Caldy v Ampthill

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   This Saturday Ampthill return to the Paton Field stadium to play Caldy in the first round of the Championship Cup. If the game and the occasion is as good as the league fixture a couple of weeks ago at Dillingham Park it should be a great day all round.
I travelled to Ampthill and I loved every moment of my first Ampthill experience. The pre match craic was the aperitiff to a great afternoon of sport and rugby enjoyment made memorable by a number of unique perspectives.

- The walk through the woods to a brilliant playing surface cut into the side of the hill was surely unique at this level of rugby and my first impression was to recall numerous video clips of the most dangerous airstrips in the world. Dillingham Park would surely feature if Caldy's Paul Harrison was to try and land his gyrocopter there.

- Talking with Paul Turner after the game was a confidence boost. This most knowledgeable of players and coaches is not renowned for false praise and his exhortations for Caldy to realise how competitive they were at Championship level made an impression.

However the absolute highlight of my afternoon at Dillingham Park came in conversation with ex Bridgend and Pontypridd no 8 Nathan Strong. This giant of a man had travelled with his mother from South Wales that morning to watch his son Morgan Strong play against Caldy.

Nathan and his mother both looked at least 20 years younger than I suspect they are and being in their company was a delight. I learnt how and why Wales under 20 player Morgan had turned down a renewed contract at the Ospreys to come to play at Ampthill under Paul Turner and we reminicsed about rugby matches and incidents.

Nathan told me one of the funniest of rugby stories. Playing for Bridgend against Cardiff he had been up against the legendary Tongan Maama Molitika. The match was physical and there was some hard rucking and rough house play which the referee was struggling to clamp down on.

After one such incident Molitika was left with a bloodied scalp and face. The man in the middle summoned Nathan to explain why he was going to be carded. Nathan's protestaions of innocence cut no ice with the  official who instead pointed to Nathan's right boot.

Looking down at the size 13 it was clear to everyone who the culprit was. Wrapped around and entangled with Nathan's boot was Molitika's white head guard.

No disputing that call!

Edited by Big Eddie - 04 Nov 2022 at 11:38