doncaster Squad
Robin Hislop
Ben Hunter
Colin Quigley
Morgan Eames
Matt Challinor
Tom Calladine
Wian Conradie
Ollie Stedman
Tom James
Sam Olver
Tyson Lewis
Charlie Foley
Lloyd Hayes
Howard Packman
Cameron Cowell
George Edgson
Andrew Foster
Joe Sproston
Rory Pitman
Fotu Lokotui
Sam Pocklington
Kyle Evans
Jack Roberts
Ampthill make just one change from the side that won at Goldington Road against Bedford on Boxing Day with Kevin Barrett replacing Leon Fukofuka.
Ampthill are pleased to be able to welcome one of the most senior officials in the country, with International and Premiership referee Matthew Carley being given the whistle for the afternoon on his first visit to Dillingham Park.
“We have played all the contenders with the exception of the Falcons, and Coventry are definitely the best side we have played this season. They have recruited a lot of experienced players from the Premiership and the Pro 14 so the challenge couldn’t be any bigger.
It’s great to be able to name a side with only one change to the starting fifteen so we will look forward to the Mob fans being our sixteenth man and hope to make it a more competitive game than the last two games we have had against Coventry”
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Coventry Squad
James Gibbons
Joe Buckle
Phil Boulton
James Voss
Alex Woolford
Ben Nutley
Luke Wallace
Ryan Burrows
Tom Kessell
Tony Fenner
Max Trimble
Will Owen
Rob Knox
Andy Bulumakau
Henry Purdy
Jimmy Stevens
Toby Trinder
Luc Jeannot
Adam Peters
Nile Dacres
Pete White
Rory Jennings
Andy Forsyth
When the Championship fixtures were announced in July, the first one the Mob supporters looked for was the Blues at home. Ampthill now face them twice in 12 days, starting with the final round of the Championship Cup, before heading to Goldington Road in the Greene King IPA Championship on Boxing Day.
Excitement for this game at Dillingham Park has been building during the past few weeks, and expectations are for the biggest crowd of the year if not ever. In contrast, the smallest crowd of the season witnessed the best performance at Level 2 last week in a narrow defeat to Ealing Trailfinders. Momentum is key in sport and the boys will look to build on that performance tomorrow.
Ampthill’s line-up sees a few changes from last week’s side with German international Jörn Schroder making his debut at loosehead; Shay Kerry returns to partner Carl Burgess in the second row and Jac Arthur makes his debut for Ampthill at 6. In the backs, Kevin Barrett takes the 9 jersey, captain Louis Grimoldby shifts to fly-half and Spencer Sutherland replaces Josh Gillespie on the wing.
“The first visit by Bedford Blues to Dillingham Park, for the first competitive fixture between our clubs at home, is a truly historic day for all the members and supporters of Ampthill RUFC and I am sure we will see a truly super game of rugby befitting the occasion.
We make a number of changes to the side that ran Ealing Trailfinders so close last weekend and we look forward to seeing how the team acquit themselves in what I’m sure will be a red hot local derby.”
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Bedford Squad
Sean McCarthy
Robbie Smith
Henry Paul
Jordan Onojaife
Will Carrick Smith
Josh Buggea
Joe Atkinson
Dan Temm
James Lennon
Will Hooley
Ryan Hutler
Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas
Matt Worley
Pat Tapley
Joe Green
Jacob Fields
Joe Wrafter
Andrew Boye
Oli Curry
Alafoti Faosiliva
Grayson Hart
Sam Leeming
Charlie Reed
Ealing are looking to retain the trophy this season, and are certainly in fine form – they come into this game with a record of Played 4, Won 4 in the Championship Cup and currently sit second in the Greene King IPA Championship. News of further reinforcements to their squad this week underpins their ambitions.
By contrast, Ampthill had a bad day at Coventry last Saturday and the starting fifteen will be looking to rectify last weeks performance.
“Ealing as the current Championship Cup holders represent a massive challenge for a club of our size, and we are honoured to host such an ambitious club visiting Dillingham Park this Saturday.
After a poor day at the office last Saturday, we have given most of the squad the opportunity to put right a number of wrongs from last week’s performance and we hope they take the opportunity afforded to them to make a substantial improvement on last week’s performance.”
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Ealing Squad
Jordan Els
Matt Cornish
Elliot Millar Mills
Ben West
James Cannon
Kieran Murphy
Andrew Durutalo
Rayn Smid
Jordan Burns
Craig Willis
Reon Joseph
Harry Sloan
Jack Tovey
James Cordy Redden
Tommy Bell
Alun Walker
Josh Pieterse
Craig Trenier
Dave McKern
Oli Robinson
Craig Hampson
Steven Shingler
David Johnston
After what seems a long break since Ampthill's narrow defeat to Jersey Reds at Dillingham Park in the Greene King IPA Championship, the 1st XV resume their RFU Championship Cup campaign with an away trip to Coventry Rugby Club.
Ampthill were given a rude awakening to Level 2 Rugby when Coventry visited Dillingham Park in September with a 17-47 defeat. Having finished the first block of cup fixtures with a record of Played 3, Won 1, Lost 2. Coventry, by comparison, finished with a record of Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1. Ampthill's highlight was a surprise away win to Bedford Blues whilst Coventry's only low point has been a narrow defeat to Ealing Trailfinders (Current Cup Holders).
With most of Ampthill's dual-registered players being recalled this week for Premiership Shield duties, the squad will be more familiar to the traveling Maroon and Gold supporters, with Sam Hanks and Jarryd Sage returning from injury in the centres. Leon Fukofuka and Luvuyo Pupuma make their full debut for Ampthill. Louis Grimoldby assumes responsibility of Captain with Dave Ward, Darryl Veenendaal and Billy Johnson on the bench.
“It’s been a long first block of the season and the squad have enjoyed their week off. We have chosen to make a number of changes to the side that were maybe unlucky to come out of the Jersey game with only a losing bonus point, and to give a number of others a chance to stake a claim for a place in the starting side going forward.
Coventry have had an excellent start to the season, and it will give us a chance to see how far we have progressed since we played them at Dillingham Park in our first ever game at level two.”
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Coventry Squad
Toby Trinder
Joe Buckle
Luc Jeannot
James Voss
Alex Woolford
Ben Nutley
Jack Ram
Senitiki
Will Flinn
Tony Fenner
Henry Purdy
Will Owen
Rob Knox
James Martin
Dan Lewis
Jimmy Stevens
James Gibbons
Gareth Denman
Nile Dacres
Ben Adams
Pete White
Will Maisey
David Halaifonua
Bedford and Ampthill are both in Pool 1 of the Championship Cup this season. Saturday marks the third game of the pool and half way through. Bedford are also in the position of having lost to both Ealing Trailfinders and Coventry but with a strong attacking score they start the game with a 28 point difference advantage compared to Ampthill.
Both clubs have played one another many times in the past but this is the first time they meet in competition as peers. Always an entertaining competition this is looking to be a match of two determined teams.
“It’s a massive day for the club with the first competitive game against Bedford Blues in the club’s history. From a personal point of view it will be an emotional day to take the A’s to my former club Bedford at Goldington Road. The journey has been incredible so far taking us from level seven to level two and it’s obviously a huge honour for Ampthill to be involved in such a big game at the Blues this weekend.
The Blues fans are very knowledgeable, and I hope we will get a warm if partisan welcome from the Bedford faithful.
We’ve had a tough introduction to life at level two and it doesn’t get any easier when you have to go away to Bedford. The squad is adjusting to life and I hope we continue to show progress this weekend. Whilst it’s a big ask to get anything at Goldington Road we will give it our best shot.
The squad shows eleven changes to the side that lost at Ealing and a number of the boys who are going to Richmond with the 1881s (Ampthill 2nd team ) will be in contention for the start of the Green King IPA Championship against Nottingham at home next week at Dillingham Park”
Match Gallery: 20191005 Bedford Blues vs Ampthill 1st XV
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Ampthill Squad
Bedford Squad
Sean McCarthy
Robbie Smith
Henry Paul
Will Carrick Smith
Jordan Onojaife
Dan Temm
Josh Buggea
Huw Worthington
Grayson Hart
Ed Coulson
Ryan Hutler
Lewis Robling
Matt Worley
Charlie Reed
Rich Lane
Ewan Kingdon
Joe Wrafter
Andrew Boye
Ed Taylor
Joe Atkinson
James Lennon
Fraser Strachan
Pat Tapley
Last season Coventry recorded a Played 22, Won 8, Drawn 1 record to finish 8th, higher than any other promoted Club since the 12-team format was established.
Having strengthened their squad in the close season with 8 former Premiership or Pro 12 players and a brand new artificial pitch installed at Butts Park, their target will surely be finishing higher in the league table.
“We have completely restructured the rugby programme and this has led to a major upheaval to the Coaches and Playing Staff. However, pre-season has been good but it will take some time for the new systems to bed in and we are still a couple of players short to complete the squad.
We haven’t played any pre-season games so this is the first run out for the squad which will give us the chance to look at the number of the new players and combinations in a competitive match.
11 new signings make their debuts including Loose Head Prop Ben Christie on Dual Registration from WASPS. I think it’s important that our members and fans get behind the new boys on their first appearances at Dillingham Park. I am sure it will take a while to come together but I am confident that we are building a foundation to compete in the future.
Coventry recruited strongly this summer bring in a lot of Premiership and International experience into their playing group. I’m sure they will be challenging for the Championship Cup and I predict they will finish in the top 4 of the Greene King IPA Championship this season given the improved quality of their squad.
This is the first game Ampthill has played at the level in our history and it doesn’t get any tougher than Coventry”
Match Gallery: 20190921 Ampthill vs Coventry
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Ampthill Squad
Tom Foulkes
David Ward
Matthew Collins
Henri Williams
Billy Johnson
Robert Langley
Joe Bercis
Maama Molitika
Darryl Veenendal
Josh Sharp
Nigel Baker
Sam Hanks
Jarryd Sage
Kwaku Asiedu
Serafin Bordoli
Sydney Blackmore
Aleki Lutui
Ben Christie
Facundo Dominguez
Shay Kerry
Gavin Williams
Louis Grimoldby
Will Foster
Coventry Squad
James Gibbons
Darren Dawidiuk
Gareth Denman
James Voss
Alexander Woolford
Adam Peters
Jack Ram
Ryan Burrows
Thomas Kessell
Rory Jennings
Ratu Bulumakau
William Owen
Heath Stevens
Ratu Jonasa Bulumakau
James Stokes
Scott Tolmie
Toby Trinder
Philip Boulton
George Oram
Senitki Nayalo
Peter White
William Maisey
Robert Knox
