Under a blazing autumn sun at the Pavilion, the Amesbury men in black and gold battled Sutton Benger for the first time in league competition -- and what a contest it turned out to be.

Coming off a tough start to the season against Pewsey Vale and Combe Down, and with a HWO over Fairford, Amesbury were determined to make this their statement game. The pitch was immaculate, the crowd buzzing, and everyone could sense something special was about to unfold.

A Rocky Start

Things didn't go to plan early on. Within five minutes, Benger struck first, taking a 0-7 lead. Amesbury pushed back with real intent, stretching play across the park but unable to find the finishing touch. The visitors made them pay, adding a second converted try to go 0-14 ahead after 23 minutes.

Then came the spark. A line break from Tobias tore through the Benger defence, setting up Calluam Smiles to slot the conversion and bring it back to 7-14.

Benger weren't done yet -- another quick attack and slick hands gave them their third converted try to stretch it to 7-21. But Amesbury refused to fold. Scotty powered over for a crucial try before the break, and Calluam's boot made no mistake. At half-time, it was game on at 14-21.

The Turning Point

With the captain's rallying cry still ringing in their ears, Amesbury came out for the second half with fire in their bellies. The black and gold hit wave after wave against Benger's defensive line, putting bodies on the line and refusing to back down.

Their determination paid off -- two more tries followed, securing the bonus point and, for the first time, the lead: 26-21.

But Benger had one more punch to throw. Capitalising on a rare overlap, they crossed in the corner to level it up at 26-26 with ten minutes to go.

The Decider

With nerves jangling and both teams digging deep, Amesbury went hunting for one final moment of magic. And it came -- Scotty, unstoppable all afternoon, blasted through a tiring defence to touch down once more. Smiles added the extras, taking it to 31-26.

As the final whistle blew, the Pavilion erupted. Amesbury had done it -- their first five-point win of the season, earned through grit, passion, and sheer belief.

Full Time: Amesbury 31 - 26 Sutton Benger

Both sides shared handshakes, smiles, and respect after a thrilling game of grassroots rugby at its best. The celebrations carried on at the King's Arms, where the lads enjoyed a well-earned stew and toasted Amesbury's Player of the Match, Michael Cremin.