Eastern Counties Rugby Tri-Counties Cup - Under 20s - Suffolk RFU v Norfolk RFU

 Suffolk RFU v Norfolk RFU

📍 The Greene King IPA Haberden, Bury St Edmunds

Wednesday 29th January 2025

Following from their previous weeks defeat to their counterparts, Cambridgeshire RFU, Norfolk travelled to Bury St Edmunds to play Suffolk. 

Norfolk started the match strongly, pushing Suffolk back from the kick-off, but a penalty allowed Suffolk to advance to the halfway line. Suffolk was the first to score, driving Norfolk back from a lineout and crossing the try line. With a penalty awarded and Norfolk down a player, Suffolk led 7-0.

An early blow for Norfolk was forced in to a substitution, A break from halfway saw Suffolk score their second try of the night, with the conversion bringing the score to 14-0. Norfolk responded with a try on the wing, but missed the difficult conversion, making it 14-5. Suffolk extended their lead with a penalty, bringing the score to 17-5.

Norfolk gained momentum and, while on the attack, a penalty saw Suffolk lose a player, having been showed a yellow card, from the resulting penalty, Norfolk crossed the try line and added the conversion, narrowing the gap to 17-12. Following the restart, Suffolk applied pressure and capitalized on a Norfolk error after knocking forward the restart, resulting in a try close to the posts with a successful conversion, increasing their lead to 24-12.

In the second half, both sides conceded penalties, but Norfolk scored first, although they did not add the conversion, making it 24-17. From the restart, Norfolk pushed Suffolk back and scored again, adding the conversion to level the scores at 24-24. Norfolk then broke away from a scrum on the halfway line to score another try, with a successful conversion giving them their first lead at 24-31.

Inside the last ten minutes, Norfolk scored again and added the conversion, extending their lead to 24-38. However, with time running out, Suffolk managed to score again and successfully converted, bringing the final score to 31-38.

Suffolk will look to turn their fortunes around when they face Cambridgeshire on the Wednesday the 5^th February, at Shelford RFC, a win for Cambridgeshire will see them Champions.

Norfolk commenced the match with strong momentum, initially pushing Suffolk back from the kick-off. However, a penalty enabled Suffolk to advance to the halfway line. Suffolk was the first to score, driving Norfolk back from a lineout and crossing the try line. With a penalty awarded and Norfolk reduced to fourteen players, Suffolk held a 7-0 lead.

An early setback for Norfolk necessitated a substitution. A break from the halfway line allowed Suffolk to score their second try, with a successful conversion bringing the score to 14-0. Norfolk responded with a try on the wing, but missed the challenging conversion, making the score 14-5. Suffolk further extended their lead with a penalty, resulting in a score of 17-5.

Norfolk started gaining momentum and, while on the offensive, a penalty led to Suffolk losing a player due to a yellow card. From the ensuing penalty, Norfolk crossed the try line and added the conversion, narrowing the gap to 17-12. Following the restart, Suffolk applied pressure and capitalized on a Norfolk error after a knock-on, resulting in a try near the posts with a successful conversion, increasing their lead to 24-12.

In the second half, both teams conceded penalties, but Norfolk scored first, although they did not add the conversion, making it 24-17. From the restart, Norfolk pushed Suffolk back and scored again, adding the conversion to level the scores at 24-24. Norfolk then broke away from a scrum on the halfway line to score another try, with a successful conversion giving them their first lead at 31-24.

Within the last ten minutes, Norfolk scored once more and added the conversion, extending their lead to 38-24. However, as time was running out, Suffolk managed to score again and successfully converted, bringing the final score to 38-31.

Suffolk will aim to improve their performance when they face Cambridgeshire on Wednesday, February 5th, at Shelford RFC. A victory for Cambridgeshire will secure them the championship

Defeat Hard To Take, as Tigers go down to a 22-14 defeat

 🏆 Counties 1 Eastern Counties 

Saffron Walden🆚 Ely Tigers

Saturday 25th January 2025

Ely Tigers travelled to Saffron Walden, and a bit further, for the rearranged fixture following the storms in December, buoyed by the week before result against North Walsham, but like most games this season the squad saw many changes, even on the morning of the game.

The home team took advantage of an early opportunity to score by securing a penalty and choosing to kick for points, resulting in an early 3-0 lead. This was followed by a try as the home team found space on the wing to score. With the successful conversion, they extended their lead to 10-0. Ely gradually regained momentum and after 20 minutes, Alfie Allen scored a try in the corner, with Matt McCarthy adding the conversion, reducing the deficit to 3 points. Walden had a player sent off with a yellow card, and during first-half stoppage time, Jim Storey scored Ely's second try, Storey later spent Saturday evening at Bury St Edmunds minor injuries, have his head looked at after a clash of heads with team mate, Luke Turner, McCarthy successfully converted again, giving Ely a 14-10 lead.

Second half started, with neither side gaining the upper hand, again it was missed tackles that caused Tigers downfall, as the home side score a try, with the conversion added, with the help of the upright, they regained the lead, Ely went down to 14, as Lee Thompson was shown a yellow, with time running out, Walden score again, breaking on the left, and with players overlapping they go over in the corner, the try denied Tigers a losing bonus point. they were unable to add the conversion, the miss signaled the final whistle as the final score finished in a 22-14 defeat    

The defeat left Tigers in 9th place, while Walden sit in 5th place, next up for Tigers is an away trip to league leaders, Norwich.

Talking Tigers listen to what Head Coach, Des Lloyd and captain, Jim Storey had to say at full time.

Talking Tigers - Defeat Hard to take

First game in 2025 !

 🏆 Counties 1 Eastern Counties - 🆚 North Walsham 2s 

📆 18^th January 2025 - 📍Cambridge Commodities Park

🆚 North Walsham 2s

Finally its match day, for the first game of 2025, following 2 games called off for Waterlogged and frozen pitches. Tigers last game was on the 21^st December, when they lost against Newmarket, 

Today, Tigers face North Walsham 2s at the Cambridge Commodities  Park, the sides are separated by just 2 points, as Walsham who are currently 8^th, and Tigers in 9^th, however Ely have two games in hand, Walsham have found it tough going away from home, with just one win on the road, that win coming at Shelford as they beat the Nomads by 24-20, while Tigers have won four at home, losing 3, last time out Walsham travelled to Colchester 2’s, going down 48-10.

 The sides have met before this season, with Ely going down to a 39-3 defeat back in October

 A bright start from Ely, with captain. Jim Storey, scoring the first try of the game, upstepped, Matt McCarthy to add the conversion, 11 minutes on the clock and the visitors went down to 14, having been shown a yellow card, Second try of the game for Tigers, as Mitch Kennett dives over, Once again McCarthy steps up the add the extra points, On 16 minutes, North Walsham score after winning a line out deep in Tigers half, they work the ball to find a gap to score under the posts, conversion added as they cut Tigers lead to 7 points.

20 minutes, Ely won a scrum pushing the ball out wide, finding no way past, the ball was moved infield once again, this time finding Lee Thompson who dived over to score, McCarthy adding the conversion, quick hands from Ely saw the 4th try for the home side, securing the bonus point, as Jordan Barnes goes over the line to score. with the conversion added, 35 minutes on the clock and Ely win a penalty opting to score the points, McCarthy has no problem with the kick to secure the three points.

A quickly taken penalty freed McCarthy who added to his points tally, as he went over to score a try, he also added the conversion, on the stroke of half time, Matt French scores, McCarthy adds the conversion as the Tigers lead 45-7 at half time

Second half, started brightly for North Walsham, and it was no surprise when the crossed the try line to score, however it didn't take long for Tigers to cross the try line themselves, from a scrum the ball was passed out to the wing, where Joel Scott Paul was in space to score in the corner, leaving a difficult kick for McCarthy, who was unable to score the conversion, 78 minutes, Walsham on the scoreboard once more score a try, 50-17 conversion missed, with just two minutes left Walsham went on the attack looking for their fourth try, to secure their own bonus point, but the Tigers stood firm as they ran out 50-17 winners, 

Talk Tigers Podcast

 

Suffolk Ladies lift the Silverware

 Cambridgeshire RFU v Suffolk RFU

🏆 Eastern Counties Rugby Tri Counties Women - 📆 15th January 2025

Its been a while, but Rugby was back on the cards at Cambridge Commodities Park as they played host to Cambridgeshire v Suffolk in a winners takes all fixture, the fixture had to be rearranged due to a waterlogged pitch at Ely Tigers, the recent cold spell could have put pay to this game, but following the "warmer" spell it was game on, but there was still to be a sting in the tail, as players from each squad arrived only one side of the pitch had working floodlights, and then it fell into darkness, but finally the pitch was covered as all lights came on.

The Suffolk squad was made up of players from Bury Ladies & Ipswich Scorpions, while the Cambridge side were made up of players from Shelford, Cambridge, March, ARU and Cantabs.

The players entered the pitch through a guard of honour by Ely Tigers Girl section, who had just finished their weekly training session, the game started with Suffolk on the front foot from the whistle, going into a early 7 point lead, with Cambridgeshire slowly coming back into the game, but it was Suffolk that scored again to make it 12-0, and at the break thats how the score line finished, the second half started brightly for the home County, as they were held up under the posts, a try then, under the post would have given them a good chance for the conversion to close the gap, but it wasn't to be, instead Suffolk scored again, to extend their lead, Cambridgeshire finally got the try their play deserved, with the added conversion, but it was Suffolk who had the last score of the game as they ran out 29-7 winners to retain the Eastern Counties Rugby Tri-Counties Trophy