It’s a stroll in the Park as Biggleswade dominate

The game was a warm-up for the forthcoming Bedfordshire Cup Final, and Park showed they are going to be no pushovers in that match.

It was the penultimate league game of the season for Biggleswade and, despite the 35-5 scoreline, there were a few scares along the way.

Stockwood were eyeing a big scalp and mounted a furious onslaught on the Biggleswade line in the opening quarter.

But Biggleswade quickly got down to the serious business of defence with one crunching tackle after another.

There were some big hits and the Stockwood blitz seemed to be faltering but, just when the danger seemed to have been dealt with, Stockwood snuck up the short side for a try in the corner.

Biggleswade were forced to make early changes to their starting line as Aaron Pickering came on for flanker Michael Haddow who needed treatment for a cut head.

Playing his first game of the season in the top flight, Pickering stayed on when debutante Ben Hewitt was rested.

The harder ground took its toll on the older legs of Damian White who retired from the fray after half an hour with a knee injury, and this saw the introduction of Dom Nott.

Biggleswade had the chance to get some points on the board but three kicks at goal were either wide or hit the upright in the fresh cross-wind.

However, the final attempt led to Biggleswade’s opening score. The Park drop out from the 22 was expertly caught by Michael Trigg above his head covering back. He passed on to winger Sam Stock who ran the ball at pace through the packed defensive screen for a try to level the scores.

And just before the break, Biggleswade got their noses in front. Big lock James Emerson started the move which led to full-back Luke Haverly ending with a flourish in the corner after winger Taig Norman had done most of the hard running.

Turning round, the diagonal cross-wind was now in Biggleswade’s favour and it was used to good effect. Trigg stretched the lead with a penalty before Biggleswade grabbed a third try.

It was another searing run down the wing by Norman who almost lost the ball in an outrageous dummy before scoring in the corner.

An injury to scrum-half Rhys Gregory saw a major reshuffle of the back line, but this seemed to make Biggleswade even more effective and young Tristan Adams – a feisty winger – came on for his debut to complete the line up.

Trigg stretched the lead with another penalty before Biggleswade secured a bonus point for a fourth try.

Biggleswade were again defending hard as Stockwood tried to get back in the game. Another immense tackle set the ball loose and Biggleswade swept back upfield to turn defence into flowing attack.

Lawrence Hutchinson injected the power to burst through Stockwood’s line, before Stock outpaced the defence and went in for his second try with Trigg adding the conversion.

The restart drop-kick did not go ten metres so Biggleswade were soon back on the front foot with an attacking scrum. They lost the strike again but the Stockwood number eight was collared in possession and the ball turned over.

The move went right and then back across the field for Ryan Spence to cross the line for his sixth try in as many games to take Biggleswade past 30 points.

Next up, Biggleswade travel to Leicester to take on second-placed Vipers who they comfortably beat at home back in September.