Stamford College Old Boys RFC traveled to Leighton Buzzard RFC on Saturday in the first-ever encounter between the two sides in the Old Boys' 50-year history.

It would be a tough afternoon for the College, playing against a strong Buzzard side who claimed bonus points every game this season, their first in the RFU league pyramid after withdrawing from Regional 2 East Mids following the 2022/23 season. Adding to their woes, the Old Boys have a substantial injury list, meaning they traveled to Leighton Buzzard with only 16 players. But that didn’t stop a spirited Old Boys side from putting in a performance to be proud of.

Sam Duncan, leading the Stamford side, won the toss and opted to kick off. Unfortunately, the match got off to an unpleasant start when Old Boys back-row Tiago Rodrigues suffered a double jaw fracture following a big collision off the back of a lineout just 90 seconds into the match. This forced the College to use their only substitute, and Mark Edwards entered the fray.

To the home supporter's surprise, the Old Boys appeared to be the dominant side in the opening quarter, pinning Leighton Buzzard deep in their own half. Despite their best-attacking efforts, Buzzard's incredibly strong defensive set meant the Stamford side was unable to convert this early pressure into a score. However, 15 minutes into the match the Old Boys won a breakdown penalty and opted to kick for posts. The ever-cool Carl Brierley-Lewis converted comfortably, and Stamford had the first points of the afternoon at 0-3.

Unfortunately, this awakened Leighton Buzzard, and they were to be the College's only points of the first half as the home side demonstrated their ability to identify space to run in a flurry of quick tries in the second quarter of the match. Going into the half-time break, Leighton Buzzard comfortably led 33-3.

The Old Boys' second half began similarly to the first. Just minutes into play, full back Dave Rogers sustained a back injury, forcing him to leave the field and forcing the Old Boys to finish the match with just 14 players.

Having demonstrated their ability to identify space in the first half, the man advantage gave Leighton Buzzard the perfect opportunity to launch countless attacks, exploiting tired College bodies while rolling on their own fresh substitutes. Needless to say, the home side extended their scoreline significantly.

Eventually, the Old Boys were awarded a try of their own for their efforts. Leighton Buzzard had a lineout deep in their 22, from which they looked to exit their half. However, scrum-half Alan Flanders looked to use his size to panic the home side, forcing an error that saw them drop the ball. It was scooped up by Jimmy Twose who flopped over the line to score. As usual, Carl Brierley-Lewis converted, and the College had 10 points.

It was shortly after this, with a 40-point lead, that Leighton Buzzard opted to drop a player to match the College's numbers. However, it made little difference as Leighton Buzzard's fresh legs and experience at a much higher level proved too much for the tired Old Boys. The match finished 64-13, with Carl Brierley-Lewis kicking one final penalty for the Stamford side in the closing minutes. Despite the score, Old Boys' heads never dropped as they continued to make strong tackles until the very end.

The College now has a weekend break before hosting local rivals Deepings at Stamord Welland Academy on Saturday, November 9th.