It was well into overtime before Ipswich Under 15s crossed the line to score the winning try in an epic final game against Colchester B, it couldn’t have been tighter Ipswich 10 Colchester 7. Both Ipswich and Colchester had prevailed over a plucky Southwold side to set up the final match of the Plate competition. So Ipswich have won 8 games from 8 in a very satisfying conclusion to the first half of their season. Ipswich will now move on to the Suffolk Cup competition proper where no doubt they will face the real challenge of the full squads of Colchester, Bury and YM.

Ipswich faced Southwold first who were tough and committed in defence. It was Ipswich who scored the first points after Josh Ball impressed with strong running, handing off defenders emphatically before his team freed Dantay Ward who drove forward from the 22 metres to post a fine score on 5 minutes after an ominously strong run. Then Ipswich conceded penalties and territory to let Southwold’s strong runners break through to score and level points with 5 minutes before half time. Ipswich pressed back immediately kicking through and pressuring Southwold into conceding a penalty in their own 22, Dantay Ward was unstoppable from the quick penalty and after Sam Donnelly converted Ipswich were 12-5 ahead as they turned round. From the off Ipswich pressed hard and as Southwold attempted to run from deep they showed too much ball to Jake Hoskings who intercepted a loose pass to score a straightforward try. Ipswich lost the measure of the referee for a period conceding penalty after penalty for a period and had to dig deep to contain Southwold after a yellow card left them a man short. However it was Ipswich who scored next on full time after a strong drive from in-form Dantay who finally offloaded for Jake Hoskings to post the final score Ipswich 22 Southwold 5.

Next up Ipswich faced Colchester B who had dismissed Southwold with a margin similar to Ipswich. In the early exchanges Colchester defended very well as Ipswich pressed strongly. All credit to Colchester who withstood immense pressure for nearly 15 minutes before they turned over ball to pass wide left releasing a very fast threequarter who found space ahead of him in his own 22 metres. He then won the footrace to score between the posts on the stroke of half time and completely against the run of play. An easy conversion meant that Colchester turned round 7 points ahead. Ipswich continued to press before Colchester drove on in a good spell to win a lineout only 5 metres from the Ipswich line. When Ipswich won a defending scrum for an Infringement at the lineout Sam Donnelly broke right with a very strong run to clear the danger area and to drive Ipswich into a great series of line attacks, Dantay Ward came close just held up, Tom White faced similar stout defence, Fred Bolton was judged to have knocked on over the line, Ipswich won good ball span ball wide left only to have a final pass judged forward with the line begging. Finally Ipswich broke the deadlock after Eli Govindasamy scored from a quick penalty with 6 minutes remaining, the conversion was missed so Ipswich were still behind as the clock ran down. Ipswich pressed at the end as the game moved into overtime forcing a series of conceded penalties before, fittingly, Dantay Ward grounded to score to win the plate for Ipswich 10-7. It was a dramatic finale and Ipswich had to demonstrate great tenacity, stamina and real control to post a victory in a match most felt had slipped away from them.

George Williamson