Derby Vets 35 Burton Vets 5 on 1st March 2008

Another away fixture saw the weary legs of Dave Brown’s team travel to play Derby where they put up a brave but rear guard action against a lively home side that denied them ball and showed them more pace than the visitors could cope with. Unfortunately domestic chores meant Chris Samways was unable to complete the trip having been detained in Topps Tiles earlier in the day.

Unusually Burton started brightly, perhaps the reason for their downfall, and a great run by Ian Weakford was only stopped by some desperate tackling yards from the Derby line. Then Adie Bullock broke clear but found himself short of gas as the home defence chased him down on their 22. These early forays woke up a sleeping giant and Derby began to exert more and more control on the game as they drove up towards the Burton line time and again. But great defence by Rob Ridley, Colin Wood, Huw Davis and Mel Gilbert stopped any scores until ten minutes from the break. Then Derby scored four rapid tries to go into the break 20-0 in the lead.

A hearty talk by skipper Brown saw his men take the play to Derby at the start of the second half and to celebrate him becoming a member of the club Rich Tyers raced forward to within ten metres of the line before being stopped. But Rob Ridley snatched up the loose ball to race over for a try in the corner. The score restored more life into the Burton side and they pushed forward in numbers but the Derby defence held firm. With twenty minutes to go the now exhausted Burton side were soon brushed aside as the hosts ran in three more tries to give Burton a 35-5 defeat to savour on their journey home.