Ampthill 20-15 Nottingham (RFU Championship) 18.12.21
After a thumping defeat at Doncaster last time out, Nottingham travelled to Ampthill in Bedfordshire and the idyllic settings of Dillingham Park to face a side just one place and four points above the Archers down in ninth, a battle very much at the wrong end of the table in English Rugby Union’s second tier.
It all looked to be deja-vu as Nottingham went behind early doors to a try from Dickinson on six minutes with Bennett kicking the extras for a seven-point lead.
The lead didn’t last long though as six minutes later Morgan Bunting went over with Sam Hollingsworth converting to level up.
On 19 minutes Hollingsworth kicked over a penalty after the home side were penalised in the scrum, to give Nottingham the lead for the first time, and that was extended when David Williams went over to touchdown three minutes later, although Hollingsworth missed the conversion for two more.
On the stroke of half time, Ampthill hit their own penalty through the posts to reduce the lead to five points at the break and that allowed the hosts back into the game.
In the second half it was the home side who’s early pressure paid off, Cambriani going over on 53 to level things up with Bennett kicking the conversion to regain advantage by two.
Shortly after another penalty was awarded to Ampthill with Bennett making no mistake, to give the Bedfordshire based side a five point lead which they would keep until the whistle.
A battling performance by Nottingham who were in it until the end, but it’s another defeat for Craig Hammond’s men who are now finding the gap above in the table, beginning to widen.
Starting Team: Jack Stapley, David Williams, Charlie Thacker, Morgan Bunting, Harry Graham, Sam Hollingsworth, Matt Marsh, Toby Williams, Jake Farnworth, Josh McNulty, Jose Andrade, Tom Manz, Carl Kirwan, Lewis Barrett, Nathan Tweedy.
Replacements: Archie Vanes, Aniseko Sio, Ben Betts, George Cox, Jacob Wright, Dan Lancaster, Elliott Creed, Joe Browning.
*Main image @NottinghamRugby the home venue of Ampthill at Dillinger Park.
