Colchester cut loose against Woodford with an eleven try bonus point victory in this top versus bottom of the table clash. Danny Whiteman scored a hat trick of tries, James Crozier bagged a brace and brothers Liam and Ollie Pickett scoring again in consecutive games.

Colchester’s fifteen player running rugby felled Woodford hopes, strong running forwards breaking tackles to link with faster backs to outpace their opponents. Over eager play cost Colchester penalties and possession but their victory never looked in doubt. Woodford have struggled with injuries all season yet played well in patches, their pack solid at set pieces and demonstrating good defence for periods but the north London hosts lacked the pace and experience to match the league leaders.

Demonstrating their intent from the start, Colchester’s kick-off was punted back by Woodford and fielded by Colchester fullback Brett Cutbush who counterattacked at speed, ball in hand interpassing culminating in prop Jerome Awesu barging a defender aside to score the opening try within two minutes. Another Woodford touch kick was fielded and led to a speedy counterattack from Colchester, a deft grubber kick by scrumhalf Matt Wadling chased by busy flanker Harry Gozzett for the second try.

Woodford showed their mettle with a well taken handling move that saw an overlap wasted as Colchester knocked the ball on. The Woodford pack won the resulting scrum, pick and go rumbles seeing prop Elliot Kayser grounding amongst a scrum of players for a try.

Colchester responded with a handful of tries. A team handling attack created space for flanker Danny Whiteman to race in his first try. Centre Joe Flexman fielded another failed kick to touch, prop Jay Hatcher setting a platform from where the ball was spread to wing James Crozier whose step inside and angled diagonal run cut through the retreating Woodford defence for a stunning bonus point try.

Livewire scrumhalf Wadling burst up the wing, Danny Whiteman again in close support for his second try. Irvine’s crafty grubber kick was taken over the line by a Woodford defender hounded by Joe Flexman, the resulting scrum win preceding lock Liam Pickett lunging over the line to score. Irvine provided another assist with his line break setting Crozier in for his second try and the 5-47 halftime lead.

Bouncing back at the start of the second half, Woodford pressured Colchester into conceding penalties, a lineout catch and drive finished with a try for Mike Lawler, James Pye converting. Colchester responded to skipper Irvine’s call to limit mistakes and struck back with their own variation on the kick to the corner as Ollie White’s lineout win was popped back to hooker Charlie Thorogood on the touchline to zip over for a try.

Repeated penalties resulted in Wadling yellow carded for offside - yet the loss galvanized Colchester rather than Woodford. The men in black focused to outscore their tiring opponents, starting with replacement No 8 Shane Nayalo cutting through midfield to send Irvine in under the posts. Higgins and Irvine combined to break, Whiteman supporting to score his third try. Colchester kept up the pressure and with seconds remaining Woodford suffered a yellow card but failed to prevent replacement flanker Ollie Pickett running in try number eleven to take Colchester over nine hundred points scored for the season so far before Higgins’ eighth conversion brought the game to a close.

Gary Griffiths, Colchester RFC