CRUSADERS 0 – 92 SOUTHWOLD
The score truly reflected this game in the gulf in class between the two teams but it is Crusaders who must be praised first for their effort, tenacity and never say die attitude.
Every one of the home sides players can be proud of what they did on the pitch and at the end of the game both sets of supporters were applauding them for just that. The depleted Crusaders side, with several first choice players missing, never kicked for goal even when awarded a couple penalties in front of the posts, and from further out always ran the ball or kicked for position down the line, even when the Wold score was out of sight, and Wold coach Seb Anthony confirmed his praise for them during the man of the match celebrations in the bar post match for their amazing attitude.
That all said one cannot take away from Wold what was a simply stunning display of running rugby stemming from class, fitness and masses of hard work on the training ground which resulted in Crusaders, despite all their efforts, simply being blown away from start to finish.
It only took Wold four minutes to open the scoring from a penalty, when James Hall took it quickly and fed the ball out to Luke Wade who timed his run to perfection and burst through the Crusaders line with great strength simply muscling his way over the line for a great try which he duly converted
Three minutes later Crusaders fly half tried to break down the blind side but lost the ball in the tackle and in the blink of an eye Wold had gathered the loose ball and Patrick Stevens was over for a try in the left hand corner
Tee problems and a wobbling ball meant Luke Wade missed the conversion and similarly a penalty four minutes later when the ball toppled off for a second time and lefty Wade no chance of the three points and the score still 0-12 to Wold
Wolds third was a cracker of a try from a well rehearsed lineout move, Hall throwing the ball in, racing down the side of the line to gather and feed centre Matt Howell on the scissor who smashed his way through to make ten metres, presented the ball well and again it was fed out to the right where his fellow centre Pete Holmes eventually went over for what really was an unstoppable try and a 19 point lead with Wade sorting out his kicking tee and slotting the conversion.
Five minutes before the break Patrick Stevens was yellow carded for coming in from the side but even with a man down, the points kept coming for Wold, when Jacob English tidied up well on his own line and fed the ball to the excellent Phil Pymer who smashed his way away from the Wold line and fed Wade who raced further down the pitch and kicked the ball cleverly over the last line of the Crusader defence only to just lose the race to get to the ball first when a desperate boot put the ball into touch only ten metres from the Crusader line, giving a 70 metre territory gain for Wold which had started on their own line. An almost carbon copy but mirrored version of the lineout move which had given Wold their previous try gave them their fourth and a bonus point when Matt Howells line break this time ended with the ball being fed out by James Hall to Jacob English to score his first try of the day wide on the left which Luke wade converted moving the score on to 0-26 in Wold’s favour
Injuries and stoppages meant six or seven minutes of added time at the end of the first half and in that six minutes or so Wold were to take their tally to 40 points without reply with two more converted tries. Firstly Sam Webb finished off a great forward drive with a try, Wold having won good lineout ball, closely followed by a piece of sheer magic from Callum Anthony for the second which saw him break through the Crusader line by chipping the ball over the top sublimely, then gather his own ball with a great pick up to score under the posts. Luke Wade converted both efforts and the game was really out of sight for Crusaders by half time
The second half saw a Wold side bubbling with confidence simply carry on where they had left off and when Callum Anthony kicked up the right hand touchline for Jacob English to chase, and he beat his opposite number for pace, picked up the ball and sidestepped two more defenders for another cracking try wide in the corner and five more points
Almost before anyone had drawn breath, away went English up the touchline again, sidestepping the full back with some true class and crossing for his third try of the day and the score with the conversion by that man Wade again was now 0-52 to Southwold and even the partisan Crusaders supporters were beginning to realise they were watching something a bit special from Wold and paying due compliments.
On the 60 minute mark, Crusaders lineout ball was not straight and from the resulting Wold scrum, James Hall haqving now moved from hooker to No 8, picked the ball up at the back of the scrum and fed Patrick Stevens down the blind side who dived over in the corner for his second and another five points to Wold.
Straight form the kick off after the conversion was missed, the ball was gathered by Wold and when Callum Anthony again kicked up the right bhand touchline, it was Jacob English who again got ther first and after beating one man he fed the ball inside to Anthony who had followed his own kick and who then ran clear to score again under the posts and with the conversion taken easily Wold were now 64 points in front.
There was by now, nothing that the tiring, shadow chasing home side could do to stop the onslaught as Wold were now simply rampant and winning all possession all over the pitch from the set pieces and the loose.
No one was more rampant than Jacob English who five minutes later again sidestepped his man and unselfishly then fed the ball inside, this time to Patrick Stevens who also raced clear for his hat trick and another seven points were on the board thanks to Wades conversion
Callum Anthony then capped a tip top performance at fly half when he ghosted right through the middle of the whole of the Crusaders team for his own hat trick, again under the posts, taking Wold’s tally with eight minutes left to 78 points
The points just kept coming and in the last five minutes Callum Anthony was in under the posts yet again for his fourth after a series of great Wold passes from player to player which had started in the Wold half and was simply unstoppable given Wold’s superior fitness was now allowing them to back each other up at will.
Next and two minutes from time it was that man English again who had been put away by Luke Wade up the right hand wing and he simply drew his man and fed the ball inside to Patrick Stevens who raced in for his fourthe and Wold’s last of the day
Both the last two tries were converted by Luke Wade who himself had had a great game and the final Wold total of points was 92 without reply.
Ex player Sean Cashman, ” Big Sean ” to most of us, watching from the touchline, observing Jacob English when he was running in for his third try of the day, said Jacob had ” great balance ” when running.
That word balance is a perfect word when trying to explain why this Wold side may just be the best Wold squad ever to have donned the black and gold shirts.
The ” balance ” between the old heads of Des Brett, Chris Aldous, Adam Smith, James Hall, Luke Wade, Matt Howell, Tim O Connell and Sam Webb when put with the youthful speed, undoubted prolific talent and skill of the young guns such as Phil Pymer, Callum Anthony, Jacob English, Jon Utting, Patrick Stevens, Sherard Block, Jobe Brookes, Ben and Josh Crick, Josh Wallis, and the ever improving but maybe not quite so young Joe Block, and Jamie Jenner, is mouthwateringly good and great to watch. Great team spirit is also playing a part in this current run of successful results, and it is also right to mention that there were lots of Wold supporters there. Great stuff indeed !
Hats off to Seb, Kevin and James as coaches. Great job guys. Keep it coming !
MOM : Jacob English.
Only three tries ! Involved in everything. Fantastic all round display.
Callum Anthony and Patrick Stevens, four tries each must be congratulated as well
Arn the Wold !!!
