This week’s guest reporter: Ophelia Bunns

On the occasion of the VP’s and sponsors lunch it was a pleasure to welcome Oadby Wyggs and repay the hospitality shown by them from earlier in the season. While on the subject of sponsors, the club would not function as it does without their help so if you are looking for any type of service from plumbing to pets, laundry to landscaping or glazing to garages…..always look first at our list of benefactors, there’s something there for everyone. In the news we heard that a local poker player has lost his arm and had a false one fitted. His friends have said he’s not dealing with it very well.

Olney fielded a team with several changes due to injuries and trench foot from wet conditions in previous games but hopes were high and the pitch was in good order so hopefully we were to see a feast of running rugby. Olney started well and had the better of the early exchanges so it came as no surprise when they scored first. Some good phases in the Wyggs 22 sucked in the defence and a cross kick from Ewan Fuller found Dave Simpson (proving the youth policy of the club is working) on the left wing to gather and canter over for the try. Wyggs soaked up the pressure after this and were able to clear their lines with some good kicking which led to a fine try down the left flank and an excellent conversion. A few errors and wayward passes didn’t help Olney’s cause and a few penalties let Wyggs off the hook on occasions. From a penalty on the 22, Wyggs took a shot at goal to take the score to 5-10 at half time.

With all to play for, the second half carried on in much the same fashion as the first with both sides aiming to stamp their authority on the game. Olney playing their open style and Wyggs trying to win territory mainly through their pack. Olney had a couple of breaks from deep but were thwarted late into the move then another error in midfield allowed Wyggs to burst up field for a second try and extend their lead to 10 points. The game seemed to be a bit stop/start after this with a few injury breaks and unexplained stoppages for water or something which allowed some players a breather. When play did actually have a bit of continuity, some charging runs by Leonard Idiakhoa, Josh Fadden and George Bennett, ably assisted by the rest of the pack got Olney to within striking distance and Harvey Dench took a pass on the burst to put the pressure into points with Olney’s second try. With the game drawing to its conclusion, some hard yards by the pack paid rewards when Cobie Chapman took a ball from 30m out and seemingly dragged half the Wyggs defence over the line for a try to tie the score. With Charlie Hicks off the field with a shoulder injury, it fell to captain Fuller to assume the kicking duties and convert the try to take the final score to 17-15.

The crowd would say that a victory was never in doubt but Wyggs could consider themselves a tad unfortunate and this will lift Olney a place up the table so good news for the home supporters and players alike. While this is good news, from a totally personal view, one must remember that it’s still only a game and there are those who are less fortunate than ourselves who are definitely in this reporters thoughts.

With it being Valentine’s Day, we had to mention our favourite romantic couple. We heard that Mrs Harris has booked them a short break visiting some small cosy properties on the north Norfolk coast as apparently Mr Harris is fond of a bit of cottaging by the seaside. Presumably this was in return for last year when they went to London and he took her up The Shard. Finally, the legend that is Steve Howson has informed this reporter that only last year he broke the national free diving record for his age group when he reached a depth of 62 metres. He keeps his flesh coloured swimming hat on as a permanent reminder of this marvellous achievement.