"There's Only One, Buzz Coulson !, walking along, singing a song, walking in a Coulson world"

 

📆 23^rd March 2024, 🕣 3pm KO, 📍Cambridge Commodities Park, 🆚 Southwold, 📷 Steve Wells

As the season comes to a close, Ely Tigers bid farewell to Senior Squad coach, Paul "Buzz" Coulson, after 15 years at the helm, the side welcomed Southwold to the Cambridge Commodities Park, for the last home game of the season. 

With the club holding its last pre-match dinner of the season the crowd swelled in numbers, including many Ex-Tigers watching, with a beer or two in hand, like many games this season there were plenty of names missing from the team sheet, but those who stepped in paid their part.

First attack of the game saw Ely drive over the first try of the afternoon as Mitchel Kennett scored, conversion added by Jake Alsop, as the Tigers took a 7-0 lead, Southwold's first real attack on the game came on 15 minutes, when they picked gaps in the Ely back line, Tigers Paul Dewey stopped the attack, for now, but Southwold won the ball back from a line out to score, with the conversion added, the lead 7-7, 

After scoring Wold had the better of the game, keeping Tigers pegged back, a penalty to Ely for a high tackle, in front of the posts, Tigers opted to kick for the points,  up stepped Alsop to add the three points on 30 minutes, 10-7. 

A high number of handling errors by Tigers was giving Wold the advantage, another penalty to the fixtures gave them a chance to level the scores as half time approached, the kicker making little mistake as the ball sailed through the uprights, 10-10. 

Injury time of the first half, saw Mitchell Kennett cross over the line again, with Jake Alsop stepping up with the conversion, but stood and watched as the ball bounced of the upright, to leave the score at 15-10 at the break. 

Second started, with Southwold breaking free on the left to score, finding the gaps in the Tigers backline scoring in the corner, they were unable to add the conversion from the tight angle. the scores were level at 15-15.

Tigers started to make the replacements, with Grant Storey coming on, the game was to close to call, with both sides looking to get the next score, and it came from a mistake from Wold, that saw Lee Thompson pick up a loose pass to stroll across the try line under the posts, Alsop was able to add the conversion, 22-15, Tigers made a further two changes as John Surbey and Adam Tallack coming on, to see the came, there was still time for another score as Jake Alsop added a further 3 points as he slotted home a penalty in front of the points, 25-15 

Neither side was able to trouble the scoreboard further as the game drew to a close, as the game finished in a 25-15 win for the Tigers. leaving them in 6th place.

 

Friday Night Rugby

📆 15^th March 2024, 🕣 7:30pm KO,  📍Cambridge Commodities Park,🆚 St Neots 

 Ely Tigers Colts faced their counter parts from St Neots, under the lights at the Cambridge Commodities Park, the Colts this season has seen two players play for Cambridgeshire, while  Tom Gunbie,  has also played for the clubs Senior side. The weather in the week leading upto tonight saw further rain fall on a already sodden pitch, but a day of sunshine and a brisk wind helped the pitch, on what looked to have been a perfect evening for rugby, however heavy rain an hour before kick off saw the pitch moist on top making it wet under foot, with the worse being around the center spot, which could have lead to the handling errors and slipping.

The game started with the visitors pushing Ely back, as the hosts failed to get a grip on the game, the opening 1/4 saw a stop, start affair, with the penalty count, for both sides creeping up, the odd time that Tigers managed to get into the Neots half, again progress was halted for a penalty, so it was a surprise that Tigers took the lead, against the run of play, with the conversion added they lead 7-0.

The second half saw Tigers more in the game, but both sides struggled in the final part of the the pitch, however Ely extended their lead with a second try of the evening with the try to follow, St Neots managed to pull a try back, which their play during the game deserved, but the conversion fell short, Tigers finished up the score with a penalty, to lead 17-5, as the game due to a close the visitors looked the more likely to score, but the game ended with Tigers win.

  

 

Norfolk RFU v Suffolk RFU

 

📆 6^th March 2024, 🕣 7:45pm KO, 📍 Mundford Road, Thetford

The last game in the 2023/24 Tri-Counties Tournament saw Norfolk play host to Suffolk at Thetford Rugby Club, both side where watched on by a large crowd at Mundford Road, the Norfolk squad was made up of players from West Norfolk, Wymondham, Crusaders, Beccles, Fakenham, Thetford, Diss and Lowestoft & Yarmouth, while the Suffolk squad brought in players from Stowmarket, Southwold, Felixstowe, Ipswich Y.M, Mildenhall & Red Lodge, Hadleigh, Ipswich, Halstead Templars, Haverhill, Thetford, Harwich & Dovercourt and Aldeburgh.

Like the week before's game at Bury the kick off was delayed by 15 minutes, the delay didn't effect Norfolk as they scored the first try of the night as Jake Kerr, quickly followed by Josh Burgess crossing the try line, tempers flared as both sides square up to each other, the third try of the night, soon came as Kerr scoring his second try of the night, Jake Wicks added the conversion, to open a 17 point lead. 

Joseph Hart was next on the score sheet for Norfolk, Suffolk's best spell of the half resulted in their first try of the game, as the score stood at 22-5, back came Norfolk as Kerr scored his hat-trick try, quickly followed by Jake Girdler scoring.

With half time approaching Norfolk went a man down, during this period Suffolk crossed the line, pushing Norfolk back to score to leave the half time score 32-10. 

The second half didn't start with a flourish of try's, in fact both side failed to get a grip on the game, but Norfolk were soon back on the score board, as Joe Brighty made the score 37-10, Louis Smedley soon added another try, next on the scoresheet was Suffolk as they made the score 42-15.

Lewis Kenworthy made it 47 points, Kenworthy added the conversion to make it 49-15, on the stroke of full time Girdler scored his second try of the night under the post, leaving a straight forward conversion but the ball drifted the wrong side of the posts, as referee signaled the end of the game with a 54-15 win for Norfolk as the picked up the runners up spot, behind Cambridgeshire

 

Diss v Ely Tigers

 

📆 2^nd March 2024, 🕣 2pm KO, 📍 Mackenders, Bellrope Lane, Roydon, Diss

🆚 Diss RFC, 📷 Steve Wells

Ely Tigers travelled to Norfolk to play Diss, having already met each other earlier in the season, with Tigers running out 44-16 winners on that day, before kick off today, Ely sat in 5th place on 60 points, while the host's sat on 31 points in 8th place.

The squad saw changes again from the previous weeks win, which may have explained the slow start by Tigers and it was against the run of play that Tigers take a lead, as Ely break, from a scrum deep in their own half, moving the ball left to right finding space allowing Mark Assenti to break only a last ditch tackle with the try line in sight, stop Assenti from scoring, but Tigers keep the ball alive finding Matt McCarthy to score, Jake Alsop adds the conversion (0-7)

Diss go down to 14 after a yellow for a number high tackles, from the resulting penalty Ely get their second try of the afternoon as Jordan Barnes scores, again Alsop was able to add the conversion (0-14)

Diss get on the score sheet with a try in the corner, going over unmarked as Tigers seemed to have stopped waiting for the referee to bring back play, but the try stood, unable to add the conversion (5-14) 

Tigers regain the gap with with McCarthy going over to score his second try of the afternoon, Alsop adds the conversion on the stroke off half time to give Tigers a healthy lead at the break (5-21)

The start of the second half saw yet more rain fall on the heavy pitch, the game started to get disjointed and wasn't helped when Diss went down to 14 men after a red card, having watch Tigers all season could this be the time that they kicked on and piled on the points, coach Buzz Coulson looked to the bench bringing on Ricky Neale and Lee Thompson, soon to follow was Adam Tallack, despite being a man down the home side were pushing Ely back with the game mostly being played in their half, the home side went down to 13 as the referee produced another card.   

Despite being down to 13 it was the home side that looked likely to score, and they did, from an Ely line out the home side picked up the ball and attacked skipping tackles to cross the try line (10-21), conversion was missed, conversion was missed, despite the home side being down on numbers they were still talking about getting the two tries required for the bonus point from the game

A charged down kick by Tallack saw Ely score their bonus point try, Tallack beat the defender to the ball and ran free to set up McCarthy for his hat trick try, aswell as the Bonus point try, under the posts, with Alsop adding the conversion (10-28)

The try was a blow for the home side so it was no surprise with the game coming to a close that Ely scored again as Barnes adding his second try, with Alsop adding the conversion (10-35) as Tigers made the extra players count, as Jordan soon added another try inside the last five minutes, as Ely finally made the man different count, as captain Lory Martin was able to cross the line to score during the last play of the game, with Alsop able to add the conversion as the full time whistle blew with the final score finished (10-42)

The win moved Tigers up to 4th place on 65 points, just one point behind 3rd place Ipswich.