1st XV News

Frustrating is probably the best word to describe the 80 minutes of rugby and the result after Bedford Blues were defeated at home 18-33 by Plymouth Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Former Blue James Shanahan brought an organised and well drilled Albion side to Goldington Road and they did exactly what they needed to do to record an important win that moves them ten points clear of Bedford in the Championship table.

Bedford will be scratching their heads a little and wondering how this one got away from them particularly when they had a two man advantage in the second half, but in truth it was too many errors on the day.

Bedford Blues have started their recruitment process for the 2014/15 Greene King IPA Championship season by signing Nick Fenton-Wells from Saracens on a permanent basis.
 
After joining Saracens at the start of the 2012/13 Premiership campain, the 27 year old back row star moved to Goldington Road on loan after first team starts proved hard to come by. Sarries loss was Bedford's gain though as the former Stormer played a pivotal role in the Blues reaching last season's Championship play-off final.
 

The Former Players Association of Bedford Blues Rugby Club will be coming together before the game against Plymouth Albion on Saturday afternoon to remember two players who tragically lost their lives as a result of the Paris Air Disaster 40 years ago.
 
On 3rd March 1974, Brian Arthur – a prop who made 125 appearances between 1966 and 1972 - and Peter Green - a centre three-quarter who appeared 166 times in a Blues shirt between 1967 and 1974 - lost their lives when the Turkish Airlines DC10 on which they were passengers, crashed near Paris just minutes after take-off, killing all 346 people on board.

Bedford Blues and Ampthill Rugby Club teamed up at Goldington Road on Tuesday night for a joint forwards training session ahead of a busy weekend for both teams.

With the Blues hosting Plymouth Albion in the Greene King IPA Championship on Saturday afternoon and Ampthill making the journey to Bristol looking to maintain their promotion push as they face the always difficult Dings Crusaders, this was an excellent opportunity to get some 'live' contact training under the belts of each pack.

Bedford slipped to their 11th defeat of their unhappy Championship season and lost at Billesley Common for the first time in nearly eight years.  Not since September 2006 have Blues left Birmingham without the spoils but in truth they were never in control of the game.

Tries from Paul Tupai and Pat Tapley were all they had to show for their efforts against a redoubtable home team that has not lost at Billesley Common in three months.  The Moseley scrum set their stall out early as Nic Auterac and Phil Boulton struggled for parity and even though the Blues mauling game was good, it wasn’t decisive.