WYMONDHAM 5 8 DISS

Great enthusiasm in the mud!

Diss got off to the worst possible start with two early tries by Will, the powerful Wymondham centre. Although he is tall and a strong runner, the Diss players will be disappointed that he was allowed to burst through so many tackles whilst scoring. Shortly later, he crossed the try line again but a last ditch effort by Charlie prevented him from grounding the ball. It proved a turning point, as Will limped off shortly afterwards, leading to a much more even match thereafter; it is to be hoped that the injury is not too serious. Diss increasingly came into the game and just before the end of the ‘half’ Nathans Brand and Shaw combined, with the latter plunging over the line for a try. (2-1)

In the second half some brilliant continuity involving virtually the entire Diss team was only prevented by a last-ditch penalty; quick work by Harry saw him dive over for a try. Shortly later the speedy Connor timed his interception magnificently and ran half the length of the pitch for a fine individual score. Wymondham dug deep at this point and pressure on the Diss line led to a scrappy equaliser just before the break. (3-3)

Wymondham’s coaches deserve considerable praise because their boys came out at the start of the next half with real intent; some lovely handling and serious pace on the wings saw them deservedly pull ahead with two unanswered tries. (5-3)

It was now the turn of Mark and the Diss coaching team to show their mettle. Diss dominated the fourth half and Lewis was only just held up over the line. The resulting 5m scrum saw Dom break and Harry accept the pass to score. Harry was at it again shortly later, picking up a loose ball to burst over and level the scores once again. (5-5)

The fifth half was an attritional and scoreless affair but, significantly, was the first occasion that the team ‘with the slope’ failed to win a half. (5-5)

The final half showed the stamina and power of the Diss players to the foremost. The whole team showed great confidence and it was probably a half too many for the Wymondham boys. In the end it became the Nathans show; Harry and Dom were thwarted but Nathan Shaw wriggled over; the two Nathans combined for Nathan Brand to score; a Jack run was finished off by Nathan Shaw to complete the scoring. (5-8)

This always threatened to be a tough match. Wymondham’s record is impressive and they can probably claim to be the best team in Norfolk at U12 level. They undoubtedly missed the injured Will, who is a powerful and direct runner; it would have been interesting to see how Diss would have coped with him over the course of a long game. Nonetheless, a victory over our local rivals is a real ‘feather in the cap’.

All of the players (from both sides) deserve enormous credit for their commitment in terribly difficult conditions; both of the teams attempted to play open rugby and there was a good spirit between the two squads. There were many fine performances by the Diss players; Charlie showed real flair at full back and Sam probably played his best game for the club. It was a day, however, when handling was very difficult and a day when the forwards had an opportunity to shine. There were several candidates for Player of the Day but for their extra effort in the final half, the two two Nathans (Brand and Shaw) jointly got the final nod from the Coach.

Roger Williamson

Diss Rugby Club

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