The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Get ready for another Fengate thriller as Oundle pay a visit
If the third instalment is anywhere near as good as the first two then Saturday’s local derby between Borough and Oundle will be a humdinger.
The two sides came together for the first time in league action last season and produced two cracking, fiercely-fought Midlands Division Two fixtures.
The first one at Fengate ended in a thrilling 31-31 draw with Joe Andresen rescuing Borough with an injury-time penalty, and in the return at Occupation Road it was an equally pulsating clash with Borough running out 28-16 winners.
Borough ended up winning the title with Oundle claiming runners-up honours and they both now find themselves operating at the higher Division One level.
And both can be reasonably satisfied with form so far.
Borough are going slightly the better of the two. They’ve won five of their seven games and lost the other two by just a point, whereas Oundle have won four out of seven. They are fourth and seventh in the table respectively.
Common opponents include Old Northamptonians. Oundle lost there 35-7 at the end of September but Borough won there 33-26 last weekend.
But form will go out of the window on Saturday as both sides beef it up to win the local bragging rights.
And with former Borough boys Jon Phillips and Will Carrington now key figures at Occupation Road, there’s added spice in the mix. Phillips, the former Northampton Saints star, is the Oundle coach.
Saturday’s match at Fengate has a 3pm kick-off.
A dominant display by the pack, and in particular two-try star Ben Higton and fellow back row player Sarel Pretorius, paved the way for Borough’s victory at a blustery ONs.
Behind the scrum, Stefan Gallucci did well at scrum-half as did Micheal Bean in the centre.
“Our pack were fantastic,” said vice-chairman Archie Bennett, “but our backs also handled very, very well in very difficult conditions.
“All in all it was a great result - we don’t very often come here and win - and it gives us a boost for the local derby against Oundle.”
Borough actually fell behind in the fifth minute when ONs kicked a penalty but never looked back after taking the lead five minutes later when Bean picked up from a ruck 35 yards out and cut through the middle of the ONs defence to touch down under the posts.
Two more tries were added before the turnaround. Pretorius charged over for the first and young teenage winger William Sismey finished off a slick handling move by the backs to grab the second and his first try for the senior side.
Sismey is the son of club legend John.
Joe Andresen converted all three tries to make it 21-6 to Borough at the break.
ONs came back into the game more in the second half but Borough always managed to keep their noses in front thanks to a double strike by Higton.
His first score came after good work by debutant French winger Lutene Calandeau and his second, which was converted by Andresen, was a solo effort.
Oundle (tries: Milborne, Tandy, Keane, Shingles. cons: Smithson 3. pens: Snithson 2) .............................................................. 32 Paviors .................................................... 45
Midlands Division Two East (South)
Luton ....................................................... 69 Stamford ................................................... 0
Midlands Division Three East (North) Mansfield .................................................. 29 Spalding (tries: Ingleby, Sharman 2. con: Ingleby) .................................................... 17
Midlands Division Four East (South) Deepings .................................................. 24 Aylestone St James ................................. 20
Stamford College Old Boys ....................... 10 Thorney .................................................... 12
Eastern Counties
Wisbech ..................................................... 8 Holt .......................................................... 20