Wasps 9 Dunstablians 0

Wasps came into the fixture with relegation still a technical possibility. With the side placed second in the division coming to visit Twyford Avenue on a day in which injuries and absences had deprived the home team of much of their first choice back line this didn't appear likely to be the morning on which their divisional status was secured.

Dunstablians had come with the reputation of being a powerful and aggressive team as well as the likely winners of the East Midlands Cup and they were clearly highly motivated to get the win. Perhaps the pivotal moment of the game came a few moments in when Zach Antoniou put in a massive hit on his opposite number. This set the tone for a Wasps performance characterised by excellent defence and astute tactical play in which the boys refused to take a step back.

Dunstablians had a powerful pack, were excellent in set pieces and had some dangerous counter attacking backs but time and time again failed to make meaningful ground. Wasps counter-rucking was superb and the pack was winning most ball in the loose. After a scoreless first quarter Arthur Rogers put Wasps ahead with a penalty and then a few minutes later Wasps were awarded another penalty just outside the 15 metre line. Arthur stepped up to take this one and made the score 6-0. This had the added bonus of making the opposition much more cautious about infringements knowing that any inside their own half could lead to further points against them.

Wasps looked comfortable early on in the second half and coughed up a number of try scoring opportunities due to handling errors. As the half wore on Dunstablians started to get more territory and the home team had some defending to do. The tackling remained as effective but they were being made closer and closer to their own try line. With no subs available fatigue was also a factor. In the last five minutes Dunstablians had a good claim for a try as their pack pushed over the line but the referee was on the blind side and unable to see whether or not the ball had been grounded.

Wasps managed to relieve the pressure with a number of intelligent clearing kicks and with two minutes to go secured victory with another Arthur Rogers penalty.

This was not the prettiest win and it is the first time in competitive rugby that this team has failed to score a try but in terms of commitment and resilience it has to go down as one of their best ever performances.

With the two remaining games against the teams already relegated Wasps have a reasonable chance of finishing third in the division.