On a day that was perfect for rugby the ODs welcomed Uckfield to Park Langley. After the disappointment of the week before expectations were high even though the visitors sat two places above the ODs in the league. The Old Boys welcomed 2 new players to the fold in Fly Half Nathan Banks and Second Row for the day Nick Natzinkolaou.

The ODs kicked off going up the hill. Straight away Uckfield showed their intent, surging up the pitch with some well executed pick and goes in the tight 5 and, with only 3 minutes on the clock, had won themselves a penalty for the ODs being offside at the ruck, duly slotted between the uprights by the visitors Fly Half. 0-3
The ODs response was swift. From the resulting restart Uckfeild's Number 8 made an infringement leading to an OD penalty. Chad Reay, even though a hooker by trade, has been on very good form when kicking for goal and this was no exception. 35m out he lined it up and secured the 3 points. 3-3
The game all square the ODs faced an old demon from the week before. Scrum time. With the already injured Lee Smith, carrying a neck injury, getting a late call up into the starting XV straight into the front row the situation didn't bode well. This was due to the OD regular loose head, Slavi Ohanes, nursing his knee from previous weeks encounters. With Luka Perlain being called up to international duty next week Ohanes' fitness needed to be guaranteed. All these fears were realised on the 7th minute, the OD pack being driven off the ball with, what looked like, some ease by a well formed and well drilled Uckfield pack. The OD's fight was going to have to come from another area on the field.
This was duly done, only 8 minutes on the clock and the Old Boys in possession, the ball was spread wide. A well timed pass and Malachi Connolly sped past his opposite number with subsequent ease taking the outside route. An open space in front of him, the ex-school boy has the pace to outrun any side in this league. 55m to cover, Connolly floated past the second line of defence to score under the posts leaving Chad Reay an easy conversion. 10-3
The visitors startled, the following 20 minutes was pretty much all Old Dunstonian pressure with surging runs in the pack from Luka Perlain, Antony Faithfull and the backs having their own attacking runs from the likes of Graham Purdy. Another OD try was only fractionally thwarted by a missed pass avoiding Aaron Brown and going straight into touch. Uckfield's only real response to this was a long range penalty effort on the 20 minute mark, 42m out, which was unsuccessful.
The continued OD pressure paid off 25 minutes in. With bursting runs from Brad Pugh and Chad Reay, the ODs were awarded a penalty, kicked into the corner. The ODs camped deep into the Uckfield 22, a poor pass from the back of a set play deep into their own try area, forced a knock on. Scrum 5. Uckfield are over eager in an area they had dominated so far, driving early, awarding the OD's a free kick. Taken quickly, after a few exchanges Brad Pugh crossed the try line for 5 points. Chad Reay unable to add the extra 2. 15-3
Providing the wake up call Uckfield needed, at the following KO, they came back into the game with extra vigour. Using their strengths up front they punched their way down the field. Feeding off of lazy penalties gifted to them from the ODs, Uckfeild elected for the set piece every time. This eventually paid off. After a concerted effort in the centre, the OD's defence resilient, Uckfield spread it wide where the awaiting pack, from a previous scrum, received the ball. The Hooker crossing the line for an unconverted try. 15-8
The Old Dunstonians went onto the offensive. Turning over the KO space opened up on the wing. With a 3 on 1 opening up in front of the young winger, Malachi Connolly, a try seemed inevitable. A poor pass thwarted this effort, looping over Jean-Pierre Mills and then Malachi to go into touch. The signs of the missed opportunities from the week before were still there and questions were being asked on the touchline. Were the OD's own mistakes going to leave this game open for Uckfield to take the advantage? As if in response to this, after a penalty for an Uckfield offside, the lineout was spread wide across the park into the awaiting hands of Aaron Brown who used his speed to outpace his opposite number, behind the opposition defence, and under the posts for the ODs third try, converted by Reay. 22-8
Other than a small Uckfield challenge, where they decided to go for the try rather than the easy 3 points that was the half. This challenge was stopped by a huge tackle from Luka Perlain, the ODs being awarded a penalty as Uckfield scrambled to win the ball back, not staying on their feet. Penalty. Kicked into touch. The ODs formed their huddle the happier knowing that the job at hand was half done.

Starting the second half as they had finished the first, the ODs surged down the slope, ignoring the advantage given to them twice by the Referee for the Uckfield players being off their feet at the break down. Eventually, after the third infringement, the ODs decided for a shot at goal passing up on the opportunity to go for the fourth try bonus point. The attempted effort was missed by some considerable distance by Chad Reay, his worst kick of the afternoon.
With some 50/50 play by both sides, defences holding up and fleeting sights of skill from the likes of an Alex Felsman 40m run and excellent forward play from Nick Gilby and Ivan Marinov, a second half stalemate appeared to be at hand. With Lee Smith returning to the field for a second stint the scrums were fairing a lot better, this maybe due to the added advantage of the gentle gradient of the pitch or tiredness in the opposition pack.
The stalemate was finally broken on 65 minutes in Uckfield's favour. With the ODs securing a lineout, Nathan Banks at Fly Half side stepped the approaching defender taking the ball past the gain line. A lack of support from his fellow team mates Uckfield easily turned the ball over and are awarded a penalty in the red zone for not releasing the ball. With a quick tap and go, Uckfield were awarded another penalty. The Old Boys were given a warning from the referee, one more offence and a trip to the sin bin would await someone. Uckfield elected for the scrum but with Lee Smith's neck finally giving up the fight Antony Faithfull had returned to action. The scrum was won and spread wide down the Uckfield back line to their winger who made a skipping run back in field towards the support of his pack. After some resolute defence from the ODs the referee had finally seen enough. Blowing up for an Uckfield penalty he reached for his pocket. The unlucky winner of 10 minutes on the side line, Luka Perlain, for not releasing the tackled player. Perlain claimed his innocence stating he wasn't even the tackling player, but the deed was done. The scrums going uncontested, with complaints from the visitors, Uckfield pick and go. With several attempts at breaking the OD defence the Open Side eventually goes over for a converted score. 22-15
With Uckfield seemingly back on the offensive the wind was finally knocked out or their sails. After an Uckfield 22 drop out from an Aaron Brown kick through, the ODs were pushed into touch in their own half 15m in. Brown, being the one pushed into touch himself, throws the ball to a spectator to save himself tripping over the substitute's bench. An Uckfield player grabs the ball from the spectator and takes the lineout quickly. The calls of the Old Dunstonian Touch Judge, Steve Baker, are ignored by the Referee and the Uckfield team spread it wide across field making 40m before an infringement. Baker runs across and up the field in his official capacity as Touch Judge and informs the Referee of his mistake, a line out not being able to be taken quickly if the ball has touched any member of the crowd. The Referee agrees and, in shock to the watching home crowd and jeers from the visiting support, brings play back to the line out that was 15m into Uckfield territory. Kudos to the Referee who was under complaints and pressure from Uckfield players and supporters, where the play had moved towards, who thought that his decision was wrong. This eventually boiled over into the Uckfield side, who after giving up a penalty at the break down, gave up a further 10m in chat back to the Referee due to their frustration.
With Luka Perlain back on the field the scrums returned to being contested and with a change of fortune, the ODs got the upper hand in the set piece for the final couple minutes of play and win a penalty for an infringement. The kick was put dead and the game won.
The ODs came away victors but there are still signs that they can be more clinical in their finishing which saw them miss out on the precious fourth point bonus try. Hopefully, in their push for promotion, the Old Boys won't come to regret this missed opportunity for the extra point. Man of the match was awarded to Brad Pugh for his tremendous work rate in defence and attack.

Next week is a trip down to Hastings & Bexhill who are second from bottom in the league, tied on points with Gillingham Anchorians one place above them, with only one win to their name. But this win was in their last game. Is this their turn around as they fight to get out of the bottom three relegation spots? Will it be an easy game for the ODs or a dogged affair? Only time will tell.