A fantastic display from the U14s making it 3 wins in a row and unbeaten in 4. Having lost at home to Ely 62-10 earlier in the season, Woodbridge turned things round to beat a strong Ely team by 8 tries to 3 with scores from Ethan, Isaac, Rhys, Zack, James, and Alfie. A great team performance all round.
Warriors… We were depleted today and some solid blokes stood up again and took the challenge.
Namely….
Carl Pick who has just come back from knee surgery and unfortunately tweaked it today. Hope it’s ok mate!
Also, our veteran warrior Ross Sindell stood up and was our only bench player replacing Carl early on. Ross (a spritely 46 year old) stepped up and did a great job until he broke his leg! Sadly, we couldn’t move him for over an hour until an ambulance came to take him to addenbrookes where he is now awaiting surgery. If you get a moment to text him 
07854 931011your best wishes and thanks I am sure it would be appreciated.
We played an entire half with 14, no subs, some fantastic support, a muddy field that was uphill the whole half… But, held our heads up, can honestly say your team name was earned again today!!!!
OK just a little write up of yesterday’s game…. After some last minute begging from various members of the team we managed to get 14 eager players together. We knew we would be playing 80 minutes under the kosh a man down but that did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the Saxons and that showed as our new hooker Alex got his hands on the ball and ran through a sleeping Colchester defense to score his first try for the Club ( he told me that he was promised an evening of entertainment from his wife if he scored…..so thank you Mrs Alex) the game then settled into a fantastic battle between two hardworking sets of forwards interjected by some intelligent play from the backs.
It went this way for the rest of the game and at no point did it feel like we were a man down. We lost on the last kick of the game but standing in that circle afterwards there was not one Saxon who did not have a smile on his face. This season has been one of the best I have played in and it feels like we all are playing for each other. We have one game left against Sudbury at home and there is a suggestion that pub golf maybe appropriate afterwards to cap off what has been an entertaining season for the Saxons. So if that feels like something that we want to do let me know and we will go get smashed together. Again great game yesterday lads and thank you for those who stepped up. Tony and i chose Alex as our man of the match for the shift he put in.
Thanks to Graeme for this match Report
Woodbridge Amazons traveled away to Harlow hoping to secure a win and eradicate memories of recent back-to-back defeats, which dashed their league title aspirations.
The conditions were not ideal but the muddy pitch and strong cross-winds couldn’t dampen the visitors’ high spirits who started well taking only seven minutes to get on the scoreboard. Solid possession from the start saw the Amazon’s work their way up the pitch for Brickley to make a strong run from just inside the 22 for the first try of many.
Woodbridge took control of the restart using the whole field, shipping the ball out wide to Black for try number two, converted by Robinson. Robinson continued her fine form, having moved in to the number 12 shirt, taking less than two minutes from the restart to power through three tackles to secure a third try for the visitors.
Harlow began to look strong after the restart and certainly had the measure of the Amazons in the maul. However, an unforced error from the home side turned the balance of play back in favour of the Amazons; Felstein forcing her way over the line for try number four, converted on this occasion by Stopard-Baker.
Continuous strong team effort and excellent rucking resulted in a fifth try for the visitors when Kelly pushed the ball over the line on the far right wing. Stopard-Baker ended the first half scoring with a 40-yard dash, fighting off two hard tackles on the way, shortly followed by her own conversion.
The second half started the way the first had ended with the Amazons enjoying good possession, field position and ultimately points, with another 40-yard run, this time by Dewberry. Despite Harlow losing players through injury they looked a lot stronger in the second half, especially in the scrums, where a number of balls were stolen against the head. However, it was again the unforced errors that put the home team under pressure with a knock on, leading to clean ball from the scrum, followed swiftly by try number eight from Stopard-Baker – her second of the day.
The restart saw Woodbridge driven deep inside their own 22 but just as quickly as Harlow looked a threat near the try line, a cheeky little steal saw the ball taken back up the field in two plays allowing Dewberry to secure her second of the day. Conversion of the Amazons’ ninth try brought the rout to a close.
An all-round solid performance by everyone, tight scrums and sleek line outs just proved too much for the Harlow ladies, who in fairness, never gave up. The match ended 59-0, firmly cementing the smiles on Amazons’ faces as they march forward hoping to regain second position in the league.
Fourth placed Woodbridge hosted Third placed Wisbech with both sides unbeaten in 2016 this was inevitably going to be a tight match. The eighty-mile journey from Wisbech appeared to be leave the visitors slightly jaded with a succession of handling errors following a scruffy start to the game. Woodbridge defence was holding firm and they were to benefit from a number of penalties for not releasing the ball as Woodbridge sought to steal. Much of the play was taking place in a narrow part of the field centred on the halfway line. Woodbridge fly-half J-P Hart put on a well weighted cross-field ball which was well fielded by Sam Jackson who accelerated for the line before unselfishly passing to David Price to touchdown out wide. The conversion went begging. Skippy Parsons was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes late in the half for misuse of the boot but Woodbridge were unable to take advantage of the numerical superiority. Following some minor handbags Wisbech put a kick about 15m into the Woodbridge half from the resulting line-out a driving maul took play up to 5m from the Woodbridge try line. An astonishing use of a team tackle carried a Wisbech player into touch when he was over the line and merely needed to ground the ball to score. From yet another pick up at the base of the scrum by Jono Cooke the ball was fed to Jacob Bodkin who went over in the corner. 10-0 at Half time.
The second half saw the visitors gain ascendency in the scrummage and they continued to outperform the hosts at the line out. In due course Wisbech’s second row Ben Chapman scored a try which went unconverted. The match continued to be played to a large degree in the centre of the pitch but Wisbech were to score again through James Napier and this was converted by the ever busy No 9 James Malkin. Woodbridge pressed through a good kick to the corner for another not releasing, a knock on by Wisbech at the lineout lead to a scrum from which Wisbech were adjudged offside and Bodkin slotted the three points making the game 13-12. Sam Jackson continued to put in strong runs into the 22 but late in the game he was penalised for a high tackle and sent to the sin-bin from this Wisbech scrumhalf Malkin scored the three points that took them to their 13-15 victory and cemented their advantage in the league.
The Woodbridge Amazons miserable run in 2016 continued as the emerging form side of the division, the Wymondham Wasps carried off another major scalp. Having beaten league leaders Southwold a fortnight ago, the Norfolk side arrived in Woodbridge full of confidence. The hosts, on the other hand, were still reeling from defeats at Hammersmith and Fulham in the cup last week, and bragging rights after capitulation in the local derby two weeks before.
Things got off to a dreadful start for Woodbridge when the influential number eight Vicky Watts was helped off the field with a suspected broken ankle in the opening stages, and after a quick break, Wymondham fullback Kelsey Harpman scored the games opening try! Nicola Kaciubskyj converted and the travellers were 0-7 ahead. Gradually the hosts recovered and gained a foothold. Solid scrums ensured good quality ball for the backs and skipper Claire Brickley looked sharp.
Despite being camped in the Norfolk sides half for a good twenty minute period, the Amazons were unable to breach a well disciplined Wymondham defence and finally, after losing the feed at a scrum, the Wasps superstar number eight Libby Lockwood ran a hard line through tacklers for try number two. The half ended with the hosts down by 12 and a cause for concern.
In the second half Jody Lewin extended the lead to 17 and it was only then that the Woodbridge side began to react. Back to back tries from 40 metres out at the 55th and 60 minute mark from Centre Anna Dewberry lifted the Amazons gloom, and reduced the arrears to seven. Julie Tyler was then sin binned and Wymondham exploited the number advantage well. Harpman scored her second of the game as the visitors played with structure and great support running, now earning a 12 point advantage.
The Amazons character, that has lifted them throughout this campaign, once again shone and Chloe Stopard smashed her way over after a hectic period of good phases, converting her own try. Down by just 5, a massive effort to remain second in the league meant another thrilling finale for Woodbridge, but as in the previous weeks defeat, it was not to be on this Sunday. Another stinging defeat to cope with for the Amazons, and no respite as next week the ladies travel to Harlow, with several injuries to patch up along the way.
Tries Henry (2) Rupert (1)
Conversions Jack J 2 from 3
Thurston 17 v Woodbridge Warriors 39
Saturday 7 February 2016
Woodbridge attacked from the start in blustery conditions winning a penalty for 3 points within three minutes and exploiting Thurston’s mistakes and penalties to maintain pressure. The scrum was fairly evenly contested but the visitors distributed better and worked their centres to greater effect. The Warriors line-out was working well, Alex Brigginshaw rising like salmon to steal and JP Hart kicked long and low to pin the hosts back. Clearance kicks from Thurston’s 10; Ash Allen were run back and some heavy driving from Jono Cooke allowed Sam Jackson to set Sam Hallows up for the Warriors to score. The Woodbridge backs continued to enjoy a lot of space Hart making a strong run down the wing through lacklustre defence to bring play back to Thurston’s 22 and score minutes later. Similarly Thurston were unable to stop several phases of forward play that allowed Dan Taylor to score one for the Woodbridge pack.
Thurston struggled to get clean ball from the breakdown and, when they did, Allen and his centres; George Cracknell and Nathan Offord found Warriors fast up and tackling hard, denying any wide counter attack. Winger Elliot Stubbs had a run once or twice but his opposite number Christian Hoolihan defended well. Woodbridge continued to draw defenders in and then fired the wide ball, a tactic that saw Sam Jackson score from an interception tap back from Jono Cooke.
Thurston then lifted their heads and found some space in the Woodbridge 22 but had no joy as Woodbridge defended well, pushing back to the half and moving the ball through Jackson and Hallows to No 8 Jono Cooke on the wing who scored, making it 0-34 at the break despite a strong closing effort from Thurston.
Woodbridge forwards started hard with Brigginshaw and Captain Tom Stokes rallying the pack. Substitute Simon Codd led the charge to give Hart a chance for a long touch kick from which a penalty yielded a scrum. From a concerted Warrior shove the ball was moved out fast to the wing for Jamie Smith to unselfishly pass to Dan Taylor to score his second try and the Warrior’s sixth.
John Yorke caught the restart kick and led the attack but the penalty count moved towards the visitors as Thurston fought back with renewed vigour. The back row Simon Stutley, Pete Melven and Jack Smith worked hard to win the ball and their centres ran it as the game entered a new phase. Woodbridge’s line speed slowed and the Thurston runners found a bit of passion and space. After finding a great touch Thurston’s substitute forward Rich Pearson opened the scoring to give the home crowd a boost. Allen used the boot more and this, combined with better defence, allowed the hosts to capitalise on Warrior penalties and exploit a yellow card for Pearson to score again before second row Sam Clack scored on the last play of the match having left the comeback too late to change the outcome.
Thurston 17 v Woodbridge Warriors 39
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Latest Eastern Counties Notebook No 107 – February 2016 is here