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Woodbridge Warriors 19 v Newmarket 13

9th October 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

Woodbridge Warriors 19 v Newmarket 13

The Warriors started hesitantly against a larger Newmarket side remembering a 41-15 away drubbing last time they met. Newmarket forwards Philip McBride behind Capt Matthew Kent were joined by wing Tom Peacock in challenging the Warrior 22. The defence held however and a knock on gave JP Hart the opportunity to clear and signal the home strategy. Newmarket challenged again with a maul which won them a penalty for fly half Joe Stafford to take 3 points.

The game then developed as a struggle between the forwards to get clean ball. Newmarket were by far the better at stealing in the ruck, turning over several to frustrate the Warriors who were keen to move the ball wide or boot it long into the corner. Once or twice Woodbridge wingers Taff Lloyd and Ian Davidson got a sniff but Newmarket was quick to cover and stifle the attack. Newmarket’s line-out was looking sound as was their scrum where they pushed Woodbridge back repeatedly but Jono Cooke at 8 picked quickly and harassed at the maul to make it difficult for the visitors to make solid territory. When they did get into the home half a rare turnover for the Warriors saw the ball fed quickly to the rapacious Davidson who streaked down the right wing for a cheeky score.

Newmarket redoubled its efforts through flankers Matthew Dyer and Aiden Cooper who rallied their forwards with some great picking and driving to get field position aided by some Woodbridge fumbles and penalties in the mauls. A line-out in the Warrior 22 saw some crunching runs from Newmarket’s forwards, Tom Peacock first then tall figure of centre Pat Kearney finally crashed through defending Simon Codd, Tim Johnson and Dan Bond to put them ahead at the break after defending an enthusiastic Woodbridge attack up to the whistle.

The Warrior forwards started the second session with an attack of their own with Jono Cooke, Bond and Herb Parsley battering the left wing and very nearly getting there. Newmarket stole possession again and countered until an uncharacteristic poor pass from scrum half Raymond Richardson was knocked on returning the ball to Hart who kicked for Davidson to chase which he very nearly caught. Woodbridge stayed in the Newmarket end forcing Stafford to clear twice but keeping the ball, Hart distributing left and right, Capt Tom Stokes making the hard yards before Hart put in an inspired, jinking 45m run to score under the posts.

The balance swung back to Newmarket immediately, pinning Woodbridge in the right hand corner and driving from the line-out where they repeated the battering ram tactic of the first half until substitute Mark Cooper punched through to narrow the gap to one point with a quarter to go.

The excited, noisy crowd became louder as the Warriors mounted an assault on Newmarket’s 22 forcing more robust defence and clearance kicks. Woodbridge was relentless however and despite some dodgy set pieces kept the initiative despite missing a penalty goal attempt. Newmarket, down to 14 men, tried to use penalties to ratchet down the touch line but a missed touch gave Woodbridge a mid-field scrum from which Jono Cooke set up Neil Scopes to run wide on the left and score to make it five from five for the Warriors this season.  No match next weekend then unbeaten League leaders; Thetford away.

Woodbridge Amazons 3 v Tabard 24

6th October 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

UntitledDespite some glorious October sunshine at Hatchley Barn on Sunday, the Amazons day against Tabard ended rather gloomily.

A 3-24 loss to newly promoted Tabard, who travelled up from their St. Albans, Hertfordshire home, was a disappointing score line after a bright opening spell from the Woodbridge ladies.

Once again a well structured attack, mixing forward trundles with bursts from depth ensured a possession advantage. The visitors back row was usually first to any breakdown, but indiscipline cost them and it was the hosts that looked like scoring most.

Starting with just fifteen is never easy, so when centre Anna Dewberry was carried off after injuring an ankle, the Amazons realised the difficult task ahead was made even harder with only fourteen.

Despite this blow, it was Woodbridge that opened the scoring. Hands in the ruck allowed Stacy Robinson to convert a penalty for a 3-0 lead.

The game then turned before the half ended as Tabard hit back with two tries in quick succession. Rachel Potter was allowed to sprint through and around defenders for the first, and then Caroline Bolton used her considerable pace to round the down manned defence. 3-12 at half time.

Skipper Claire Brickley tried to rally her troops at the break, but it now looked a mammoth task attempting to chase the game with just fourteen.

That task was made even harder when Courtney Rose ran in a third try, and damage limitation looked the easiest route for the hosts.

Instead of pressing home their advantage however, Tabard self-imploded and their already high penalty count took on epic proportions as the match progressed. There were high tackles, numerous offences at rucks, backchat to the ref, but annoyingly for Woodbridge, no yellow cards.

The numerical advantage finally told in the latter stages, Bolton grabbed her brace with Potter converting to make it 3-24 and that remained the final score.

If there were a measurement for sheer guts, the Amazons would lead the league for sure. The need for a larger squad is more obvious than that though, and any further injuries could prove really costly down the line.

Warriors U15 vs Sudbury/Hadleigh U15

2nd October 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

Match Report from Jonathan Brooks

Woodbridge Warriors U15 vs Sudbury/Hadleigh U15
Sun 2 Oct, 2016
Woodbridge won 57 : 26
At Sudbury Rugby Club
A depleted Woodbridge took on a newly combined team from Sudbury and Hadleigh. With just 12 available, Woodbridge started the game well and scored an early try through Max Irwin. “Sud-Leigh” responded well and evened the scoring before Isaac edged Woodbridge ahead with some slick passing across the backs. Injuries to Archie and Isaac opened the game up with our opponents quickly capitalising with two quick tries, and required some stern words from Austin! This did the trick with Max Irwin running in two more tries before the break; one a move straight from Tuesdays training ground, and much applause from the sidelines. Woodbridge led 24:19 at half time. The 2nd half was much more one sided, with the hosts unable to match the Warriors’ dominance. Tries from Austin, captain Daniel, and three from the fearless Max Russell saw the match ending in a 57:26 victory. Well played everyone today – a deserved result A big thank you to our hosts, with Sam and Taylor donning the Warrior shirt filling in for the injured players. We wish the merged team every success for the rest of the season.
Match Report by Jonathan Brooks
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF THIS MATCH?

Warriors 10 v Colchester 5

25th September 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

ColchesterNew to the league, Colchester IIIs travelled to Woodbridge as an unknown quantity, the Warriors not having played them before. They started hard with a penalty in the host’s 22 and moved the ball wide through full back Adam O’Leary to lanky Sam Shouksmith on the wing. Successive penalties allowed Warrior No 10 JP Hart to clear up field for his forwards, led by the experienced prop Simon Codd, to put in some threatening carries. Colchester won possession from contact and cleared although they lost their full back after a tough tackle by prop Richard Clarke. Clearly keen to get their wingers into the game Colchester worked the ball wide at every opportunity forcing Woodbridge to defend wide which they did – Nick Woodley and his fellow flanker Man-of-the-match Dan Bond working hard.

Play stayed central for a long time, both teams kicking for territory only to face a committed counter attack from the line out or missed touch. There were a lot of penalties on both sides which introduced a stop/start feel to the game and put pressure on the set pieces where the Warriors seemed to have a slight edge in the scrum but not so the line out. As the half progressed Woodbridge held the territorial balance, exploiting the blind side and looking the more threatening of the sides despite continuous penalties. First Woodley challenged the Colchester 22, then Jono Cooke off the back of the line out and scrum half Adam Plummer from the scrum. After 20 minutes Hart eventually broke the line to score wide and end the deadlock.

Woodbridge kept up the pressure Jono Cooke having some handy runs from the line out and scrum and Colchester’s hooker Graham MacCallum and second rows Stephen McManamon and Wayne Munn took every opportunity to win possession at the ruck. Hard working flanker James Fisher was also much in evidence as possession went to and fro up to the break.

The Warriors stayed hungry at the restart only to be frustrated in the line out by some dodgy throws allowing the visitors to clear. Full back Jamie Smith countered and this pattern of penalty, clear, line out and counter attack repeated itself. The only sign of the impasse being broken came from wide – first on the right wing where Warrior wing Lewis Jacobs very nearly broke through and then Taff Lloyd had a chance if the last pass had gone to hand.

After a quarter of see-saw action Woodbridge finally got the hands they’d been looking for after Woodley, John Yorke and Captain Tom Stokes started a move that must have gone through almost every team member to the patient Lewis Jacobs who finally got the try he had be threatening all half. The home team’s joy was short-lived as a penalty after the restart saw lanky centre Julian Chamberlain-Carter run in a try against scant defence.

Play reverted to the mid-field tussle that saw Woodbridge contain Colchester from levelling the score and in doing so extend their unbeaten tally to three matches.

Woodbridge RUFC wins SCBCA Club of the Year 2016

19th September 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

Head Coach Drew Fautley received the SCBCA Club of the Year Award at the awards ceremony and dinner at Milsoms Kesgrave. The award, sponsored by FSB, was from public nomination and the judging panel. This award comes on top of a magnificent 2015/16 season which saw the Club win several cups at different levels and Eastern Counties Club of the Year. All in all 2015/16 was a very good season!

Lakenham Hewett 0 v Woodbridge Amazons 19 Sun 18 Sept 2016

19th September 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

Match Report by Ian Girling

Having been let down at the last minute by Harlow last week, the Amazons kicked off their season on Sunday with a road trip to Norfolk. And, having no pre-season matches under their belt, the Amazons ran out at Lakenham Hewitt with a sense of the unknown.
From the outset it was clear however that training had gone very well as the visitors played with excellent structure. Quick ball from the breakdowns enabled the captain and fly half Claire Brickley the chance to use pods of forwards, as well as her backs to drive inroads into the hosts.
The opening quarter of play was hectic stuff, despite the sapping heat and Jess Delaney made a great break from her Fullback position, only to be denied by her opposite number Emma Pidgeon. The new Centre pairing of Stacy Robinson and Anna Dewberry looked threatening throughout, but the most pleasing aspect of the Amazons play was their composure and organisation on defence. Bursts from both Robinson and Dewberry resulted in one on ones with Pidgeon, and both times she stood firm to deny any scores.
All the Amazon forwards worked their socks off, Paula Ireland’s experience was invaluable, especially guiding Charlotte Granger through her first game at Prop. It wasn’t until the half hour mark that the hosts were finally outdone and the increasing Woodbridge pressure told. Brickley found a gap, Pidgeon again held firm, but quickly recycled possession saw Brickley with ball in hand again to cross the goal line. Robinson converted for a 7 point advantage. The rest of the half remained scoreless, but ominously for the Lakenham girls, the Amazons pack began dominating the set pieces.

After exchanging ownership in the second half, Brickley again got the chance to outpace defenders. Slicing through a gap, and with Pidgeon occupied elsewhere, the skipper claimed her second score. The resultant kick off was fielded by the impressive Joanna Zareba, who then suffered an awful knee injury that held up play for quite some time.
Unable to move her, the players moved onto another pitch. Julie Thatcher moved forward into the second row, with Delaney stepping into the vacated number 8 berth. Immediately, a Lakenham put-in was taken against the feed and Brickley was off again for her third try.
Robinson converted for a 19 point lead and the result was now not in doubt. Woodbridge’s well organised defending ensured the hosts didn’t threaten, but fatigue definitely crept in and Lakenham’s fly half Chloe Travis enjoyed more possession going into the closing stages.
At the final whistle there were smiles all round before thoughts quickly turned to Zareba, who it turns out, has suffered an ACL tear and is likely done for the season. Sad news indeed, after a positive and rewarding afternoons work that’s got the Amazons season off to a flying start.

Beccles 9 v Warriors 40 17/9/16

18th September 2016 Simon Ballard — No Comments

Woodbridge traveled to meet an opponent they hadn’t faced for some time as Beccles played in London 3 last season. The opening skirmishes showed that the home team was keen to put last week’s 26-7 loss to Ipswich YM behind them. Early pressure won Beccles scrum half Jake Yeowell a penalty but Woodbridge came straight back with an attacking line out and penalty in Beccles 22 from which Jack Johnson leveled the score.

Woodbridge immediately renewed the attack, fly half JP Hart gained 20m with a jinking run back into the host’s end with Johnson and Captain Tom Stokes in support. A scrum saw the first of many great shoves from the visitors. With the set pieces giving him reliable possession Hart kicked long for the chasing Johnson to retrieve, dodge some desultory tackles and score.

A maul penalty gave the Warriors some brief respite from renewed Beccles pressure but a repeat infringement gave Yeowell another 3 points. Some great forward play followed with both sides being frustrated in attack despite some dogged rucking from back rows; Nick Woodley and Ed Berridge standing out for Woodbridge and Darren Fisher for Beccles. Prop Simon Codd and his flanker Woodley punctured the home defence only for full back Jamie Smith to be bundled out of play. The clearance was stifled by Berridge who kept the pressure on with forward support and the scrum delivered up more Warrior ball this time to Stokes who ran through a stretched defence to score.

Penalties from both sides rounded the half off at 9-20 with Woodbridge having dominated possession.

The visitors started strongly – Johnson took another 3 points. Warriors dominance in the scrum saw Beccles on the back foot relying on Yeowell’s boot however missed touches only reloaded the attack as Johnson’s long boot was the measure of Yeowells. The pressure rewarded Woodley with a try after he, Johnson and Stokes had led another of many assaults from a scrum in the Beccles 22.

Warrior defence held firm with Hart finding some enormous kicks to keep the home team pinned in its half despite some strong runs from full back Stuart and Cameron Armstrong with the hard-working Yeowell who became more adventurous as his frustration increased. Warrior No 8 Jono Cooke had a couple of fine carries as did Richard Clark before the ball was spun wide to winger Taff Lloyd who failed to reach his long chip-chase in goal. Woodbridge were still enjoying most possession and territory but were being denied by Beccles’ defence until Johnson, Berridge and Woodley connected to get Sam Hallows a well-deserved try.

In one of only five visits to the Warrior half Beccles failed to score despite being a metre short and the counter attack saw Ed Burridge run in unopposed to seal the bonus point win and put Woodbridge second in the table.

Woodbridge U6 & U7s Warriors train at Leicester Tigers

16th September 2016 Simon Ballard — 3 Comments

Last Saturday Coach Luke Barry and the 2 under 7s coach’s Chris Nottingham and Russ Mason took the Warriors under 7s and under 6s to Leicester Tigers for a Match day Coaching Clinic, where they had an hour and a half training session, met several of the players and watched the game afterwards against the London Wasps.  The U6s all had a fantastic day and trained their little hearts out in the pouring rain in their Woodbridge kit.