Eastern Counties Rugby Union

Eastern Counties travelled to Chester RFC to play their first game in the Bill Beaumont RFU County Championship Division 1 against Cheshire. Conditions were dry, but a hot and humid atmosphere was set to test the fitness levels of both teams.

EC started with a bang, taking their powerful driving game to the home team, who were on the back foot for most of the first quarter. The early pressure lead to a penalty on the Cheshire 22m line, which was slotted through the uprights by EC fullback Simon Horbeck, giving the visitors an early lead after only 3 minutes of play. Cheshire were able to equal the score at 3-3 on the 10 minute mark, with Matthew Van Sertima slotting a penalty from 40m.

EC pushed forward from the restart with David Langley and John Wedlock making inroads into the Cheshire defence. However, the tables began to turn as Cheshire re-grouped and started to take the game to the visitors, generating quick ball they were able to make good yards deep into EC territory, the Cheshire Scrum Half seeing a half gap at a ruck on the 22m line raced to the try only to be thwarted by a try saving cover tackle by the EC inside centre Chris Leatham.

Cheshire again broke through the EC defence with their outside centre making an outside break only to be brought down by a great tackle by the EC fullback Simon Horbeck, who was also able to steal the ball allowing EC to clear their lines and enjoy a short respite from the sustained Cheshire attacks.

At the lineout EC were caught napping at the tail of the lineout with the Cheshire back row combining well to drive the ball over the EC try line, the ball being adjudged held up. From the resulting 5m scrum the Cheshire number 8 picked up and despite being well tackled was able to pop the ball to his captain Dave Marwick who powered over the line for the first try of the game, which was duly converted by Rhys Hayes with Cheshire taking the lead 10-3 with 35mins gone. Cheshire were again on the front foot from the restart and were again on the score sheet with their loose head prop being the beneficiary of a mighty driving maul scoring close to the posts making for a relatively easy conversion making the score 17-6.

EC were to have the last word in the first half with Horbeck kicking a penalty following an infringement by Cheshire at the ruck making the half time score 17-6.

Early exchanges at the start of the second half were countered by either side. The balance of the game shifted to Cheshire when replacement back row Aki Lea was yellow carded for coming in at the side of a ruck on the 9m mark. This proved to be very costly for the visitors, with two converted tries being scored by the home side when EC were down to 14 men. The pick of the two tries being from the Cheshire number 8, who made a run from half way sidestepping the first would be tackler and despite being felled by a tap tackle was able to pop the ball to the Cheshire left wing who ran in unopposed to score.

With the score at 29-6 and the final quarter still to play it was looking ominous for the visitors playing for the first time in the top tier of the County Championships, however with the return of Aki Lea the EC side rallied and began to show some of the grit and determination of the first quarter and were able to mount a series of attacks, but with slow ball being generated from the breakdown the EC backs were met with a wall of defence whenever they pushed forward and were unable to break through.

However, some fine driving play by the EC pack allowed captain Red Newberry to power over the line to score what would be the final score of the game which finished at 29-11.
Captain Red Newbury after the game said “We always knew that moving up into division 1 of the County Championships would be tough, and was proud of the way his team met the challenge. We can take forward to next week’s game against Lancashire what we have learned today. In particular, the intensity we need to play at to compete at this level”

EC Team: Simon Horbeck (Shelford), Gary Andrews (Bury St Edmunds), Tom Lucas (Shelford), Chris Leatham (Cambridge), Viekune Soloman (Shelford), Nico Defo (Cambridge), David Langley(Cambridge), Patrick Calvert(Cambridge Univ.), Joe Reid(Bury St Edmonds), Martin Wolfenden (Shelford), Red Newberry (c) (Shelford), Tom Ransom (Shelford), Sam Bixby (Bury St Edmonds), John Wedlock (Beccles)

Replacements: Sisa Naqisma (Cambridge), Joe Winter (Shelford), Rob Hall (Cambridge Univ.), Bruce Van Poortvleit (Holt), Aki Lea (Shelford), Tom Jackson (Shelford), Sam Redmayne (Sheford)

Scorers: Red Newberry 1T, Simon Horbeck 2P

Manager: David Masdin, Assistant Manager: Shaun Gardner
Coaches: Mark Bolton (Lead), Simon Kidney, Pete Kolakowski
Physio: Steph Dear, Logistics: Andrew Norfolk- Clarke
Video Editor: Brad Clarke

Eastern Counties Senior XV begin their RFU County Championship Division 1 continues with games away to Lancashire on the 14th May and at home to Yorkshire on the 21st May, the latter being played at Grange Road, Cambridge.