Colchester Colts narrowly overcome Southwold

As with previous trips up to Southwold, the weather conditions were not ideally suited to free running rugby. Strong wind coupled with some rain led to handling errors on both sides and difficulties in getting the ball out to the wingers. With the scrums being even and the line outs struggling, the game was evenly matched in the forwards but the difference was perhaps the away side's desire to run the ball whenever the opportunity presented it.

The pattern for the opening period was set very early on when Colchester, playing uphill and into the wind, failed to make the required 10m from the kick-off. A number of knock-ons from both sides as well as infringements at the breakdown made for a scrappy first half in which both teams struggled to play with any fluency. A Southwold penalty for offside gave the home side the lead (3-0) before Colchester, using their forwards well, moved the ball upfield. Benefitting from penalties for high tackles and a fine break from winger Archie Anbouche, the ball was passed swiftly out to the opposite wing to give Ollie Eaves the opportunity to dive over in the corner. Fly half Sam Borges kicked an impressive conversion from the touch line (3-7). Back came Southwold who spent much of the remaining time within Colchester territory but stout defending limited the home side's scoring opportunities to another penalty chance (6-7).
Half time: Southwold 6 Colchester 7

The pattern of play was slightly reversed in the second period as Colchester, now playing with the conditions enjoyed much better territory and possession. Utilising the backs more efficiently, Colchester tested the Southwold defence but, to their credit, it was the home side who retook the lead after an incursion into the Colchester half; a couple of missed tackles allowing the Southwold player a route to the line (11-7). Soon afterwards, a further Southwold try arrived as Colchester failed do deal with forward pressure (16-7). Colchester did not help themselves when indiscipline and bad language received the justified yellow card, but after perhaps the best passage of play of the game, forwards and backs combined to release the jinking Jonah Varela to bring Colchester back into the game (16-14). As frustrations on both sides came to the fore, a late tackle reduced Southwold down to 14 players. Leading by example, captain Sam Lines drove his team forward and he was on hand to drive over close to the end of the game for the match winning score (16-21).
Full time: Southwold 16 Colchester 21

Colchester Coach Sean O'Sullivan commented: "the team had to win ugly today, but credit to the players who took the game by the scruff of the neck late in the second half to turn the game around"