London division north east Div 2

South Woodham first team returned to Saltcoats park after no home games for 3 months due to the wet weather and their opponents were high flying Rochford Hundred who are chasing promotion from the league, so it was no surprise that the game attracted a sizeable crowd.

Rochford were quick into the game and they scored the first try on the 6th minute under the posts to lead 7- 0 early on. The game was developing into a feisty affair and over the next 10 minutes the referee was busy breaking up several bust ups one of which lead to a Rochford penalty just inside the SWF half which was nicely converted by the fly half to leave Rochford ahead 10-0 after 15 minutes. Both teams were good from their own set piece and from a 5 metre scrum SWF number 8 marched the scrum forward and touched down for SWF first score which was converted to leave the score 10-7 after 20 minutes. The Rochford backs were looking dangerous every time they had the ball but the SWF backs were denied a try by a foot in touch close to the try line which was immediately followed by a push downfield by Rochford who notched up there second converted try in the 28th minute to leave the score 17-7. SWF then pushed hard for about a ten minute period but came away with a Brown penalty on the 37th minute to leave the score at 17-10 on halftime.

The start of the second half saw the reason why Rochford are chasing promotion when in the first ten minutes they scored twice to take the game away from SWF, the first one being more or less from the kickoff and then the try of the game came from Rochford when they were soaking up pressure from SWF in their 22 their backs swept forward and with pace and good offloading they scored under the posts, both tries were converted to leave Rochford ahead 31-10. SWF tried gamely to get back in the game but again the Rochford back line broke from their own half to score another try in the 65th minute to leave the scoreline at 38-10 and the game was effectively over. But the SWF side kept pushing forward and from a period of pressure in the Rochford 22 second row Greg Tighe went over from close for the second SWF try and to leave the final score at 38-17 to Rochford Hundred, and give the winners a deserved win. SWF now await the visit of Lowestoft and Yarmouth next Saturday.

See you all there

Squad - Neil Gittos, David Langley, Lewis Gilbert, Greg Tighe, James Wilson, Ryan Marshall, Liam Searles, David Bull, Joe Dukelow, Adam Brown, Curtis Apthorp, Jordan Harper, Warren Duggan, James Price, Andrew Jenkins, Sam Sharp, John Murphy, Reid Fairbarn.