Bury stood fifth in the table and Woodbridge second so this match looked like a fair fight, possibly Woodbridge as favourites despite playing away. Oh no. Bury started on fire, straight up to the Warriors 22 and scrummaging hard. Fly half JP Hart cleared for the Warriors but full back Andrew Devoy ran it straight back moving wide on the right to connect with Connor Roberts on the wing who scored and, prophetically, set the format for the game.
The Warriors set to brush off this early set back with prop Billy King thundering tenaciously up field for Adrian Sanday to take it left where Jamie Smith tried a grubber kick. Holding their line-out Woodbridge moved right, Taff Lloyd this time with the kick through only to be brought back for a Bury penalty which Dan Bond prevented from finding touch. Bury’s No 8 Matt Edison snatched possession at a line-out they set off down the right again, winning another couple of line-outs and forcing Woodbridge to defend to halfway where they were pushed off the scrum but won a penalty and Bury lost a player to the bin. Bury’s Sean Davis put in a powerful charge, Sam Dean turned over yet another line-out and Roberts ran wide to score again.
Undeterred the Warriors battled on, Lloyd trying the kick-through again and Smith finding touch in the Bury 22 from where Jono Cooke, Hart and Smith went for the line helping the lithe frame of prop Ed Banthorp to score on the post.
Lifted by this Woodbridge attacked again in this fast-paced game King stole the ball and Sanday put Cooke, Josh Thomas, Tim Johnson and Dan Taylor tantalisingly close. Bury reacted swiftly using their strong pack and boisterous scrum half, Stuart Turner and Edison to help wing Ross Taylor to score. Moments later they were back, this time Taylor passed the scoring honours to Edison. Woodbridge dug deep to hold Bury back as they attacked on the left wing Hart putting in a flying tackle on Devoy but prop Davis delivered a forceful gallop through the 22 to put flanker Sam Dean over ending an action-packed first half.
The onslaught continued in the second half. Bury were clearly enjoying confident team-play and opened with their forwards taking Route One before moving the ball wide for Turner to score against stretched defence. After a brief charge by Warrior lock; Johnson, the hosts were quickly back and shifting the ball expertly to Devoy who added a try to his eventual five conversions. Two minutes later it was the industrious Bury hooker; Luke Ryman who scored. Woodbridge weren’t to be ignored however and despite a threatening run from Edison they came back through a team-wide effort around Cooke who rampaged through tackles to set Smith up to score and lift Warrior heads. Woodbridge held off another attack, hung on to a line-out and scrum as Lloyd set Herb Parsley barrelling into the Bury 22 for Hart to dot down. With fifteen minutes to run Woodbridge sniffed a losing bonus point but it wasn’t to be. Tries from Bury lock Alex Palmer, wing Roberts – on a hat-trick – and finally flanker Aubrey Grimes killed any further thoughts as Woodbridge were out-classed with a performance that belied Bury’s league position.

Fresh from their win against Ipswich YM last weekend, third placed Woodbridge started energetically against sixth placed Wisbech. It started well for the Warriors. A scrum from the kick off saw the ball moved quickly out to fly-half JP Hart who broke through a few lacklustre tackles to score within minutes.

The restart brought more pressure for the visitors who looked unsettled as No 8 Jono Cooke picked and drove up-field forcing hard tackles from Wisbech, especially flankers Martin Day and Nathan Goodale. A Woodbridge scrum under the Wisbech posts forced clearance from No 10 Jack Malkin but, aside from a promising dash from right wing Patrick James, the Warriors looked a tight unit and countered robustly – forcing rushed defence which reduced Wisbech to 14 men and gave Jamie Smith three penalty points.

Cooke resumed the attack with Tony Moseley at his side, forcing the visitors back into their half after they missed a penalty touch. The Warriors clearly enjoyed the space and it wasn’t long before Neil Scopes thundered over against patchy opposition. Bobby Armour was the next Woodbridge forward to challenge his opposite numbers, he and Nick Woodley marauding up the pitch as Wisbech struggled to keep any possession. Hart bombed the visitors 22 and the chase gave them another attacking platform when the full back failed to release. Several scrums saw some impressive defence from tall Solomon Prestige the Wisbech Captain at No8 and his pack but after a protracted shift it was Warrior centre Josh Thomas who broke the try line. After such one-sided conflict it was refreshing to see Wisbech lift their game, first Raimondas Vinksna led the assault over half way with a stampede down the left wing joined by sparkling Dave Brodie at scrum half. Later it was the Wisbech forwards that camped in the home 22, winning a penalty and then mauling over from the line-out, no7 Goodale the scorer.

The Warriors rekindled the attack from the restart, benefitted from some handling errors and rucking hard behind, Cooke lively from the back of the scrum. Iffy Wisbech tackling attracted another yellow card and a failed penalty attempt from Smith before Simon Ward broke the line, offloaded to the perky front row forward Moseley who brought a loud cheer as he thundered 20 metres before setting Hart up for the bonus point try.

Play stayed in the Wisbech half as they absorbed relentless pressure from a well-synchronised Woodbridge enjoying their favoured style of open play. Cooke, Woodley, Herb Parsley, Armour and Tim Johnson took it turns to run at their opponents but it was swift Jack Johnson that helped a flying Nick Woodley take the next score with a line-breaking run and offload under pressure.

Yet again in the last quarter of the half Wisbech came alive using a scrum platform to launch their large forwards at the Warrior whitewash over which prop Sigitas Ciakas dived at full stretch to score.

Reduced to 14 men again Wisbech battled on but the last five minutes saw Hart score his second of the match thanks to the try-maker Jack Johnson who, moments later, intercepted to scamper 70 metres and polish a deserved Woodbridge victory.

The match between these two local rivals started energetically in bright September sunshine with Woodbridge winning a few penalties only to be pushed off the ball by a heavier Ipswich YM pack. The visitors made some headway but penalty kicks met a Warrior line-out that was functioning well, Bobby Armour back in the team and Dan Bond jumping well. Woodbridge defended on the halfway forcing most of the play into the YM half. A line-out on the YM 10m got the ball quickly to JP Hart who bounded through one tackle then offloaded in the second to Capt Tom Stokes who scored on ten minutes.

A rare penalty restart gave Woodbridge another line-out in the YM danger area but hands in the ruck allowed Ipswich YM an escape only for the push to be thwarted by winger Jamie Everson knocking on. It was Hart who was next with the local Derby nerves, frustrating a Warriors sortie deep in the YM 22 as both sides tried hard against their old foes. Woodbridge kept the territorial advantage, repeatedly using Hart to pressurise the Ipswich line-out which triggered a high tackle for Jamie Smith to add three points.

Ipswich staged a resurgence to chase the restart and burst into the Warrior 22 only for their scrum to be penalized and Dan Taylor to put in a frenzied charge and steal 20 metres back. Woodbridge sustained the strike until Taff Lloyd knocked on as tensions caused the ref to penalise both sides for boisterous chat. An interception by Ipswich’s centre Ryan Wood threatened the home try line with Capt Quinton working hard to retain possession for another wave as they switched to the blind side and gained a penalty. The Warriors were penalised twice in defence each time re-loading until Hart put in a try-saving tackle and gained the clearance. Woodbridge assaulted the Ipswich YM 22 again until YM conceded another high tackle from which Smith gratefully took three more points.

Play in the second half remained largely in the YM half with the visitors putting in a good opening maul but the Warriors flankers, Nick Woodley and Bond pinched possession to allow Hart to pepper the touchline and prevent any serious territory gain. The visitors, down to fourteen for yet another high tackle, defended well against the Woodbridge charging bulls, Simon Codd, Armour and Taylor as well as new centre; Josh Thomas who made a very good showing. Deep into the half Hart punched a long one for wing Simon Ward and the forwards drew in defenders from the ensuing line-out which yielded quick ball to Jamie Smith who scored through some tired tackles.

The last ten minutes saw Ipswich come alive, chasing down kicks, marauding wingers Lloyd and Ward before closing down the home runners to better effect than before. Lock Ben Hockley was a spirited leader, charging at every opportunity and galvanising his pack to hold the ball and exploit loose play with fellow lock Keiran Rudland. A strong 15m maul and penalty put YM in a position to pounce which Ben Hockley did from a 5m line-out making it look very easy. YM mounted another offensive immediately but the clock was against them and Woodbridge took the 20-7 victory.

Woodbridge started nervously with uncharacteristic kicking errors as Thetford ran confidently down the wing, Josh Clark breaking tackles to force a defending line-out. The clearance was awful from Woodbridge allowing Hooker Robert Hirsch to score within minutes. Hirsch featured powerfully in the restart as Thetford probed the right wing again forcing scrum half Taff Lloyd to clear. Woodbridge struggled to get the line speed to hold on to territory as the hosts ran back at them through lacklustre tackling and made the most of their rucks. A couple of penalties for not rolling away gave the Warriors a brief respite and full back Jamie Smith kicked three points but play returned to their half as opposing full back Will Martin repeatedly booted the ball downfield.

Set pieces generally were evenly balanced but Thetford was masterful at the ruck, repeatedly dispossessing their visitors and attacking down their favoured right wing. It was a scrum that yielded Thetford’s next try when Martin finished a backs move with a crash ball. Woodbridge’s backs tried to mount a number of signature wide chases but these were closed down effectively, Clark covering well. A scrum on the home 22 gave Woodbridge some hope only for a long clearance and maul from which lanky lock Aaron Waters scored. Warrior’s wing Alex Clifford then made a challenge as Woodbridge broke briefly into the Thetford 22 but again the long clear and terrific line speed saw Thetford reverse the threat for replacement fly half Robert Duchesne to score and close a one-sided first half.

Thetford played with a clear plan and good team awareness. This was evident from the start of the second half.  Woodbridge was penalised twice in attack and Thetford carefully worked the play back downfield. Set pieces were disciplined and within minutes Martin scored his second try from another well worked move from a scrum.

Woodbridge stalwarts in the forwards; Nick Woodley, Dan Bond and Simon Codd became increasingly frustrated at their inability to make progress and suffered repeated theft in the ruck. JP Hart, usually a line-breaker, found it difficult to find space as Thetford centres; Adam Harper and Ryan Mann covered the ground rapaciously. As the half progressed the Warriors found a little of their season’s form, Adrian Sanday having a couple of runs and Capt Jono Cooke picking and driving from most of the scrums where Woodbridge held their own. As play loosened up a little Woodbridge challenged in the Thetford 22 benefitting from a number of penalties and Thetford losing a man to the bin but in every occasion the home defence held tackling well, often two on one.

In the last quarter the visitors had a couple of breaks but any chance of a consolation try was cruelly denied as Thetford exploited the stretched defence with first a try from Man of the Match Harper and then Waters scored his second – converted, like all seven tries, by Matt Briggs, Martin and Chris Thomas.

Thetford marches on undefeated and worthy victors. They are clearly ‘The Team to Beat’. Woodbridge will relish welcoming them back to Hatchley Barn.