Warriors 3 v Southwold 21 9/12/17

Top-of-the-league Southwold returned with eight new faces against sixth-ranked Woodbridge who stole the cup match from them in extra time last Saturday. The first scrum hinted at the forward bias in Southwold’s game-plan as they repelled the Warriors enthusiastic start. Scrum half Chippy Middleditch used lock Jamie Jenner, flanker Sherrard Block and No8 James Hall to batter the home defence and win a penalty attempt. The visitors kept the territory forcing Woodbridge to run from deep where ‘Wold pushed them back from a 5m scrum and Hall scored.

Woodbridge tried to answer the forward threat through No8 Aldous Salavejs and Matt Bowman winning penalties that allowed fly-half JP Hart to ratchet downfield to be penalised for holding on, Southwold forwards drove from a scrum and fly-half Callum Anthony scampered 30m before wing Jon Utting and full back Josh Wallis put centre Cemil Duruk over for the try. Southwold kept Woodbridge pinned in their half with fast line speed and the boot of Anthony testing the home defence which held until the break.

Woodbridge restarted with a couple of long lineout balls and a close call from wing Felix Kibble. Muddled defence allowed Southwold two attempted breaches but Hart punted a scorcher to safety. It was the Warriors that now punched upfield with centre Sam Hallows and Bowman forcing a hard tackle from sub Matt Howell. Clogg kicked three points before Southwold returned to the onslaught, getting close with a rolling maul. Woodbridge threatened with a period of repeated charges Tom Stokes and Owen Scott much in evidence. Southwold ran from their own half, flanker Phillip Pymer and sub Patrick Stevens had good carries. The game went aerial as both sides tried to get in behind the full-back and Woodbridge took nothing from a lot of frustrating phases in the Wold red zone. Hall rallied Southwold with a great sprint and a lineout on the 5m line saw Patrick Stevens break from a maul and score. The Warriors had another crack at charging the try line, sub Herb Parsley bashing at the door, but these plucky endeavours ended fruitlessly as Southwold redressed last week’s bookie’s losses.