Royston Vets 7 Biggleswade 12 ROYSTON Vets against their close rivals Biggleswade was expected to be close and fierce and this last game of season certainly lived up to expectations as three sin bins and a try and conversion in the last minute handed the

Royston Vets 7 Biggleswade 12

ROYSTON Vets against their close rivals Biggleswade was expected to be close and fierce and this last game of season certainly lived up to expectations as three sin bins and a try and conversion in the last minute handed the victory to Biggleswade.

Royston's tactics of moving the ball away from the big Biggleswade pack to their quicker backs certainly gave the home side the slight edge for much of the game, but the problem was quality ball from the line-outs and scrummages.

Colin Dacey did well with the ball and his brother Paul at fly half dictated tactics. Sometimes cutting back in and then releasing Steve Bristow close on his shoulder or moving it quickly to the wings where Neil Smith and Cameron Murdoch used their speed.

Such attacks were always close with desperate cover tackles from the Biggleswade defence just clawing them down short of the try line.

Royston were first to score with a long kick out of defence from Paul Dacey creating a penalty on the Biggleswade 22m line which was quickly taken by Paul Rabbets and spun out to Neil Smith to speed to the line for five points. Colin Dacey added the conversion.

Biggleswade responded with their big forwards and it took the tackling skills of the Royston back row to keep them out. Paul Rabbets, after an excellent season, needed to leave the pitch for the last 10 minutes of the game having been in the wars with a badly cut eye and Stuart Highland capped a great game and won the man-of-the match.

Steve Luckman tied up the Biggleswade ball carriers but he needed to eventually leave the pitch to allow Martin McGarry into the game after a long injury lay off.

Biggleswade scored deep into the first half but their conversion went wide.

In the second half, the home side kept the ball deep in the Biggleswade half but in the final minutes a line-out close to the Royston try line and a series of charges from the big Biggleswade forwards saw them squeeze in by the posts for them to convert. The final whistle was blown with Royston having no time to respond.

Royston: R Bissett, D Howell, J Cottrell, S Rees S Highland, P Rabbetts, S Luckman, C Dacey, P Dacey, N Smith (the elder), C Murdoch, S Bristow, N Smith (the younger), S Gordon.