Colchester ploughed through the winter mud for a bonus point away victory against Ipswich to stay top of the league at the start of 2015. The Ipswich team showed a commitment and resolve to play their way out of the one off bottom league place occupied at the end of 2014, a spirited performance holding the league leaders to a scoreless first half. The Colchester team showed character to raise their game to score five unanswered second half tries, skipper Calum Irvine leading by example with a hat-trick.

Ipswich adapted their game to exploit the muddy pitch and slippery ball resulting from the heavy rain before and at the start of the match. Playing a short pass and direct running game, the home pack repeatedly recycled ball to retain possession, the back row of Angus Beaton, Ed Hawkins and Kain Rix prominent in pick-and-go attacks as Ipswich took control of the opening thirty minutes of the game.

A misfiring Colchester fumbled the ball, passes went awry, ground and possession were conceded as they had to adapt their game to the referee who penalised the visitors more than twenty times to Ipswich’s two in the first half hour, flanker Ollie Pickett sin binned after fifteen minutes. Yet despite the lion’s share of possession, Ipswich proved unable to breach the well organised Colchester defence who repelled everything thrown at them.

After half an hour the rain stopped - and Colchester began to play their way out of defence. Number eight James McRae and Calum Irvine each closed to the Ipswich line before the end of the half.

Revived by the halftime break, Ipswich held Colchester at bay for a dozen more minutes but the building pressure eventually told. A solid scrum on halfway saw Colt scrumhalf Ed Perry spin an accurate long pass to Irvine in the centre, the Colchester skipper bursting through a gap and crafting a kick into space for fullback Brett Cutbush to scoop up, dummying a pass to wing James Crozier before jinking inside and scoring under the posts.

Colchester continued to pressurise Ipswich. Lock Graeme Hay chased down a retreating defender, forcing a rushed kick that was fielded by Crozier whose direct running resulted in Ipswich conceding a penalty for preventing release. Calum Irvine quickly tapped and ran the penalty, squirming and reaching to place the ball on the line for a try.

As Colchester’s forwards repeatedly made ground, repeated Ipswich offences resulted in a yellow card for flanker Rix. Wing Dave Brennan’s burst set up a platform just inside the Ipswich twenty two from which Ollie Pickett charged forward, twisting and wriggling in a determined drive that dragged defenders over the line as he scored.

The bonus point fourth try soon followed. Flanker Harry Gozzett linked with prop Jerome Awesu to drag in Ipswich defenders before Ed Perry again sent a long pass to his skipper whose glance at his wing James Crozier in space sent the Ipswich defenders scuttling wide, creating an inviting gap that Irvine raced through to score under the posts.

The tiring Ipswich defence parted to allow Irvine to ghost through and touchdown under the posts in a déjà vu rerun of his previous score, flyhalf David Higgins adding his fifth successful conversion to maintain his 100% record on the day as Colchester continued their 2015 promotion campaign as league leaders.

Colchester Ravens second XV were hosted by Ipswich seconds at the same time. In a more one-sided contest, Colchester won 124-0, Colt Elliot Cryne scoring an impressive seven tries.