Win for Eastern Counties on the Road

 

@rugby__tog On Tour

 Bill Beaumont Division 3 - Pool 1

🏆 Notts, Lincs, Derby v Eastern Counties

📆 31st May 2025

Ilkeston RUFC

What could be my final rugby match of the 2024/25 season marked a first visit to Ilkeston Rugby Club, a team in the Midlands North - Regional 2. Today, they played host to the Notts, Lincs, Derby team against the Eastern Counties, for a Bill Beaumont Division 3 - Pool 1 fixture. The teams had previously faced each other during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, with Eastern Counties losing on both occasions.

The trip was fairly straightforward, and I managed to reduce the distance by 20 miles, somehow !!! it was, however, it was a bit slow when the outskirts of Nottingham were reached, but nothing major, but enough to make me come home a different way, it also turned out to be further !!!

Eastern Counties were forced to make some changes to their match day squad, bringing in players from St Ives, Oundle, Diss, Stowmarket, Hadleigh, Beccles, Wymondham, Holt, Witham, Sudbury and Hertford,

Eastern Counties commenced the game with a positional advantage, playing downhill with the wind in their favour. Initially, both teams struggled to gain control of the match. However, Eastern Counties managed to secure the first points by moving the ball across the pitch from a lineout and driving it over the try line, subsequently adding the conversion, the lead was soon added to, with 23 minutes on the clock they crossed the try again, crossing over line in the left hand corner, three minutes later they scored their third try of the afternoon, going over in the corner again, again they were unable to add the conversion points as they lead 17-0.

Thirty minutes into the match, the home team registered their first score by capitalising on an overlap on the right to cross the try line. The successful conversion further reduced the deficit. Moments later, they closed the gap even more as the winger, demonstrating exceptional speed, scored under the posts. With the additional conversion, the scoreboard displayed a score of 17-14. 

In an effort to preserve their advantage until half-time, Eastern Counties experienced a setback when a wayward pass was intercepted by the home team. The intercepting player then proceeded unopposed for half of the pitch and scored directly under the posts. Following the successful conversion, the home team concluded the first half with a lead, bringing the score to 21-17.

Second started like the first with neither side on top, the home county came close to scoring the first points of the half, but the chance was missed due to a dropped ball, with 60 minutes on the clock the first try came for the home county, going over on the left side, with the added conversion added they lead 28-17, EC once more come back as they go over the line close to the post, they add the conversion to close the gap to four points, they soon take the lead with a converted try with 13 minutes left of the game, a game that

EC took the lead with a converted try with 13 minutes left in the game. The match remained closely contested, with either side still capable of winning. Following their score, the home team responded immediately from the restart and regained the lead after evading a tackle to score under the posts, as the game entered the final 5 minutes, and with the home county leading by 4 points, however EC were at the wrong end of the pitch, but slowly they started to gain yards and move up the pitch, finally within touching distance to break free to score, but the officials flagged as the ball was out of play, from the line out EC broke free again to score under the posts, with the conversion added, the game ended with a 38-35 win for EC

After the game, EC Captain Tom Jackson said the following "Boys showed what we can do when we follow the game plan and shape. We built a very good 17-0 lead. However, we lost a bit of concentration and NLD showed some good quality at the end of the 1st half to peg us back. The second half was very topsy-turvy with the lead changing regularly. The lads showed some phenomenal character in the last 10 minutes to retake the lead, but also to defend the lead! It was a fantastic game to be involved in, and thank goodness we ended up on the right side of the scorecard! Massive thank you to the coaches, supporters, players for all the support on the sidelines and throughout this season's programme."