A quick-fire hat-trick from Combe full back Toby Wallace late in the second half sealed the win for a Combe side which had sprinted off the blocks early on. OAs fought back hard after that early Combe fusillade but a considerable bit of grunt from the home side quelled that fightback.

Combe had first use of a strong wind and used it to well getting a foothold in the visitors’ territory. When Naj Mundicha stormed through the defence, centre Kyan Braithwaite was available to touch down. Scrum half and star player Mikel Davies pinged the conversion off the posts to make it 7-0. Combe hit their second from a 5m scrum with a slick pass putting Kieran Thompson in for the try.
Combe breakdown indiscipline was feature of the game and allowed Old Albanians some respite and territory but it was the home side that went further ahead after a Jack Aungier break gave Combe good territory. A Combe line-out resulted and Sam Fombo bustled and barged over for the try. Old Albanians were attacking from deep with ex-Combe player Johnny Illori to the fore and, from one such attack, Combe were penalised, Ben Alexander touching down when the ball was spun wide from the penalty making it 19-5.

But Combe hit back from a tap penalty themselves, Sonny Gay finishing off neatly and Davies converted well. A speedy Toby Wallace break produced Combe’s fifth try, Namur Kahlil taking advantage of a fractured visiting defence to touch down.
With the wind behind them, Old Albanians started the second period strongly and camped in the home 22 threatening the line but it took a clever dive under a mass of bodies by Matt Ranzaapur to get the score, Gregory Lund’s great touchline kick narrowing the gap to 33-12. Combe were coughing up penalties with a concerning regularity allowing OAs to mount serious pressure and, following a set of thrusts at the goal-line, Elliott Munley got the visitors’ third, Lund’s conversion making it 33-19.

It took until the 65th minute for Westcombe Park to get any attacking territory and this was converted into points with Wallace getting the first of his hat-trick. Wallace followed this up with a swerving run from his own half for his second and the third came from a scintillating Davies break from his own half beating at least three defenders then kicking ahead for Wallace to touch down.

In between Illori got a well-deserved try and with the last play Alexander struck his second to to put some OAs gloss on the result.

A fine home performance in blustery conditions with Combe’s grunt and guts overpowering a tenacious Old Albanians. On the road to Oundle next week against a side challenging hard for promotion.

Half-time score: Westcombe Park 33-5 Old Albanian

Scorers:
Westcombe Park:
Tries: Braithwaite (1), Thompson (6), Fombo (18) Sonny Gay (34), Kahlil (37), Wallace (67,69,78)
Conversions: Davies (27,35,38,68,70)
Penalties

Old Albanian:
Tries: Alexander (29,80), Ranzanapur (43), Munnley (53),Illori (77)
Conversions: Lund (44,54.77)
Penalties:

Crowd: 230

Star Player: Mikel Davies