Biggleswade RUFC seal promotion with win over St Ives

The pitch was very wet, having a clay base and barely playable. It cut up badly and was a lottery to attempt a quick turn as several players found to their embarrassment.

It was mainly a forwards match with the heavier players trundling forward to set up an attacking option. For Biggleswade, Liam Dunne, Kyle Loan, Dome Nott and James Emerson were in their element.

St Ives scored first in the top corner but Biggleswade quickly responded with a try from Tom Anderson but Charlie Stevens’ conversion just went wide.

Spills and slips were common all afternoon. On a sunnier day with a dryer pitch Biggleswade might have scored their normal quota of four tries, which they have done in 18 out of 20 games.

Instead, the speedy three-quarters found traction difficult, ending up sprawled in the mud. The sticky ground made it harder to roll away so penalties for that and other minor misdemeanours were rife. For once the set scrums were very even apart from the occasional wheel to disrupt possession.

It was a day for the front row to shine with Dom Knott and Kyle Loan both adding to their tally for the season with a try apiece. But young Ben Watson and not-so-young Martyn Hull both played a steady hand.

Leading by 19-5 and seeking a fourth bonus point try it was the hosts who closed the gap with a converted try. This made for a tense final quarter of an hour but Biggleswade held out for a four-point win and promotion to Counties 1 next season.

Next up is a trip to St Neots who lost to Stewarts & Lloyds, the final league opponents. However, the following week the Corby outfit travel to Langford Road for a cup match.