Great victory against Ealing Academy team in the drizzle. A few pics from the first half. Tries for Will D and Adrian. Jack J kicked a conversion and 2 penalties.
That takes us into the last 16, the next round is to be played on 21 February, replacing the scheduled friendly with Holt.
A well-supported,close match with a much closer result than previous encounters.
Photos are here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153401858793526.1073741983.170427113525&type=3
Bury with the home advantage put us on their first team pitch, a great honour for both teams and it certainly gave Bury a huge boost in confidence. As always they were up in defense very quick so that all our hard won ball through the forwards was nullified before we could start an attack in the backs.
Our first try came from a lineout, a set piece we have worked hard on, stealing the ball from Bury’s throw in and setting a driving maul, rolling around until Tom Jermy drove over and grounded for our first points.
The rest of the half was a constant grind of forwards v forwards, with Woodbridge having the upper hand, winning or recycling the ball for the backs with cold hands to fumble or get caught early. But the boys didn’t give up.
Eventually, the Woodbridge backs put together two or three amazing runs, particularly Travis’s inside pass to Guy inside our 22 opening up the Bury defense and sending us racing up the pitch, and only a fabulous tackle from their full back preventing the try.
But it put us in their half again and this time from a scrum and some set pieces, Harry Hobday went over for 5 points and duly converted by Elliott.
A great performance by all the boys, confirming us the best team in Suffolk. Colchester next in the Cup which will be a huge challenge as they seem to be in brilliant form.
Tim
The region’s first wheelchair rugby team, the Wheelchair Warriors, is looking for new recruits. Formed in 2013 as a part of Woodbridge Rugby Club it is holding a Taster Session on Sunday 28 February at Brackenbury Sports Centre, Felixstowe IP11 9JF to attract new members. The session will start at 10am and last until 12.30pm.
The Wheelchair Warriors came together when Woodbridge Rugby Club worked with Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby to bring this rapidly-growing sport to the East of England as part of the Paralympic legacy. With only ten clubs across the whole of Great Britain in those days, players had to travel long distances to train and play. They train every Sunday morning at Rock Barracks and have capacity for more players to join – even if it’s just to train.
With this Taster Session the Warriors hope to attract;
The event, organised in conjunction with Suffolk Coastal District Council, will be a relaxed introduction to the sport under the careful instruction of Martin Saych, the Warriors Coach. Visitors can just watch, have a go, try some skills and join in the game on the day if they choose. Specialist wheelchairs will be available for visitors to try so they remain safe.
Rob Simpson, Chairman of Woodbridge Rugby Club, said “The Rugby Club gives hundreds of local kids and adults the chance to be active, get fit and be part of a team. The Wheeled Warriors are currently in their first season competing in the BT Super Series Division 3 where they won their first league match in Stoke Mandeville last weekend. We’re incredibly proud of them and their achievements, not least helping to make the Club as inclusive as possible for the community and the region.”
Glad to hear that the injured player/s are on the mend from yesterday’s Boudicias match v Old Northamptonians
With some help by spare A team players, Ipswich and Woodbridge kicked off with 15 a side, but due to a lack of experienced props, scrums were uncontested. That led to lots of open running play, with Woodbridge looking by far the better out wide.
But Ipswich worked to their strengths with Big Zack at 8 for Ipswich picking and driving deep into Woodbridge territory until our own Curtis in a black and red shirt drove over for the first try of the match.
Woodbridge looked dangerous out wide, but couldn’t finish it off, so Barnaby picked up just on the opposition 10 meter line and ran through several tackles to score a brilliant try in the corner.
Ipswich struck back through some big forwards bashing up through the middle until they scored just under the posts, converted by Theo Underwood. Ipswich were taking control through their big forwards and another try was scored just before half time by their number 8 Zack, again converted by Theo.
19-5 to Ipswich at half time.
Woodbridge didn’t let their heads sink and put in the first score in the far left corner through Saxon, followed very quickly by a score by Barnaby once again taking the ball from the base of the scrum and running the best part of half the pitch.
Even with great work by the Ipswich forwards, the Woodbridge 15 took confidence from the two quick tries and dominanted out wide, with Marcus running in under the posts, then Alex converted by Henry.
But the last score was by Ipswich, and rightly deserved with big strong forward after big strong forward smashed into us until they drove Curtis over for his second try.
Final score Woodbridge 27, Ipswich 24. Close game, fairly played and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Huge well done to everyone who played for Ipswich, but Men O the Matches to – Barnaby in his first outing as Captain leading from the front, tackling and scoring. And Riley for his tackling and direct running in the centres.
Two very evenly matched teams battled out what turned out to be a well-deserved 10-10 draw, and a fair result at the end of the day from both teams perspective.
Woodbridge took a 3-0 lead with a penalty calmly converted from Austin James, following some great work along the back-line. Following a long period of pressure from Bury, and us giving away too many penalties!?$!, Bury were eventually rewarded just before the break with a try in the corner to lead 5-3 at the interval.
Some inspirational words from captain Dan Driver seemed to do the trick with Woodbridge dominating much of the early 2nd half spoils. Only a last ditched clearance denied Sam Davies scoring in one corner, but the momentum continued which eventually saw Max Irwin scrambling the ball over the line in the other. Ethan Haywood kicked a near perfect conversion giving us a 10-5 lead with 10 minutes of play remaining.
Bury turned up the pressure, but Woodbridge were resolute. A long clearance to the pacey full back put us on the back foot, and Bury were able to eventually run the ball into the corner and even the scores at 10-10.
Max Irwin collected the man of the match award but could of easily given it to any number of the players. An excellent game of rugby and a great display of the progress being made by our U14’s who were “whitewashed” in the same fixture last year.
Match Report – Women’s National Championships SE North 1 – Woodbridge Amazons 5 v Southwold 10 – Sunday 24 January 2016
This top of the table duel between local rivals Woodbridge and Southwold certainly lived up to its billing and proved a fantastic advert for women’s rugby in East Anglia.
Full of passion and sometimes ferocity, it was a shame indeed that one side had to lose. Unfortunately for the hosts, the Swallows again came out on top, and in the bitterest of ways. Nearing the end of a magnificent clash, former Amazon Emma ‘Magic’ Johnson scooped up a loose ball after sustained Woodbridge pressure, and sprinted 70 metres to break the 5-5 deadlock.
Until then the rugby had ebbed and flowed between these two powerhouses of their division. The Swallows were coming off a shock defeat to Wymondham last week, while the Amazons were eager to avenge their only league defeat thus far.
The first half saw the hosts on top for 15 minutes, until the visitors began to enjoy some possession of their own. It was clear neither side would give an inch, Woodbridge skipper Claire Brickley was inspiring playing at Centre, with Coach Jane Stokes in Brickleys usual number 10 jersey, and Anna Dewberry inside her at 12, halting every Swallows outside attacks. The inside ball was fiercely contested, both packs going at each other hammer and tongs, with young Jess Delaney first to every tackle and breakdown. The only score of the half came after a period of sustained Southwold pressure, fly half Jay Ash darted over from 5 yards out after a 5 metre scrum. Bea Moore missed the conversion and an uncompromising half ended 0-5.
The second half started just as the first had, with the hosts in the ascendancy. After a series of attacks, Dewberry ran left and swatted tacklers aside before being halted just a metre short. Great support ensured possession and the diminutive figure of Amazons scrum half Morvern MacAlpine sniped her way over in the corner for the tying score. The difficult conversion from the touch line was just wide from Stacy Robinson but it was now game on!
Both sides somehow upped their game, and it was a joy to watch at times as not one player eased off a hit, tackle or ruck. Carmel Roisin repeatedly made inroads into the visitors half, Jenna Ray looked great with ball in hand, but Southwold defended bravely.
Chantelle Gallagher always looked threatening for Southwold but it was Johnson that broke the deadlock when she out-sprinted everyone after picking up a ball knocked from Brickley’s grasp.
Angela Wadham missed the conversion to set up a frenetic last few minutes when wave after wave of Woodbridge pressure was repelled until the final whistle was greeted with cries of relief from the league leaders, and utter exhaustion from the gutsy hosts.
This was truly one for the ages.
Woodbridge Amazons 5 v Southwold 10
