Saturday 7th September saw the return of the Eastern Counties 1 rugby league fixtures. A fresh and youthful Diss 1st XV travelled to Ely, along with new head coach Alex Kelsall for his first league game at the helm.

Diss took the ascendancy from the first whistle, recollecting possession from their own kick off. A passage of fluid, structured play followed as Diss moved the ball from touch line to touch line, with every carry making ground. The continued pressure paid off with quick hands and a strong run from Luke Miller to dot the ball down over the Ely try line. The conversion was made from out wide by scrum half Aaron Frith.
Another solid period of Diss possession and a good line break from Connor Phillips led to Diss’ second try. Quick ball from the breakdown as Tiger Shaw spun it wide to Ali Brooks then on to James Webster on the wing. James drew the opposing winger to release Toby Drake on his inside. Still with plenty to do, Toby went on a darting run to finish strongly in the far left corner. Again Aaron made the wide conversion.

With Diss sitting comfortably 14-0 to the good, Ely began to claw their way into the game. Diss’ defence held firm for a time, as Ely made a purge towards their try line, but eventually conceded a try.

As the half time whistle approached and with both teams feeling the heat, the game opened up. A Diss cross field kick from the half way line was well chased by Tom Webster, who collected the ball and proceeded to weave through the remaining Ely defenders, to score under the posts.

Half time 21-12 to Diss.

Tired legs in the second half began to show. Resilient defence from Diss, led by captain Nick Garnham and Josh Hayhoe. Alongside some promising moments in attack, with debutants Matt Baxter and Matt Wilson continuing to hassle the Ely defensive line and Aaron Frith kicking well for territory.

Ely managed to pull themselves level with 10 minutes left to play. A breakaway from their own try line led to a game winning try in the dying minutes of the game.

Final score 31-24.

Despite a narrow defeat, the game showed an enormous amount of promise with a young squad. A new era of cohesion under coach Alex Kelsall was apparent and a positive starting point for what will hopefully be a prosperous season for the boys in blue and white.