A meet time of 11.45 am was either ignored or unheard of by many of the Burton side with a result that the team arrived at Dudley 25 minutes before kick-off giving no time for any warm-up or preparation. Against the second team of a Midlands I club this is asking for trouble and so it turned out to be as Burton found themselves trailing by fourteen points after just ten minutes. However, once they got into the game although being at least 2 stone a man lighter in the pack the Burton eight held their own in the set, but Dudley’s more aggressive approach in the loose meant that Burton players soon learnt to stay on the right side. Good tackling by the Burton backs helped keep them in the game as the running from deep of the pacey home backs was nullified.

The continual pressure by the well-organised home side led to more tries against Burton but the play and tackling of Gavin Cole, Ben Waldron, Russ Banton, Jon Evans and Jonathan Hamilton made them work hard for any points. The Burton try was a well worked move that saw quick ball spun out to Gavin Cole who took out two players with his run. He then passed to Russ Banton who found a gap and sped through it to race forty metres with Lee English in support, keeping his winger occupied, to the line for a try that Cole then converted.

The last twenty minutes saw Chris Ariss make a welcome return to the game following a six week lay-off with an injured knee and his keenness for the ball showed that it won’t be long before he is challenging for his old first team berth. This final score could perhaps have been closer with the right preparation but at the end of the day Burton stuck at it until the final whistle but were beaten 36-7 by a better side.