SWAFFHAM (25) V BROADLAND (11)
On a cold, wet, windy, overcast March afternoon, a surprising, but pleasingly large crowd turned out at North Pickenham Rd, eager to see a strong Swaffham team beat the formidable Broadland to put the double over them for the second season running.
Swaffham showed intent straight from the kick off, Morrissey’s high kick chased whole-heartedly by young winger Hamilton. The hit was good, and the pack arrived in numbers to put on a good shove towards the Broadland 22. Broadland maintained possession however, and broke the half way line with a series of pick and drives. The ball was kept tight within the forwards and an infringement on the Swaffham 10 metre line saw Broadland awarded a penalty. Poor discipline in the Swaffham ranks saw an extra 10 metres awarded, and the kick was within range for the young Broadland scrum-half. Composing himself he struck a sweet penalty goal to open the scoring, 3-0 Broadland after 5 mins.
The home side started firing up, Matt Taylor consistently excelled at the lineout, setting up good foundations from which his fellow forwards drove the Broadland pack back. Good forward play set a platform from which the half backs Sparks and Lines could combine to release a back line with plenty to give. Paul Taylor again made his scything runs from full back, combining well with winger Smolen.
Some poor kicking let Swaffham down though, and the Broadland full-back capitalised with his own big boot pinning Swaffham back. The crowd was anxious to see the ball kept in hand, and in doing so the team had a good passage of play. Lenny Webb secured loose ball to keep the attack alive.
A penalty awarded to Swaffham for hands in the ruck saw a penalty kick missed after 15 mins but this just seemed to spur Swaffham on. The resulting 22 was poor from Broadland and failed to cross the line. From the resulting scrum, the blind side was open for number 8 Gladman to exploit. Spectators at the Swaffham end of the ground cheered in response to a classic Gladman surge, supported by scrum-half Sparks. Another penalty was awarded, and in a positive move skipper Chamberlain handed the ball to Morrissey with the instruction “we score from this lineout”.
The Swaffham lineout functioned superbly in the Broadland 22, and Gunnell was the man to touch down for a 5-pointer after a remarkable Swaffham drive. The conversion was missed but nonetheless, Swaffham had stolen the lead. 5-3 after 20 mins.
Following the restart another poor Swaffham kick went dead bringing play back to a Broadland scrum in the Swaffham half. Good running as the away side ran blind and set up a try in the corner, good play had brought Broadland back into the lead. Their conversion effort missed, the score 8-5 in Broadland’s favour.
DJ Barnard again showed his strong running skills, running good angles off Fly Half Lines, and fellow centre Morrissey. He was set free from another belt up the blind by Gladman, an inside flick to winger Smolen thwarted by good cover defence. However, Broadland offside meant Webb could finally get his range and land a great kick. 8-8.
Another good strike from the Broadland kicker before the break saw the visitors leading 11-8 at half time.
The restart was poor from Broadland and gifted a scrum to Swaffham on halfway, from this; illegal play in the front row saw the advantage become a penalty. The kick to touch lead to Gladman obstructed by the ref as he went to peel off the lineout – scrum 15 awarded to Swaff.
Having got this far, the territory was lost as an unfortunate kick sailed straight into touch after a good scrummage. Callaby was working hard with front row colleagues Gunnell and Webb, aided by the powerhouse combination of Chamberlain and Murray.
Fighting back into the Broadland 22, a scintillating passage of play and a roar from the home support as play was spread across the pitch. The forwards were churning up hard yards in support of the fast running backs. Play went to the right where Barnard was tackled hard on the 5-metre line but support was there and quick hands saw Hamilton cross the line on the far left of play. The conversion missed. 13-11 after 10 mins of the second half.
Another Broadland restart failed to go the required 10 metres and the strong Swaffham scrum meant good ball for the backs to run with. Broadland turned over but a slightly lacking kick meant Swaffham were pressing deep into the Broadland half. Chamberlain towered tall in the lineout, and the peel from Second row Murray was successful. The big man charged forwards breaking tackles before offloading to Morrissey, steaming up in support. The ball was fed wide and Smolen was unlucky to be felled inches short of the chalk. Worry not, for Paul Taylor was on hand to bolt over from short range. 18-11 with 20 mins remaining.
10 minutes of hard rugby ensued, both sides pushing for a hard-fought victory. It fell to Gladman to seal the deal, running a sublime line off Lines to wrap up a hard days work. All that remained was a first taste of action for young winger Sean Frise, who was brought on for Hamilton. Farmer also entered the fray to freshen the front row for the final few plays.
Final score 25-11 and a deserved win for the magnificent Men of Swaffham
Thurlow Nunn MoM Murray worked hard in the scrum and appeared regularly in open play, despite it being only his second game back from injury.
LAKENHAM HEWITT 1ST XV (0) V SWAFFHAM RUFC 1ST XV (58)
SATURDAY 1ST MARCH 2008
Robert Impey, Swaffham Press Reporter
Swaffham travelled to Lakenham on a bright spring day, unperturbed by the harsh cold wind blowing around the exposed pitch.
After a hard warm up involving many drills set by coach Wassell, Swaffham emerged for kick off focused and ready for the job at hand. A win here was vital, and the team knew this.
The scene was set within 5minutes as Swaffham kicked off and immediately placed Lakenham under huge pressure. The ball was turned over and Swaffham took full advantage of early possession using the forwards to smash closer to the Lakenham line. The ball went wide and Morrissey at outside centre found himself and winger Hamilton in a 2 on 1 situation. The dummy was sold and Morrissey scored. A good conversion from Prop Webb ensured the full 7 points.
Inside centre Barnard showed strong running skills soon after as Swaffham surged on, hungry after a superb start. Prop Gunnell set Hamilton free as another 2 on 1 was taken advantage of. 12-0 after 10 mins as the conversion missed narrowly.
Again Swaffham charged back from the restart, lead this time by Second Row Gladman, showing blistering pace in open play, shouts of “go on big ‘un” and “good and quick” were heard around the pitch. Lakenham rallied for the next period of play, with the full back showing impressive footwork and speed to set up a series of forward drives. The Swaffham defence held fast and soon was in possession again.
Neat work in the three-quarters saw the pack with a 5-metre attacking scrum, and with the pick up and drive from number 8 Wood defended just short, Gunnell battered himself over the line for a well-worked score. Webb converted again, lengthening Swaffham’s lead to 19-0 after 25mins.
Poor kicking from Lakenham, mainly at the restart, became a feature of the game and Swaffham had the scrum at the halfway line as the ball sailed straight out again.
Swaffham Talisman Gladman was forced off through head injury, enabling Big Tom Murray to return from injury with plenty of time left on the clock.
Working their way up the pitch with a series of drives and backs play, Swaffham kicked well for territory through Fly-Half Lines, where Captain Chamberlain won the ball back at the line out. The ball was successfully driven over the line with Taylor emerging as the scorer. The tough conversion out wide was converted successfully, again by Webb.
Following another poor restart, Barnard made a super break from the Swaffham 10metres line, well into the Opposition 22, dodging tackles from all angles, before finaly being hauled down. The support was close behind, and enabled Barnard to finish off the move himself, changing he angle of attack off Lines to touch down between the posts, duly converted by Webb.
The Lakenham 18 showed good skills at the break down, and it looked as though Lakenham might get a score before half time. This was thwarted by hard defence however, and as the whistle went for half time the score was 33-0.
After 5 mins of the second half, Swaffham scored through Lines who popped up on the right wing. Not converted. 38-0.
Some rare poor decision making at the back put Lakenham in a commanding position in the Swaffham half. A silly penalty then gifted Lakenham a lineout in the Swaff 22. Were it not for a tremendous steal by Matt Taylor, Lakenham may have got themselves on the board, but after 20 mins of the second half, Swaffham started playing again, running expansively out wide, before Gunnell scored his second of the match.
Handbags ensued after 30 mins as both teams tired, and Lakenham became increasingly frustrated, but Swaffham rose above and turned the magic on again. Number 8 Wood scored a textbook try out wide, a lovely show and go enabling him to turn on the pace of his younger years to surge across the line, his beaming smile broadcasting his delight at his teams’ 8th try.
2 minutes later and Morrissey bagged his second after a penalty kick to touch, a solid lineout, and good hands in the backs left him free on the left wing.
The final try was created I hard man defence by winger Darren Smollen. A huge tackle dislodged the ball from his opposite number. Quick thinking meant he was in possession of the lost ball, before feeding it to Gunnell who in turn gave to Lenny Webb who was driven over the chalk to round off a super win for Swaffham. Final score 58-0.
Thurlow Nunn man of the match was DJ Barnard…good all game, but a mention also to Tom “Tic-Tac” Murray who had a strong return from injury.
Swaffham 18 - 5 Harwich & Dovercourt
Following last week’s defeat away at Dereham, this Swaffham side was hungry for victory against a good Harwich & Dovercourt team. Having lost to them earlier in the season, Swaffham needed the right attitude if they were to win this big home game.
The scene was set with a large home crowd eager to see their side on winning form again on a calm, clear January afternoon.
The attitude required was present from the very start, with Swaffham obtaining possession from the kick off and stringing some early controlled phases together. The early pressure lead to a break from young winger Barnard who was tackled just short of the line.
The breakthrough came soon after – strong play from the Swaffham pack into the corner for a much-deserved opening score. Pack leader Gunnell touching down for the 5 points. Extra points weren’t added from a tough kick out wide.
Harwich came back strongly from the restart, but tough defence and clever kicking, in particular from Fly-Half Lines allowed Swaffham to ease into the Harwich half. Stolen ball at the lineout enabled Swaffham to build some more phases through the pack, releasing the backs into space out wide.
Inside centre Morrissey barrelled over the line for Swaffham’s second score, Harwich’s defence not able to cope with the growing pressure as Swaffham attacked patiently, retaining the ball for long periods of time. Again the conversion missed narrowly, but the momentum was with Swaffham and the points were mounting.
Number 8 Wood showed his strong running skills as he made a charging run from the back of a scrum, fending off the defence as he ploughed into the Harwich 22, epitomising the intent of Swaffham to win through hard work.
Taylor successfully kicked a penalty awarded for hands in the ruck, taking the score to 13-0 at half time.
Harwich fired up for the second half, seemingly rejuvenated. The Harwich pack was working hard and the three-quarters line was running menacing lines at the Swaffham defence. Swaffham Chairman and Chief Photographer Eric Nye was thrilled with the performance of Second Row Murray who worked tirelessly for the cause. Lead by the big-tackling, big hearted, big second row the Swaffham defence held together, and after a long period of particularly sustained pressure in the Swaffham 22, the home side broke out through Gunnell. This lead to a strong passage of play as the home side again found their feet and resumed playing the style of rugby at which they shone.
Quickly embedded in the opponents 22, Swaffham were unlucky when an attacking lineout lead to Gunnell again crossing the try line, only to see the touch judges flag raised.
The final score of the game came as Harwich won turnover ball on their 10-metre line. The Harwich Fly Half took on the advancing Swaffham line and with a neat dummy was away, rounding the full back on route to touching down under the posts. The conversion was missed and the full time whistle went. Swaffham deserved winners of a tough encounter 18-5.
Thurlow Nunn Man Of The Match Darren Smollen had a superb game on the wing, proving a handful to the opposition once again with his pace, and putting in remarkable tackles all game long.
Southwold 8 Swaffham 13
Swaffham began their 2007/08 campaign with a workmanlike defeat of their coastal hosts in perfect rugby conditions in front of a small but cheerful crowd. Some crisp handling and effective rucking meant that Southwold hardly had any possession in the opening minutes as Swaffham pressed for the early score. The forwards were providing their three-quarters with plenty of opportunities to attack and it seemed a formality when eventually Murray made the space to run in near the corner. He then converted to make it 7-0, but although Swaffhams dominance gave them plenty of territory, Southwold held firm until half time.
Southwold tried to kick their way into attacking positions using their slight wind advantage but Chamberlain and Taylor regularly cleaned up in the line out and Swaffham used their superior pick and drive techniques to work their way forwards.
Having fought hard to stay in the game Southwold started to give away frequent penalties allowing the visitors to spend long periods in attack. Swaffham were unable to break through the Southwold back line so reverted to the forwards for their reward.
Once again, a well taken line out was driven 10 yards to the visitors line but their only score was another penalty from Murray as Southwold infringed close to their posts. Although Southwold managed a try from a break away, Swaffhams defence was rarely troubled, and after several attempts to break through again Southwold were forced to accept a drop goal which brought them to within two points. As the home pack tired the superior fitness and pace of the Swaffham forwards kept play in the Southwold half and eventually they conceded another penalty for Murray to convert.
Hadleigh 13 Swaffham 34
Swaffhams early season unbeaten form continued with a comprehensive victory over Suffolk based Hadleigh and now gives them a strong foundation to their league challenge. With a side short of injured and unavailable players, those players coming into the squad are showing that there are no safe places, and that can only be good for the Club.
Gladman scored the first of Swaffhams six tries when he touched down from the number eight position after a strong drive at the first scrummage of the game. The match was very much a stop start affair in the early exchanges, with frequent infringements by both sides resulting in little in the way of flowing rugby. Hadleigh struggled to compete in the forwards and tried to keep the ball moving but Swaffhams defence remained solid and whenever they got into the Swaffham half, strong tackling by Smith and Barnard, denied them the score. Swaffhams lead was increased as Gunnell was driven over by the pack, but Hadleigh replied with a converted try and then took the lead briefly after two penalties were awarded for handling in the ruck. Before half time though, Swaffham retook control after a fine try from Thurlow Nunn Man of the match, DJ Barnard, was converted by Webb to give them a lead of 17-13.
The half time talk had the desired effect and it was a totally different Swaffham side that played the second 40 minutes. Some crisp handling and effective rucking meant that Hadleigh hardly had any possession as Swaffham ran in three more unanswered tries. Chris Hamilton, in only his first season at senior level scored a fine try, and then Gunnell again powered over from close range. Sparks completed the scoring near the end with a typical burst through the middle and Reed converted to give Swaffham the perfect four wins out of four.
Swaffham 20 Ipswich YMCA 0
Swaffham maintained their unbeaten start to the season, to remain top of Eastern Counties Div 2, with a solid performance in front of a large partisan crowd. The early indications showed that Ipswich had little to challenge the Swaffham pack and it was no surprise when after 17 minutes Gunnell drove over near to the posts after a series of scrums and a quick ruck. Ipswich rallied and forced a fine try saving tackle from Impey, but apart from this one chance, they had little else to offer and Swaffham were comfortably in the driving seat. After 30 minutes Webb slotted a penalty, and after a speculative cross kick from Sparks, Darren Smollen scored in the corner to give them a 13-0 lead at half time.
Swaffham relaxed in the second half and allowed Ipswich to spend long periods in possession, but they were unable to threaten. Swaffhams back row were dominant with Matt Taylor and Thurlow Nunn’s Man of The Match Chris Hamilton always on hand to tidy up in the loose. It was the home side that eventually put together some good moves to excite the vociferous crowd, who by now had heard the England result, and were already celebrating. Swaffham completed their victory with a well taken try after Lines carved through the visitors back division and fed skipper Chamberlain who stretched for the line. Webb converted to make it 20-0
Swaffham 0 Thetford 13
Swaffham have finally relinquished their recent position at the top of Eastern Counties Div 2 after losing to local rivals Thetford by two tries and a drop goal, in a close game which could easily have gone either way. Thetford came out with all guns blazing in the first twenty minutes and Swaffham rarely left their own half, but the defence was impressive and it was Swaffham who had the first scoring opportunity when Thetford conceded a penalty for handling in a ruck. Unfortunately the kick was wide, and that was to set the tone for the afternoon. Thetford then scored twice before half time to open up a ten point lead and the neutrals in the crowd could be forgiven if they thought the game was over. However, Swaffham have begun to believe in themselves this season and spent long periods in Thetfords territory but with little success. Swaffham were unable to put pace on the game due to Thetford slowing the ball down at the rucks. The referee awarded several penalties against Thetford for the same offence without a hint of a yellow card and six penalty attempts in total failed to find their mark. Although Thetford had their own share of missed kicks, this was a crucial part of the game which cost Swaffham dearly. Thetford finally managed to break clear of their own half and when an attack again started to run up a blind alley, the simple option of a drop goal was taken. Swaffhams young and energetic pack had worked well, led by Thurlow Nunnns Man of The Match Dell Bartlett and the whole team seem to be playing more for each other these days ,and with a growing confidence. With minutes to go, there was to be no way back into the game for Swaffham and both sides seem to play out the remaining minutes with little enthusiasm. The return is in four weeks time at Thetford, when Swaffham will no doubt be looking to avenge this defeat.
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