Lambden salutes team effort after Ducks breeze to victory over rivals

With Bicester beating Buckingham in a promotion clash elsewhere, this win for the Ducks, achieved in dominant fashion, puts them into outright third, within five points of second place in the race for the promotion play-off place.

Lambden said afterwards: “The general reaction of visiting teams when they first come to Aylesbury is a mixture of excitement and maybe more energy than normal - they come at you hard. So it was with High Wycombe, fast line speed and very combative at the breakdown.

“When they also got the first try countering a loose kick, we finally started to work out what needed to be done and proceeded to be more direct and move the ball at pace and at times with very pleasing accuracy.

“The most significant development was a real sense of forwards and backs working together forming integrated attacks and as a result produced some very good scores.

“The range of scores was significant and evenly spread as it was by going wide, left-wing Dan Whittall bagging three, and through the middle. Selection of more mobility in the forwards certainly helped with this whilst importantly maintaining good set piece.

“This was a a very good complete team effort and we can now look forward to producing more genuine 15 man performances.”

Back at Ostler’s Field up against old rivals High Wycombe, Aylesbury were put under early pressure and fell behind to an unconverted try.

But that only spurred the home side into life and they were quick to regain their composure, levelling barely minutes later through Dan Whittall who charged through weak tackling to dot down.

Nicky Mercer’s conversion was sent spiralling off target by the gusting wind, however Whittall then scored his and Aylesbury’s second to put the hosts in command.

Again Mercer failed to convert but he made amends on the brink of half-time when slotting over the extras after a powerful drive from the forwards allowed prop Andy Hackett to cross the line.

The second-half was largely one-way traffic, with Whittall securing his hat-trick within moments of the restart before Cory Neighbour and then Gary Horne followed him across.

Sam Richardson converted the last of those tries and after Wycombe went over for a second time, the Ducks capped off a good day’s work through Horne’s second.

Aylesbury face a stiff test this weekend when they welcome league leaders Marlow to Ostler’s Field.

It was a good day all round for Aylesbury’s senior sides as the 2nd XV secured much-needed league points as they won against Reading IIs on the road, whilst Aylesbury IIIs defeated a High Wycombe IIs.

A memorable weekend for Aylesbury was topped off the following day when Ostler’s Field played host to England U18s’ international game against France U18, with a crowd of 1,600 lining the pitch to watch England run out 43-14 winners.