The first team travelled to high flying Derby with hope rather than expectation on a windy day but thankfully staying dry. The coach trip consisted of a trek up the M1 with most people sat staring at their phones until some inspiration from the back actually got folk talking and thinking together. When arriving at the Derby clubhouse (a large Wetherspoons type building with some changing rooms underneath) the few supporters were met with a warm welcome. Derby had a full house with a sponsored lunch so the Olney crew were outnumbered by about 50-1 although it seemed as if most of the guests at the lunch were not actually interested in the rugby as many didn’t venture out to watch the match.

Which brings us to the game. As in most matches this season the opposition were larger and meatier all through the side so it would suit Olney to move the ball about. This tactic paid off when Lemi Masoe broke the gain line and passed to Noddy Deighton who sprinted in from 20 metres for the first try. Derby hit back with a try of their own under the posts after some good support play but with neither conversion successful the scores were level. Gareth Cahill was in support from a quickly taken penalty shortly after to gain another try for Olney, putting them ahead again but a missed touch kick allowed the derby number 8 to run hard along the right flank finally offloading for their second score. Masoe converted a penalty for Olney to lead 15-10 and Derby were not having things all their own way. Eventually though, the bigger heavier Derby pack started to dominate proceedings and Olney’s defence was finally breached after soaking up a lot of pressure in the 22, and some slack tackling let them in for another soon after. Derby’s flanker was on the receiving end of some jolly banter for “trying to dry hump our winger” much to the amusement of the Derby support close by. A yellow card for the home side followed later but Olney still couldn’t gain much advantage and with the wind in their favour Derby slotted over a penalty just before half time and the teams turned round at 25-15 to Derby.

With the wind at their backs Olney were hoping for more points in the second half but it was Derby who scored first when a penalty kick to touch resulted in the lineout win and the seemingly inevitable drive over the line. This forward platform was the basis of Derby’s tactics and paid off by sucking in defenders and creating space for the support runners who were always on hand and with too many to tackle the next try came as no surprise. A penalty try for a high tackle was the next score and saw Olney reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes. Despite the steady procession of tries against them Olney had numerous forays into Derby territory and really should have had more points than they ended up with. Failure to score when chances were there let them down on occasions and it is hoped that they will not come to regret it at the end of the season. Derby’s powerful forwards had the final act of the day capping a fine display with another driving maul to score close to the posts. Final score 49-15 to Derby but Olney are still showing promise, especially with ball in hand.

We must thank the Derby committee for their hospitality and wish the club success for the rest of the season. The Olney contingent watched the 1st half of the England v Scotland game at “Wetherspoons” with a bunch of loud people who didn’t seem interested in rugby and couldn’t even keep quiet to listen to the more than generous sponsor who had provided lunch and beer for them all day. The game on TV wasn’t too exciting so the travelling mob trooped back to the bus. It’s safe to say the return trip was not as quiet as the way up with dodgy loud modern music that the older folk had never heard of, some liquid refreshment oiling the throats and a bit of old fashioned singing making the time pass quickly. A tactical pub stop allowed the Northampton residents the chance to walk home but things carried on from there and a bit of nakedness typically followed later in the evening. Despite the result, heads have not dropped, the potential to beat sides is evident and the final league positions have not yet been decided. Onwards and upwards as the saying goes.