Ipswich 13 Norwich 13

Saturday 24th November

 
This match coincided with the annual Past players luncheon and around 90 sat down before the game for an enjoyable occasion enhanced by photographic evidence of past rugby adventures both to Twickenham and abroad put together by Tim Reeves.    The lunch was also attended by the ECRU President Rod Jones and Secretary Roger Pierson for a suprise presentation to Roy Bouch of a Value the Volunteer certificate
which is sponsored by the RFU, and was made by the President.
 
In years past the Ipswich V Norwich match was always a big social event with a large contigent of Alakadoos supporting the Presidents of both clubs and the game itself was highly competitive.  At Humber Doucy Lane the crowd was there but unfortunately Ipswich were forced to make several changes with Broughton,Blyth,Primmer, Schindler and Winn all being absent. The anticipated continuation of a winning side playing
competitively together was not to be. 

The game started with Ipswich playing against the wind and up the slope and the home side were soon on the attack with the forwards obtaining good possession for Ben Goodall to get the backs moving and Ipswich soon opened the scoring when, from a ruck,a neat switch pass between Ian Fraser and Tertius Terblanche set up right winger Mataisi Vave to crash through the remaining tackler to score by the posts for a good try, which Colin Humphreys added the conversion(7 - 0).

With Ipswich forwards pushing Norwich in the set pieces and winning their share in the rucks further scores looked likely but unforced handling errors and giving away penalties negated the opportunities and their only score was a penalty for not releasing in a tackle which Colin Humphreys kicked(10 - 0). On the half hour Nowich came into the game and caught Ipswich offside on the 22 metre line and T.Ward kicked the penalty(10 - 3).   

Both sides were making mistakes and although the Ipswich pack had the upper hand at the set scrums and in the ruck they were well beaten at the line out and it was from this phase that Noriwch on the stroke of half time were able to feed the inside centre Brown who evaded his marker to run unopposed to score under the posts for T Woods to convert and bring the scores level(10 - 10).

With the wind and slope in there favour for the second half Ipswich were expected to be in the ascendency and although forward domination continued they were unable to make a scoring opportunity thorugh incurring the referees displeasure far too often but more importantly not putting  the Visitors under pressure by using the wind to kick for position, opting to run the ball from their own half  when a decent kick would have been more productive.  

So Norwich kept themselves in the game and from another Ipswich error this time on their own 22 line gave away another penalty which the Norwich kicker T. Woods, easily converted to take his side into an improbable lead with 25 minutes remaining (10 - 13).

Ipswich were continuing to make it difficult for themselves and the Visitors sensing a victory were keeping the home side from getting into an attacking position. At last however Ipswich got the message that a kick out of hand was all that was necessary to get on the attack and some pressure was then put on the Norwich defence which eventually lead to a penalty being awarded for not releasing and Colin Humphreys brought the scores level from in front of the posts (13 - 13).

Ipswich pressed for the final 5 minutes and were on the try line but the whistle blew for full time with no further score to bring a rather poor exhibition of rugby to a close.
Next week Ipswich visit another old rival in Chelmsford who are below Ipswich in the table. Their ground also has a slope so lets hope to use it and bring home two points. 
 
 

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