Dunstablians 27-19 St Ives

This week, Dunstablians returned to Bidwell Hill hoping to keep their home win record alive against the league leaders St Ives.
It was important that they got back to their winning ways after last weeks disappointing result. Keep for Dunstablians,

Despite weather forecasts predicting biblical rain throughout the week, conditions were ideal for running rugby which was what the big crowd got. It didn’t take long for our boys to open the scoring. After sustained defensive pressure in the opposition's 22, Dunstablians were able to turn over the ball, and Kev Boland perfectly waited pass allowed Lui Natui to score. The conversion was successful and the Dee's were 7 - 0 up.

Dee's took the better of the next few exchanges as a narrow defense was efffective and poor use of the overlap by St Ives didn't help their cause.
Kevin Boland gained good territory from a penalty after which Dunstablians won the lineout. The flyhalf chipped the defence allowing Lui Natui to score his second try of the afternoon. Kevin Boland converted. The Dee's were now 14 up. A further Kevin Boland put the home team 17 points up. St Ives on the restart finally breached the home defence to make the half time score, 17-5.
St. Ives' started the second half strong but wasted chances with missed passes when overlaps were looming and wingers continued to cut back inside despite a narrow defence offering the visitors an abundance of space.
Dunstablian’s were able to sustain pressure until a high tackle saw the returning David Tuffen receiving a yellow card earning a 10-minute break in the bin. The visitors took advantage taking a quick tap-and-go which opened the Dunstablian’s' defence to make the score 17-12.
Discipline was an issue that hampered the home team at the start of the second half. Continued infringements for offsides and high tackles saw free territory gifted to the visitors, causing an anxious crowd to become ever more nervous.
They needn’t have worried, as Jordan showed us all why we nicknamed him “The Flash,” as he stripped the ball 60 meters away down the wing to feed Lui in for his hat-trick. Converted by captain Kevin Boland, 24-12.