On Saturday afternoon Galava Park, home of Ambleside Centurions, turned into a field of dreams for the club.
The sun was shining, the ground looked stunning and Ambleside, having propped up the league in their 150th anniversary season, entertained Keswick who at the start of the day were third in the league.
Ambleside fielded one of their strongest teams of the season against a very well-organised Keswick team who had won the first encounter between the teams earlier in the season 50-21.
It was a great day for flowing attacking rugby and both teams decided early on to run the ball at every opportunity.
Akrigg back at 10 for Ambleside pulled the stings with Reid looking like his old self after a couple of years away from rugby coming back to his best, with Hogg outside him tearing the pitch up behind him with some blazing runs.
This was exactly what happened for Ambleside’s first try when Akrigg set his backs away like wild stags for Hogg to score under the posts, converted by Paul Cameron.
Keswick came straight back at Ambleside and one missed tackle was enough for them to sneak in out wide for the Keswick goal kicker to draw the scores level at 7-7.
The heat was taking its toll and when an Ambleside player questioned a decision and talked back to the ref, Keswick kicked an easy penalty to take the lead 7-10.
Ambleside’s forwards had to work extremely hard in the heat to match Keswick’s organised and well drilled pack.
However, in the backs it was Ambleside who held the upper hand, with threats all across the backline Ambleside pressured Keswick’s backs in attack and defence.
Then from an Ambleside line out Bramwell won the ball to feed Kaye who dummied his way over close enough to the sticks for Cameron to convert to take the score to 14-10 to Ambleside.
This shock lead for Ambleside stirred Keswick into action and Ambleside lost discipline and composure which was something the referee took great issue with and continued to penalise Ambleside for their poor discipline.
This resulted in two quick scores for Keswick, firstly with an unconverted try and then a successful penalty attempt to put Keswick into the lead 14-18 with just minutes to play till half time.
It would have been easy for Ambleside to wilt in the heat, but once again fine backs play from the Ambleside backs spun the ball out wide and through every set of hands for Edmonson to score out wide, well converted by Cameron to make the half time score 21-18 to Ambleside.
The second half started out at the same pace as the first but with Akrigg’s kicking from hand being pinpoint accurate pressure was constantly relieved from the Ambleside line as Akrigg’s kicks turned Keswick round and pushed the Ambleside pack back up the pitch.
Eventually Ambleside’s pressure on the Keswick line paid dividends as roared on by the large home crowd Akrigg crashed over from short range for Cameron to convert to take the score to 28 to18 to Ambleside.
Keswick had not started the day in third place in the league for nothing and led on by their strong back row they continued to come back at Ambleside giving no quarter even though trailing with 25 minutes to go.
In the space of just under 15 minutes Keswick scored two quick tries and kicked a penalty to take the lead 31-28 going into the last 10 minutes of the game.
One thing Ambleside pride themselves on is their never say die attitude and that comes from all of the extra fitness sessions the lads put in on their own away from the club.
Hogg was running like a prize stallion when in possession of the ball, a fearsome sight some of the Keswick players appeared not to want to try and stop, and it was from one of these powerful runs the winning try was set up.
Haven broken up field Hogg fed, Michael who fed Cruz Hall in close support. The ruck was well won by Bayliss and Evans and Kaye dummied to go open and fed Mercer who took the ball bling at full pace with Kennelly outside him.
As the line beckoned two Keswick defenders appeared to have Mercer covered but the big man through out the most outrageous dummied pass of the day to then step back inside to cross for the wining try under the posts in the 79th minute.
Then disaster struck as a Keswick defender bravely tried to dive below Mercer to save the try his head connected with Mercer’s shoulder knocking him spark out, causing a lot of concern for both teams highly qualified medical teams.
As the injured player could not be moved the referee spoke to the Keswick captain and it was agreed it was not safe to take the conversion or to move the player.
Due to the lateness of the injury it was agreed Ambleside would be awarded the game with them being ahead 33 to 31 at the time as no conversion could be taken as the injured player could not be moved till an ambulance arrived. Luckily the player regained consciousness and was taken to hospital in Lancaster for further examination.
Man of the match for Ambleside was inside center Reid coming back to his best, and special mention for Matt Mercer coming back from a long injury showing signs in the second half of what a class player he is.
When the final days league results came in, it meant that the extra bonus point win for Ambleside lifted them above Windermere RUFC in the league table for the first time this season with Ambleside recording six wins in total this season already.
The club said: “At the start of this season everybody expected Ambleside to fail to complete all of its league fixtures with 15 players, and to probably not complete the full season in the league.
“How wrong these young men have proved everyone, completing all their league games, doing the double over Windermere RUFC in the derby day fixture’s, and not finishing bottom of the league in the club’s 150th anniversary season.
“Many congratulations must go to all the players, but many thanks must go to the coaching team of Head Coach Matty Kaye, his loyal assistant Archie Berber, the Ambleside committee, all the supporters, volunteers, sponsors, groundskeepers, the university, local businesses, and especially Nathan and Heather who came along two years ago to breath fresh life into the club.
“We now look forward to four weeks of friendly home fixtures starting with the Galava Shield next week, kick off noon, with Furness, Trafford, Bury and Ambleside taking part.
“Who knows what next season will bring but the sky’s the limit.”
