Sam Webb

Honours Even For Local Rivals

As Both Teams Secure League Safety With Draw 

Southwold 26 – 26 Ipswich

A thrilling end to the game saw Ipswich take the lead for the first time with a contender for try of the season for any team, with just five minutes to go, and then Wold scored another great try in the corner to even the score just before the final, leaving both sets of supporters breathless and happy.

What a game this was, full of running rugby and searing pace from start to finish with both teams preferring to keep ball in hand and test each others defence constantly.

It was great to watch and a fair result, between two Clubs with loads of history and friendship between them, but on the pitch it was fierce from start to finish.

Josh Wallis

Ipswich powered over for their first try after ten minutes but missed the conversion from wide. Josh Wallis then gave Wold the lead at 6-5 with two consecutive penalties in the space of three minutes.

Wold then piled on the pressure and two forwards tries from Sam Webb, charging over from a lineout, and then Jamie Jenner finishing off a series of pick and go’s from the Wold pack saw Wold take an 18-5 lead with Josh Wallis slotting the second conversion but not the first from the touchline.

Sam Webb Try

The Ipswich backs then replied with blistering pace from the right to simply outpace the Wold defence and score to the left of the posts, and the lucky drop goal conversion bounced just over the bar off the left hand post but was still worth the extra two points and draw the visitors nearer at 18 -12.

A Josh Wallis penalty on the stroke of half time saw Wold then lead 21-12 .

The teams battled it out for the next twenty five minutes with nothing to chose between them but it was that Ipswich pace again that saw them score a converted try on the right and close within two points at 21-19.

Wallis narrowly missed a long penalty three minutes later after being high tackled himself and Ipswich were down to 14 men after the deserved yellow card was shown for the offence, with eleven minutes left to play.

Five minutes from time came the contender for try of the season as Wold were camped in the Ipswich 22 and looking likely to score, but Ipswich gained possession and a daring inch perfect cross kick saw an amazing catch from the winger who sprinted up the line with more of that Ipswich pace and Ipswich were in front for the first time 21-26 with the conversion missed again from out wide.

Still five minutes remaining and Wold pushed and pushed but Ipswich held strong in their 22 and nearly held out until time until Wold were awarded a scrum just to the right of the posts just inside the 22 metre line.

Josh Wallis tackle

It was their last chance and good ball saw Luke Wade at inside centre spin an inch perfect long pass out wide which caught Ipswich off guard and Wallis coming in to the line from full back offloading to Jacob English who crashed his way over just inside the flag.

It was another great try and Josh Wallis’s conversion saw the ball take the paint off the post but on the wrong side and it was 26 points apiece at the whistle and the crowd could at last calm down and reflect on a fair result from what had been a great game.

MOM for Wold, Josh Wallis, top all round display from the young No 15

Photos courtesy Linda Cayley


Southwold II Champions of Eastern Counties Greene King 3 North League

The Dev XV secure promotion with a game to spare

Report By Paul Mullen

Some lovely sunshine at Crusaders ground for this top of the table clash. Wold aiming to clinch the league title and Crusaders with their own ambitions to make the title go down to the last weekend.

Wold started well, and Owles lovely penalty kick to touch did anything but get close to its destination! But great chasing by Niall and the fact the ball doesn’t do what you expect, saw the bounce beat the Crusaders defence and Niall touched down to score an unconverted try. From the kick off Wold were on the attack again with Sam, but turn over ball allowed Crusaders to kick ahead and like previously, no one claimed the ball and it bounced up into the Crusaders players arms for him to run in and level the score.

Crusaders then took the lead following several penalties from Wold in their own 22, and they were 10-5 up. This didn’t last long as great thinking from Darius to take the quick line out, his long pass found Bliss who in turn passed to Owles. His big dummy fooled the defensive line and he ran in under the posts, only to miss the conversion. Wold then upped the momentum with great mid field running from Crick and Ritchie. A superb lineout take from Walker then allowed the pack to drive towards the line and Tom to get the try and Wold to take the lead. Bliss converted off the post. Wold then scored a fourth try through Ritchie and got the try bonus point needed to secure the title before the half time whistle. HT score 22-10

The second half was closely fought, but the wide play from Wold was making the difference. The forwards were now dominant in the scrum, and were unlucky not to be awarded penalties in several of these as the Crusaders pack were in reverse and pushed off the ball. The next try came off good backing up play as Eddie received the ball wide on the left and out paced the defence to score and take the lead to 27-10. Tom was again in the action as he made a lovely break and following good support from Darius and Owles, Crick broke tackles and was soon over the try line to score Wolds sixth try.

There was then a period of very even play in the middle of the park, with both teams making good breaks but also providing good defence to halt progress. Some great tackles in the middle from Bliss did not go unnoticed on the Crusaders fly half! More good forward play by the scrum allowed quick ball from Darius to Owles, quick passes found Sam at pace and he sped into the corner to score a well deserved try. The final score came after good possession and then allowing Ritchie to outpace the defence to see the result at 42-10.

A good all round squad performance with all players making their contributions, and ensuring the Wold Development team secured the league title with a game to spare.

Arn the Wold


Southwold Swallows

Southwold Swallows end the season on a high

Southwold Swallows 27 – 15 Woodbridge Amazons

In contrast to last Sunday’s fixture against Lakenham Hewitt and indeed many played on The Common, the sun was out and the wind was relatively tranquil!

A club lunch was arranged for The Ladies which was kindly sponsored by Katie at Mantins Solicitors. Around 60 attended the lunch and many more lined the touchline to cheer the girls on – in what was not only a tight match but probably also the longest ever – at over 2 hours!

The Amazons turned up with a strong team and from the outset it was clear the game was going to be pretty even. We were unable to get out of our half during the first 10 minutes and inevitably conceded a try after a penalty deep in our 22. We then piled the pressure on them from the restart and equally inevitably scored a try 10 minutes later with Annabel dotting down in the corner – after a well-timed pass from her mum. Our pressure continued and 10 minutes later Marj’s No.8 pick-up took her over the line in virtually the same spot. Amazons responded immediately with a try bringing the scores level a few minutes before the break. It is always good to go in to the break with the momentum and Jasmin duly obliged with a try from a penalty deep in their 22.

Half time: 15 – 10 and all to play for.

It took 20 minutes plus numerous injury stoppages and far too many penalties before we were able to break the deadlock. Ellie doggedly chased down a wayward pass from an Amazon scrum on their 22 and forced their centre to touch down over her line. We sensibly passed it out the backs from the resulting 5m scrum and Annabel scored her second, also in the corner. Teams are seemingly at the most vulnerable just after scoring and this was again the case as Woodbridge ran in their third try virtually from the restart. Now 20-15 and far from over.

With the crowd restless after 2 hours and desperate for a pint we managed to hold off a sustained attack from the Amazons until we managed to turnover the ball inside our half and flung it out to Annabel who ran around the opposition for her hat trick. Emily, in the last kick of the game and the season and possibly her last appearance for Southwold, slotted the two points.

What a great way to end the season. Another close but well deserved win against Woodbridge and also finishing 4th in the table only 2 points behind Stanford-le-Hope.

Players of the Match were Annabel and Masha (“Smasha”) in the backs but this doesn’t take anything away from the efforts of the pack who all played a vital role in the win. “Forwards win matches and backs decide by how much”. There will be some sore and bruised bodies today but no one will complain!

Arn the Ladies of the Wold and here’s to next season.

www.southwoldrugby.club


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