Southwold had a big objective for this late season bash – a big bonus point victory to set them up for a League win. Woodbridge, solid at 6^th, fancied spoiling this. An early line-out steal showed Southwold’s intent as their first attack was countered by some crunching hits from Matt Bowman, Tom Stokes and Angus Clogg who over-kicked for territory on the small pitch. A mid-field scrum saw centre Ollie Carlstroem draw the defence and wing Jacob English score. Despite conceding too many penalties Woodbridge pressed up-field for Clogg to miss a penalty attempt before being pressurised under a long ball from fly-half Callum Anthony as both side tried to play in the opposition end. Woodbridge resisted a long period of assault in its own 22 only to lose the clearance line-out as Southwold regained the upper hand only to forfeit a penalty and lose a player in the ruck. Clogg took the three points. The restart scrum released backs Cemil Duruk, Carlstroem and English across field where the forwards mauled over and wild-haired Desmond Brett scored.

Woodbridge restarted under pressure Jono Cooke trying to charge out of trouble but a long pass from Anthony to the left wing took play to the visitor’s 22 where they rebuffed repeated pick-and-drives for fly-half JP Hart to clear. Clogg took another three points into the wind after a frenetic series of Woodbridge charges from Jeff Buchanan, Luke Wattam and Clogg. Southwold renewed the assault, returning to the Woodbridge 22 where their free-running backs moved from wing to wing before centre Duruk battered his way over. Another high tackle took the Warriors to 14 men as they won a scrum in the home 22 and thumped up field through Adam Plummer, James Porter and Ed Banthorpe. Southwold recovered with hooker James Hill making a great run supported by No8 Dom Hill. A Woodbridge scrum deep in their 22 was pounced upon and left wing James Barton scored out wide. With the bonus point secured it was left to Jacob English to add another seven points and set Southwold up as deserved joint league leaders with Stowmarket both with a match in hand.

Southwold 33 v Woodbridge Warriors 6

With Woodbridge 6^th in the League and Crusaders 10th the bookies would have been surprised at the tight first half an hour of this match. Both these teams, long time friendly foes, made mistakes early on. Woodbridge was the worst culprit with too many penalties and errors at the set piece. Crusaders No8 Robert Dye was energetic in attack as was centre Greg Thurston – pressing from deep with full back Ryan Harris. Play oscillated between 22s with both defences tested and suffering from the breeze disrupting throw-ins, some poor kicks and sloppy off sides. Crusaders looked sharpest in the first stages gaining the most territory but Woodbridge No8 Aldis Salavejs was sprightly from the scrum and his back row colleagues James Porter and Matt Bowman challenged Crus 5m line. Penalties reduced Woodbridge to 14 men and Crusaders mauled in the home 22 from which full back Harris snaffled and scored wide to break the impasse. This startled the Warriors into life and within minutes they had a corresponding scrum from which Salavejs darted over to score. The restart set Woodbridge up again, this time it was a scrum outside the 22 and fast ball through Bowman, centre Luke Wattam to wing James Stickley and a try.

The second half started like the first with the teams testing each other’s defences but couldn’t finish. Woodbridge challenged but despite moving from touchline to touchline spent so long that an error was inevitable. The penalties kept coming for both sides, compounded by bent throw-ins and scrum infringements until Bowman found some space supported by Tim Johnson, Jono Cooke and energetic fly half JP Hart. Sadly Johnson drew the penalty when isolated. Woodbridge stayed up, using their runners, Jamie Smith, Hart, Bowman and Clogg until the sustained duress was rewarded as Salavejs scored his second. The Crusaders forwards and hard-working scrum half Rob Loone clearly took a dim view and stepped-up the scrum to oppress with first a held-up try and then a sweet feed from the back to Harris running a great line to score. It wasn’t over though, with minutes left Cru’s kept up the fight – another scrum penalty, a line-out and prop Henry Joy was over for Loone to kick and, deservedly, level the score.

Heavy overnight rain hadn’t dampened Wymondham’s enthusiastic start to this mid-table skirmish. Penalised in the first scrum they defended a long kick by Woodbridge fly-half JP Hart, wing Chris Collins-Reed squelching up the centre field. Woodbridge countered, No8 Jono Cooke kicked through for the ball to go dead before Wyndham’s Josh Wright put in a great dash, the ball went wide through Darren Wilson for wing and colts player Anwar Bouilouta to score. Moments later and Wymondham No 10 Josh Cousens enabled a quick lineout from the restart return which caught the Warriors (and this photographer!) napping as Bouilouta splashed over again. Wymondham were clearly playing the conditions better than the visitors who had a bash up the middle only for a penalty to relinquish possession. The locals moved out left with hooker Connor Aidrie beating prop Manuel Aroza to put Collins-Reed over. Woodbridge had another go, Reece Monk handy on the wing but a penalty again frustrated. A text book Wymondham attacking 22 line-out was followed by a maul from which flanker Ethan Holmwood broke and scored. The rest of the half saw a number of sustained attacks in the visitors 22 that were well-defended by 14 men in messy conditions.

Woodbridge restarted with gusto, penetrating the home 22 and forcing a poor touch but Wright countered, supported by Bouilouta and Alex Wigney. Woodbridge kept the long kicks coming from Hart and Monk and had more territory and ball, Aldis Salavejs, Tom Stokes and Ed Banthorpe especially, but the home defences were strong and retained control of the set pieces, Liam Browning reliable in the line-out, making it hard for the visitors to maintain their flow. Luke Wattam had a great opportunity using speed to break the line but the pass was intercepted as Wymondham’s centre Jamie Hunter grubbed to turn play again. A lot of scrums reflected the conditions as both teams struggled in the gloop. In the end Woodbridge reversed the territory stats and wallowed in the home end for 85% of the second half but to no avail – the first 20 mins had sealed a just and sticky victory for Wymondham.

Stowmarket started perkily; keen to avenge two-time Cup winners Woodbridge on a sunny, gusty day at Chilton Fields.  Lively full back Daniel Garrard grub kicked through and won a penalty. The resulting well-executed line-out fed centre Tom Crewe who scored within 5 mins. Stow kept up the pressure No8 Nicolas Kegge and prop Brad James ran from deep, fly half Stuart Hill grubbed through and wing Nicholas Falavino ran diagonally. Woodbridge battered the 5m line; wing Felix Kibble and flanker Matt Bowman challenged resulting in a missed penalty attempt. The poor Stow drop out was pounced upon by Tim Johnson and Tom Edwards who fed centre Luke Wattam and put Jamie Smith over to score. Stow came back through its forwards; wave after wave of pods battered the visitors defence until Brad James scored wide. Woodbridge’s fly-half JP Hart took territory and a lineout maul yielded a try for the indefatigable Bowman. Woodbridge kept up the pressure Wattam made good space backed up by Aldis Salavejs and Tim Johnson but the home defence held.

The game went more aerial in the second half despite swirly conditions; Woodbridge found a 5m lineout and the following maul, held up by flanker Jono Cooke let Bowman break to score his second try. Penalties by Woodbridge let full back Garrard take 6 points in short order but the visitors also pressed, worked a penalty into the Stow 22 but Angus Clogg’s chip was too long. As the game opened up Bowman and Wattam found space on the left and broke through for Wattam to score. With the score at 18-24 Woodbridge must have felt confident but Stow found the energy to fight back with a series of danger-zone set pieces, relentlessly driven by forwards No8 Nicolas Kegge and James in particular. Fifield and James were held up before Fifield just made the whitewash to make it 25-24 when converted by Garrard. The Warriors late response was plagued by poor handling and penalties, Garrard missed a three-pointer but it was wing Falavino who scored in the dying minutes and sealed a ticket for Stowmarket to the Cup Final against Mersea who beat Halstead.