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Writtle Wanderers RUFC |
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Writtle Wanderers RUFC |
February 2007 Match Reports
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Clacton 1st XV v Writtle Wanderers 1st XV
Friendly
LOST 9 - 8
Scorers:
Try: Hyett
Pen: Robinson
Man of the Match:
Lee Amman
Writtle Wanderers 1st XV v South Woodham Ferrers 1st XV
Essex 1
Report by Steve Clark.
WON 20 - 11
Scorers:
Tries: Campion, Janes, Smillie
Conv: Clark
Pen: Clark
Man of the Match:
Tommy Young
The Wanderers' impressive second half of the season continued on Saturday with a hard fought win over second placed South Woodham Ferrers RFC. Writtle had been without a league fixture in three weeks so there could have been concerns over a lack of match practice, but it was the home side that started the stronger and were in the ascendancy for much of the opening encounters.
The Wanderers' forwards were scrummaging well and winning most of the lineout ball so as a result the Wanderers' backs were getting their hands on the ball frequently. Young scrum-half Phil Robinson was having a good game, distributing well and causing problems with runs from the back of the scrum. First blood went to the home side when quick ball from fly-half Mike Brown saw full-back Steve Clark breaking the gain line and offloading to skipper, Tim Janes, to score the try.
The Wanderers then edged
further ahead with a good try born largely from the efforts of the forward pack.
Ben Campion was the man to get the final touchdown and Clark followed with the conversion. South Woodham had to respond
and did so with a penalty taking the half time score
to 12 - 3.
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first with Writtle
pressurising the oppositions try line. However, the Woodham side were well
organised defensively and managed to ride the storm. The Wanderers started to rue
their missed scoring chances as South Woodham then had their best spell in the
game. Firstly scoring a try in the corner and then kicking a penalty to bring the
scores back to 12-11.
Writtle fought back with a Clark penalty and then replacement
prop, John Smillie, powered
through three would-be tacklers to score an impressive try.
Despite South Woodham's efforts to get back into the game, Writtle's defence stood
strong, inspired largely by flanker Tommy Young who's relentless tacking was
exceptional.
This win sees Writtle climb to 4th in the table and they are now only two points away from the
side lying in second. They travel to Wanstead on Saturday knowing that
another win will keep them well in contention for the runners up spot this
season.
Writtle Wanderers 2nd XV v Westcliff 4th XV
Friendly
Report by Martyn Howarth
WON 29 - 5
Scorers:
Tries: Taylor, Howarth, Underhill, Court, Rowan
Convs: Rowan 2
Man of the Match:
Padraig McCarthy
Writtle Wanderers 2nd XV welcomed Westcliff to Fox Burrows Lane on a lovely clear day that boded well for a good game of rugby. As has become common this season, the 2nd XV pack was looking pretty impressive, with the heavyweight quartet of John Stimpson, Phil Underhill, Scott Taylor and Martyn Howarth backed up by the slightly svelter Richard Warburton and Jerome Manson and the considerably svelter Gareth Frensham and Glen Richards. Add to that a sizeable half-back pairing of Dave Rowan and Mike Tripcony and it will be no surprise to hear that this game was won in the tight...
The exact details of the tries are and scoring sequence evade me, but leviathan Taylor, playing at No.8 this week, secured his try from push-over scrum as the Wanderers' pack used their advantage. Although Westcliff did reply with a try after their lock wrestled a ball off Howarth at the back of a lineout, the visitor's pack were always up against it despite the advantage of the slope for the first half.
Howarth made amends with a burrowing try of his own after more forward effort had taken the game to the opposition try line. Jeremy Court, aka Flex Bicep, more usually found on the flank took advantage of the space afforded him in the centres to score a try for the backs, but other than a typical Rowan burst from scrum-half the game was very much one for the lover of the 10 man game. Underhill scored with an accustomed rampage through the defensive line.
Mention must go to Tripcony for stepping into the unfamiliar fly-half boots, and to Padraig McCarthy, in his first season of rugby, who took the Man of the Match award with some smothering tackles and strong runs in the midfield.
Manson, who received a serious facial injury midway through the game and had to be taken to hospital, was later released back into the community and is, thankfully, on the mend.
Writtle's 2nd XV now look forward to getting back to BL Merit Table action next week, with the visit of Eton Manor 3rd XV. A win will help them confirm their 3rd place in the BL Merit Table Div 7 and hopefully secure a place in the BL Semi Finals.
Wanstead 1st XV v Writtle Wanderers 1st XV
Essex 1
Report by John Smillie.
WON 10 - 25
Scorers:
Tries: Campion, Hyett, Farrell, Robinson
Conv: Robinson
Pen: Robinson
Man of the Match:
Tommy Young
A resurgent Writtle Wanderers made a dreary trip to a
waterlogged Wanstead RFC this Saturday looking to increase their status in Essex
1.
Writtle made the perfect start to the game. Receiving the ball from the
kick off fly half, Will Young, punted the ball from his own twenty-two.
Good pressure from the supporting backs forced the knock on from the Wanstead
wing and won the visitors their first scrum of the game. A solid start
from the front eight allowed an in form Ben Campion to pick up from the base,
break a brace of weak tackles and go over for the first score of the game after
only two minutes. Unfortunately scrum-half, Phil Robinson, standing in for
regular kicker Steve Clark, saw his effort drift just wide. 0 - 5.
Despite the four inches of mud and water covering the playing surface, Writtle's
heads were up after a sharp start. Knowing that the conditions would play
an integral part in the game, the boys in orange looked to take advantage of
their sprightly start and were soon back in the opposition twenty-two.
Good tight work from the forwards allowed Robinson to move the ball quickly to
the backs. A cheeky chip over the top from winger, Morgan Farrell, allowed
him to chase down his own kick and go over on the right wing for Writtle's
second score of the game. The try was un-converted. 0 - 10.
Wanstead look depleted in the first half with Writtle forwards making good
ground in the tight. A well work rolling maul allowed David Hyett to touch
down to the left of the post, Robinson converting to take the score to 0-17.
Wanstead managed to threaten the visitors line once in the first half but were
foiled by a good defensive line. With ten minutes to go till the break, Robinson pounced on a fumbled ball from the Wanstead full-back to give Writtle
another score. 0 - 22. Robinson then finished the half with a well
struck penalty in front of the post, closing the first period 0 - 25.
The second period went a bit stale for first twenty-five minutes, as the energy
sapping mud took its toll on both teams. Wanstead managed a score in the
third quarter with their forwards carrying the ball well. However this was
un-converted. 5 - 25.
Writtle were concentrating on keeping the their opposition's
score to a minimum but lost flanker, Lee Amman, for ten minutes after an
infringement at the breakdown. Wanstead took advantage of the extra man to
score with a well worked rolling maul of their own, also un-converted. 10 - 25.
With the game coming to a close the Writtle defence were looking to scrap it out
to the whistle. Wanstead were unable to mount any meaningful attacks as
the final whistle blew. The Wanderers have now recorded their 6th straight
win in Essex 1 and are unbeaten in the league since Christmas.
Writtle Wanderers 2nd XV v Eton Manor 3rd XV
BL Merit Table
LOST 0 - 13
Man of the Match: ?
Sorry, no report submitted!