The 1923 side – led on Saturday by number 8 Ardal Yallop – opened the 2025/26 season with a narrow defeat to Ampthill 1881 – a much closer game than their outing at Dillingham Park last term, with senior Academy players showing their mettle and a few 1st XV players adding some steel and experience in an exciting end-to-end contest. Outscored by 7 tries to 6, the 1923s managed just the one conversion in the strong wind on Pitch 2 – Ampthill converted 6 out of 7 – but aside from that disparity Stef Liebenberg’s side acquitted themselves well.
“In attack we showed what we’ve been working on in the summer so credit to Attack Coach Pete White for what he’s put together for the Club – and credit to Ampthill, who took their chances when they arose. We struggled to exit and get out of our 22 in the first half – we gave them a couple of tries through ill discipline in our 22 which isn’t acceptable”.
Ampthill scored first close in which was converted with ease. But 11 minutes in, Preston Macfarlane pressured an interception and powered home for Cambridge’s opener. Ampthill struck back immediately via their driving maul. Ten minutes later, Preston’s brother Clark wove his way over from distance for 10-12 before an Ampthill charge-down set up try number three for the visitors.
On the half hour, Ethan Thorne scorched down the touchline for Cambridge’s third – Ampthill, though, stretched their lead with a darting run before Irish prop Jack Boal profited from Cambridge’s own driving maul, leaving the score at 20-26 at the break.
The visitors added try number five, again under the sticks, following a yellow card for Will Howes. But Jasper Sorrell opened his Cambridge account with a storming run to allow Howes to convert before Bradley McKenna scored the try of the game, weaving his way through from half-way to make it a 1-point game. Ampthill added two more tries late on to take the score to 32-47.
“The Macfarlane brothers played really well and took their chances – in fact, our outside backs and centres all did really well in attack and defensively in our 22 did all that we’d asked of them. Ultimately, if you want to play at this level you need to know your detail, and I felt that was lacking. Thirteen of the lads that played today were from the Senior Academy – so that’s a positive for us. In two, three years these lads will be really good and play an integral part for the Club, which is what we’re after – and these guys will all play against Coventry next Saturday ahead of the 1st XV fixture against Ulster”.
Cambridge 1923
Varela, P Macfarlane, C Macfarlane, Sorrell, Thorne, Vernum, Currie; Boal, Plunkett, Bridges, Friend, Baxter, Hirst, Eckersley, Yallop
Replacements – Bellamy, Barry, Masoe, Murphy, McCay, Fields, Miska-Alvarez, Hutchison. Howes, Pearson, McKenna
Tries – P Macfarlane 11, C Macfarlane 23, Thorne 30, Boal 36, Sorell 58, McKenna 65
Conversion – Howe 59