No Way Back for Diok After ‘T Gooi’s Opening Blitz

Naarden, It was billed as one of the fixtures to watch this weekend, with ’t Gooi hosting Diok from Leiden in a clash that promised plenty of drama. Just a handful of points separated the two sides on the table heading into the round, with both coming off narrow wins—Gooi edging RRC away by just two points, and Diok sneaking past Hoek van Holland by a single score.

Diok, however, arrived in Naarden missing a key figure in their playmaker and fly-half, Mees van Oord, whose absence was always going to test their control and direction.

The visitors started brightly, striking first with a penalty in the opening minutes to take a 0–3 lead. But the advantage didn’t last long. ’t Gooi responded immediately, turning early pressure into points, and before Diok could settle, the scoreboard showed 19–3 in favour of the home side.

Diok eventually found their rhythm, consolidating after the shaky start and hitting back with a powerful maul try to close the gap to 19–10. The contest flowed well, with both sides able to string phases together and test each other’s defence. Still, Diok will rue their early mistakes—a misjudged kick and a costly midfield turnover gifting Gooi easy opportunities.

At the breakdown, Gooi were ruthless. They consistently disrupted Diok’s ball and forced turnovers that gave them front-foot momentum. Their maul, a long-standing weapon, again proved deadly, while Diok looked stronger in the scrums but couldn’t make it count, with resets and officiating calls stalling their dominance in that area.

By half-time, Gooi held a firm 26–10 advantage.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Gooi extended the lead to 33–10, and from there the game was effectively out of reach. To their credit, Diok kept battling and found ways to score, but the scoreboard pressure proved too great. Gooi, showing composure and mental strength, capitalised on nearly every opportunity, running out 47–30 winners in a high-scoring affair that kept the crowd entertained.

For ’t Gooi, it was another reminder of their power up front and breakdown sharpness. For Diok, it’s a lesson in the importance of sharper starts and clinical execution—especially without their regular fly-half pulling the strings.

Final score: ’t Gooi 47 – 30 Diok Leiden.