Sat 24 Sep 2022, 15:00
North Walsham 2s 30-20 Norwich Union 24-Sep-2022
Norwich Union 1s travelled the short distance to North Walsham 2s in high hopes after a great performance in the previous week but were put immediately on the back foot as their hosts scored with only five minutes on the clock a lead they maintained until the start of the fourth quarter where Union battled back to a 20 all draw with their fourth and bonus point try and second by Craig Dunbar. The hosts however closed out the game with a pair of quick tries to deny any chance by Union of snatching victory.
North Walsham’s first try game early, with the hosts running the ball back from a failed touch finder, moving the ball quickly to the right flank and scoring in the corner to take an early 5-0 lead five minutes in. The hosts were again on the score sheet a series of phases battering the Union line and sucking in defenders, which ultimately opened up space out wide which they exploited, scoring a converted try to take the score to 12-0 with 16 minutes gone.
It was looking like Union were going to be on the end of a drubbing, but instead they dusted themselves off and took the game back to the home side, steadily working their way up field and at an attacking lineout 10m out set up a driving maul, which charged towards the line, Dunbar peeling off and barging his way over, with the conversion missing narrowed the deficit to 12-5 as the game entered the second quarter.
Union then dealt a blow losing their captain to the sinbin as he was adjudged to have gone in at the side as North Walsham were camped on the Union line.
The hosts made short work of their one-man advantage shipping the ball wide from the resulting penalty kick and scoring again down the right wing to extend their lead to 17-5 as half-time approached.
However, Union were not done and from another attacking line this time 6m out, the catch and drive again resulting in a try, with outside centre Ryan Day joining the forward drive, peeling off to score. With the conversion sailing wide the score narrowed to 17-10 as the referee blew the half time whistle.
Shortly after the break Union pressured their opponents in the 22m, with replacement fly-half Mark Hill securing a penalty after clamping on to the ball at the tackle, the resulting penalty just missed the upright, so the score remained 17-10.
North Walsham were then awarded there own penalty in a similar field position and took the three points to extend their lead to 20-10.
However, Union were again on the front foot, with Day again on the score sheet as he popped up in a another forwards move wresting his way to the line to score his second of the game and to bring the score to 20-15 on the 51 minute mark.
Union backed this up with a fourth and bonus point try, again from a catch and drive with Dunbar grabbing his second from the back of the driving maul to level the score at 20-20 on the 61 mark.
Union with their tails up pressed for a winning score, but a turnover in midfield was punished as they ran the ball in to score extending their lead to 25-20.
Their final try again came from a mistake in the Union back-line with the North Walsham fly half putting in a kick behind the Union defence, but a fumble allowed a charging winger to snatch the ball and dive over the line to score what would be the final try of the game, resulting in a final score of 30-20.
Norwich Union 1s are at home for their next game on the 1st October entertaining Cambridge 3s, which kicks off at 3pm.
Team: Chris Spenceley, Ben Bond-Webster, Simon Pitcher, Jordan Read, Jon Spicker, Matt Spenceley (C), Matt McLaughlin, Craig Dunbar, Lloyd Davis, Jay O’Brien, Nick Trataris, Matthew Cook, Ryan Day, Shaun Lohan, Graham Hunt Replacements: Martyn Webb, Jonny Short, Mark Hill
Scorers: Craig Dunbar 2T, Ryan Day 2T, Lloyd Davis 0C from 3 attempts, 0P from one attempt.
Man of the match : Mark Hill
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