Sat 3 Dec 2022
Norwich Union 18-14 Sudbury 2s 3-Dec-2022
Despite a number of enforced changes due to injury and unavailability Norwich Union keep their impressive home record going with a hard-fought home victory against Sudbury 2s overturning a 41-21 loss away from home earlier in the season.
In a last 15minutes Union were under the cosh as Sudbury looked to steal the win at the death, however despite losing two players to the bin Union tackled like demons and didn’t let the visitors through to seal the victory.
Union started the game well steadily working their way up the field before outside centre Ryan Day made a break, once behind the gain line the ball was shipped to the wing where veteran wing Graham Hunt used both speed and strength to reach for the line and score wide out on the left. Fly half Mark Hill nailed the conversion to take am early 7-point lead.
Hill added a Penalty kick to extend the score to 10-nil as the visitors gave away a penalty on the 22m in front of the posts.
Sudbury reduced the gap with a converted try of their own as a series of concerted attacks allowed them to breach the Union defences at the end of the first quarter.
Union were awarded a penalty on the Sudbury 22m as their front row popped up under pressure and Captain Matt Spenceley opted for the kick to touch to setup an attacking lineout. And attack they did whilst the initial surge was halted a secondary push took the maul over the try-line, Johnny Short was credited with the try. Hill was unable to add the extras. So the score stood at 15-7 on the 28min mark.
Sudbury soon replied as their forwards setup good field position through a series of drives, allowing their 10 the space down the blindside for him to jink his way to the line, which he duly converted to narrow the score to 15-14.
Union extended their lead to 18-14 as Hill slotted another penalty just before the half time break.
The second half was a war of attrition with neither side able to add to the score, Sudbyry were in the ascendance but despite repeated attacks through both the forwards and the backs, they were unable to breach the Union defences, including during a 10minute period when Union were down to 13 men with both Jordan Read and Lloyd Davis being off the pitch for offences at the ruck.
The players stuck to their task and indeed it was their inspirational captain Matt Spenceley who forced a penalty in the last play making his umpteenth tackle and clamping onto the ball, which resulted in the player being penalised for holding on. Coach Jay O’Brien who came on for the last few phases following an injury to Mark Hill tapped and kicked the ball into touch to secure the win.
Team: Johnny Short, Ben-Bond-Webster, Rob Savage, Josh Crosley, Joe Morrell, Jordan Read, Matt Spenceley (C), Lloyd Davis, Mark Hill, Charlie Hill, Nick Trataris, Ryan Day, Graham Hunt. Alex Sinclair
Replacements: Jomba Duma, Shaun Lohan, Jay O’Brien
Scorers: Graham Hunt 1T, Johnny Short 1T, Mark Hill 1C, 2P
Whalebone Men of the Match : Simon Pitcher / Matt Spenceley
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