They say in golf that the wind is a great leveller. Someone said to me after this game that mud in rugby does the same. All the evidence goes to prove it and this game was no exception. In short the weather produced the type of rugby, probably from both sides, that neither sets of supporters would recognise.
Most of the points came in the opening fifteen minutes followed by only a penalty try and a penalty, the penalty being the only score of the second half. Further evidence if it was needed that the conditions were the main element in this disappointing display from Combe.
O.E.'s opened the scoring after only three minutes with a full-back Tom White penalty from distance. Combe had a chance to draw level but their effort drifted wide. They did in fact enjoy the lead for a short time when their own full-back Joe Simpson was on hand to finish off a classic three-quarters move, the conversion was again wide.
Three minutes later and O.E.'s produced their own classic three-quarters move, this time with winger Renford Bennett shredding the Combe defence to add to his record as the League's highest try scorer. Tom White secured the extra points. He then added three points with a straight forward penalty a couple of minutes later for O.E.'s to have a 13—5 lead and still 5 minutes of the opening quarter to go.
There was no more scoring until the stroke of half-time. With the very last play of the first-half the referee awarded O.E.'s a penalty try for alleged boring in at the scrum.
In the second-half the only rugby worthy of note was three pick and drives from Combe in and around O.E.'s 22 from which they only had a Luke Giles penalty to show and a resolute and dynamic defence from O.E.'s no doubt buoyed by the memory of a 30—3 lead at half-time from which they managed to secure defeat earlier in the season.
It is unlikely Combe will have to play in as miserable conditions as this, again this season because it was pretty miserable for players and supporters alike and not a very edifying experience for either.

Combe's Team: Joe Simpson; Trent Natrass, Ben Hough, Tyron Child, Niki Davies; Charlie Edwards, Luke Giles; Dale Bellinger, Harry Fry, Nick Porter; Tom Clarke, Mark Davey; Gus Barton, Hamish Barton, Matt Foulds. Reece Conlon, Jon Wright, Chris Lewis.

Match Reporter: Mike Attewell.