3s Match Report "I love it when a plan comes together"

Lowestoft & Yarmouth 2s 26: 48 Holt 3s (away bonus point league win)

At 09:30am, with the temperature just above freezing, the pitches at L&Y were deemed playable and, having been “on a bit of a wing & a prayer” (as Martyn Jackson had put it) a ref had been found. The Tertian massive set off to play L&Y for the second time this year, but the first time in the new structured league.

The backs had a similar look from past weeks and a few small changes saw Ty Chamberlain come onto the wing while Cameron Sinclair-Russell took on the 15 responsibilities with Joel Eustace providing the knowledge and backing from the sideline. The familiarity of the now regular backs meant they were almost an extra man. The forwards again in reshuffle mode had the towers and battlement of Jones, Barker, Ayers in the front row, Sleightholme and Wallace in the engine room and mobile back row of Robertson, Woodhouse and Bunyan. The target of the forwards yesterday was one thing. “Get the backs good ball to do their magic”; the aim of the backs was to “do magic”. This was “The Holt 3s Plan”.

The opposition were large, with very few players who looked like traditional backs; the tackle count would be high.

L&Y kicked off and a fluffed reception led to a lineout. L&Y took the ball and rumbled forward; a high tackle gave them advantage and they pressed gaining the line and opening the score after five minutes with a converted try. Normally at this point the 3s have a 15-minute reset before getting into the game, but all the players looked around and had a word with themselves. What followed was play after play of winning basic rugby that led to winning flare rugby; after the restart Holt pressed. The forwards were able to win scrum and lineout at set piece and short carries in the open. Clean presentation enabled Perowne and Watson the time to unleash the backs. Chisholm was the first to break the defensive line after the Holt scrum took one against the head almost driving the L&Y pack into touch, giving the backs time to use hands well and get Holt on the board at the 10-minute mark. |A quick restart re-start, and just 10 minutes later Horth powered over for Holt to take the lead. The plan was working, tackles were being made, forwards were not running too far away from support, a mix of quick penalties and kicking for touch meant the backs could probe the defence and keep changing the style of attack. A break to the right saw a massive overlap to the left and Chisholm threw a huge pass that found its way to a prop who may have been a bit slow getting back to the action. Holding onto the ball just enough to draw some defenders a pop pass unleashed Tidmarsh who broke several tackles and clattered over the line at 24 minutes in. Just minutes later Robertson, from a penalty carry, drew the defence and set Chisholm off on a jinking run to cross the line again 30 minutes in; Holt had stopped every attempt by L&Y to break the lines. This almost held for the half but a penalty for a tackle not rolling away on the holt try line was deemed a penalty try and L&Y got 7, so the half ended 14-24.

The second half started like the first, with a few weak tackles allowing L&Y back into the game. Using the pick and go crash attack L&Y made their way down the pitch and, despite being chopped down time and time again, the repetition and rate weakened the Holt defence, and they crossed the line at 48 minutes bring the score to 21-24. Again the Holt players had to dig deep; with Chamberlain now in at the flank and Eustace on at full back, Sinclair-Russell was itching (well shivering) to get the ball. A Tidmarsh run down the right wing could have ended in touch, but a flipped ball back in to Sinclair-Russell saw him outpace the opposition and overpower the last tackler to cross the line and score his first senior try for Holt at the 53-minute mark, stopping L&Ys momentum. Straight from the restart attempt at a funny kick, the backs gathered the ball and Chisholm ran the ball almost the length of the pitch (half pitch but lots of lefty righty bits thrown in all add up) to beat the opposition backs while new subs Ellis Gordon and Sam Royle, with fresh legs, were the only players from either team who kept up with him. Chisholm, scored and sealed his hat trick after just 55-minutes. More changes saw Ben Chisholm take a well earnt rest while Charlie Tidmarsh came into join the centres and William Barker, after an epic 60, went off to avoid worsening an injury. Ayers stepped to hooker, Max Sleightholme came back on to prop, Dave Jones took over responsibility for line out throw ins and Keeble moved on the flank. The changes didn’t affect the play and Holt continued to press, Tidmarsh again giving it the gas to score after 62-minutes. The players at this point hadn’t really kept abreast of the score, and the last 20 felt like an eternity. In a frenzy of left and right pick and goes, L&Y again made their way down the field. Despite tackles, the momentum was enough, and they again breached the Holt Line on the 70th minute. The last two subs came on, Logan Price in centre for a power 10 and Olly Jones trying out flanking for the first time at senior level. Holt threw everything into the last 10 and great defence and tackles from the new subs meant again L&Y could not monopolise. From outside the 22 Sam Royle, with a power carry, burst through sliding across the line in the mud to score with just 5 left on the clock. A restart looked like it might be leading to another Holt try but time, light and injury set the ref’s mind and the final whistle blew. Final score L&Y 2s 26-48 Holt 3s.

Tom Watson got 50% of the conversions; pre-game Holt had agreed that as soon as we crossed the line we put the ball down. 50% of some hard kicks is good on a day of fog, mud and cold.

Congratulations to Man of the Match Dave Jones who was 64 at the start of the game and only 62 by the end of the full 80-minute shift in the front row!

The credit of the day goes to the backs whose work and consistency has paid off. Their flare on the pitch and team dedication meant the backs as a unit had each others backs, and what makes scoring a brilliant try better is when your fellow backs are all around you as you do. The forwards did their job yesterday; not out for glory, not trying to do the impossible, one plan, “Get the backs good ball to do their magic.” The backs were magic.

Also, Neil Robertson kicked a ball.