Diss 16 : 17 Old Albanians

The 1st XV went into the match full of confidence after their emphatic win last week against Sutton & Epsom, while the Saracens were trying to get their season up and running following a series of losses in the later stages of all their matches. A large and expectant crowd had gathered, and were entertained by being able to watch some of the Saracens match before the main event began.

Diss started on the front foot yet again with 2 quick penalties awarded to them, but Chris Beaird was unable to convert either into points. Following a good run down the line by Alex Kelsall, the pack powered towards the Old Albanians line, with the ball being grounded by Deaglan Hall, but the conversion was missed. 15 minutes later yet another penalty led to Chris Beaird finding his range for his first points.

Diss were then repeatedly penalised for infringements, which led to the Old Albanians no 10 scoring 3 penalties, and with a quick pass out from the pack he was able to run through the Diss defence to score in the corner, but he was unable to convert.

Half time score 8-14.

The second half began with another successful penalty kick from Chris Baird, but then the referee, who had been prominent throughout, started to influence the game more, with not all his decisions being agreed with by the players and the crowd. 3 Old Albanians and the Diss captain Deaglan Hall were yellowed carded, but only 1 penalty was scored by Old Albanians.

With 5 minutes to go Alex Kelsall was released on the left wing to score in the corner, but again the conversion was not taken. This set up a frantic last few minutes, where Diss were threatening the line, with the result hinging on the last kick of the game, when Chris Beaird just missed the right hand post with his penalty kick.

Full time 16-17

Old Albanians were a big strong side, especially in the pack, and have had some close results with some of the better sides in the league, so for the Diss team to put up such a performance bodes well for the rest of the season. We also picked a losing bonus point, which could be vital come the end of the season. Next week we play one of the sides below us in the league, Haywoods Heath, so another strong performance will be needed.

The Saracens lost 31-5 to The Old Albanians side that are top of the league. Diss dominated in the pack but were beaten by a series of breakaway tries from the visitors, who were averaging over 80 points per game. It must only be a question of time before the Saracens record their first win.