Southwold U10' shine at Woodbridge Festival

Southwold mustered early on Sunday at Woodbridge for a ruck training session prior to the first game of the festival to give support on an area of the game new to the players & get the ball in hand. The preparation paid off!

Southwold V Ipswich was a repeat of the opening game at the Prima Cup where Wold were resoundingly beaten. Today however was different with good play in the first half from Ellis Philips in the loose and Isobel Ross around the base of the ruck seeing Wold score a try from the impressive Jake Young's to go in one up half time up. The second half was a further great improvement with many of the young Wold players now believing in their abilities in the ruck. A try for Jacob Bayford was beautifully set up by a move from the base of a ruck by Arthur Carman and Louis Davey, with Warren Terry providing the link to the flyer Bayford. Ipswich did hit back eventually but were stunned by Wold and it was left to Dillon Burgess and Will Dyson to provide the passes to the magnificent Grainger Muir to score. A missed tackle saw Ipswich score to equalise and with time, that was it. A great result for Southwold U10's in their first game.

Felixstowe V Southwold was a tight affair with hard tackling and rucking & ripping from Ellis Phillips, Dillon Burgess, Arthur Carman and Will Dyson unsettling Felixstowe and setting up gasmen Jacob Bayford & Grainger Muir to score great tries. Isobel Ross & Hugo Ward had fine runs thwarted by some hard tackling from Felixstowe & some curious decisions from the match official. Wold to their credit played on and did not remonstrate, leaving it to the end of the game with the Wold coaches and parents to discuss their views. However in the second half, Louis Davey back to his imperious best tackled his way through the bulk of Stowe to set up easily try of the game, scored by Warren Terry This game ended a draw in the end.

Mersea looked to provide the next test for Wold and Mersea fancied themselves with their sheer physical size. What Mersea didn't realise that they were up against a Wold side that now had belief in themselves, are proud to wear the shirt and now know how to go to ground and retain possession. Possession was largely Southwold's in the first half with the powerful trio of Arthur Carman, Will Dyson & Ellis Philips battering the Mersea players in the loose play & maul. Some fine ripping work, linked by Dillon Burgess, Louis Davey & Isobel Ross saw Bayford go in for a beautiful try. Half time saw 4 changes with all players playing a least 50% of each game. From a breakdown early in the second half, Isobel Ross scampered down the blindside to link with James Rowland's, who showed magnificent composure to draw two Mersea defenders before popping the ball to the gassy Grainger Muir to score. The final try for Southwold again characterised their new confidence, with a rip in a maul by Dyson, linking with Philips again to present good possession on the half way line. Jake Young's, Dillon Burgess, James Rowland's all passed for the impressive Warren Terry to ground the ball & finish Mersea three to the good.

Colchester V Southwold was to the final game of the festival, however Southwold played the game as they had with Mersea, rugby basics done well. Louis Davey, Will Dyson, Ellis Philips & Arthur Carman were magnificent in the ruck and maul, with the pacy Grainger Muir and Jacob Bayford providing both width and determination. Bayfords excellent tackling was particularly noteworthy. Southwold were on the front foot and gave Colchester nothing. The ball zipped through all the Wold players hands for the first try, touched down by Bayford. Colchester did come back, but with Jake Young, Hugo Ward and Dillon Burgess now stopping players to enable the ripping work of Ellis Philips & Will Dyson, it wasn't long before Grainger Muir added the second. Colchester were shocked & they then scored two try's due to Southwold's missed tackles. This galvanised Wold, who made four changes on the half way point, again, 50/50 for all players. Arthur Carman's re-energised direct approach, coupled with his sheer determination and industry backed up by his team mates ,saw gaps being punched in the back line and soon enough, Wold added two further glorious tries to seal the win 4-2.

A fantastic improvement and a great advert for Southwold Rugby.