On a day more fit for cricket than rugby, both teams sweated-out a gripping encounter. An early exhange of penalties seemed to indictate that both teams had been watching too much rugby on TV recently but normality soon returned as running rugby took over. With hooker Matt Barkes having a field day in the scums, and the backs (including Nick Elliott making a welcome return) looking dangerous when they gained possession, things seemed set fair for AEI. OLs however had different ideas and two tries either side of halftime put them in the driving seat.
Trailing 15-3 with ten minutes to go, all seemed lost for AEI, yet they were given hope when the backs worked a blindside overlap and winger Rob Goode scored in the corner. With only five minutes left, scum half Gary Storer took a quick penalty on halfway, Tom King, crowning an excellent performance, made good ground and released Rich Pinks to score. Replacement Terry Bott then stepped up to score a difficult equalising conversion, amid great cheers from the sidelines.