Match Report

28/01/2018

Norwich 108 Lowestoft & Yarmouth 10

The Norwich coaches were delighted to welcome a full team of players from Lowestoft and Yarmouth although it included a number of Under 13s playing up a year as neither age group can currently form a team on their own. The Lowestoft and Yarmouth coaches and parents will be very proud of the spirit showed by those players who competed to the end despite suffering a heavy loss to a Norwich side at full strength. It was good to see them get two tries in the second half which they thoroughly deserved.

The Norwich team was delighted to welcome back Josh Hambidge, after his recovery from a broken collar bone earlier in the season, particularly as he scored three tries in the first nine minutes of the game and added another towards the end of the first half. He then needed a rest as he works his way back to full fitness.

Not wanting to be outdone by Josh, Monty Snary scored five tries, whilst Ben Fletcher scored two, Luke Aujoux two, his first for the club, with Jaydn Taylor and Charlie Duffield also scoring their first tries for the team. Jaydn also pulled off a crucial tackle against a much bigger opponent. Jack Pearson, who was only on the pitch for half the game, again demonstrated his attacking skills with a try in the twelfth minute of the second half.

Monty Snary converted fourteen of the sixteen tries scored in windy conditions even when teammates decided to score wide out to make his task more difficult.

The Norwich coaches were pleased with the team’s forward dominance, the good support play by teammates, after breaks had been made, and the level of commitment shown in the rucks and mauls. They will however be addressing the failure to retain the ball in contact (two hands are so much better at this than one) and the use of arms rather than shoulders in the ruck and maul. Arms do not form a part of a player’s core strength.

Next week the team face a stern test against Holt in the Norfolk Youth Cup with some of their Norwich School players away at a schools sevens tournament in London – let’s hope Gresham’s School will be attending the same tournament.

It was also a pleasure to welcome Elliot Nash, a young Norwich member, to referee the match which he controlled well.

Season’s performance to date. Played 14. Won 10. Lost 4.

Andy Pott