On a sun kissed common the Southwold under 13s took to a full sized rugby pitch for the first time like the proverbial frog to water. The boys made the transition look seamless running in a succession of early tries against an outmatched Norwich team.
The opponents had made the short journey down the A146 looking light in numbers against a Southwold squad bolstered by several new additions. It made for a gentle introduction to fully fledged rugby but there were still some real moments of quality from players who have improved immensely since the start of preseason.
The game started with a flurry of Southwold tries with Henry looking unstoppable on the win. Charlie S’s kicking pinned Norwich deep inside their own 22 and the scrum half somehow made up enough ground to intercept a loose pass and run in a try after his drop kick landed deep in opposition territory.
The second quarter started in a more even fashion but, although Norwich were seeing more of the ball, a couple of handling errors were punished ruthlessly by Henry who ran in two more unanswered tries. He added another two in the third quarter although the opponents did finish strongly, with some determined defending required to hold them up just inches short of the Southwold try line.
The sunshine briefly dissipated at the start of the fourth and final quarter but Southwold’s attacking remained bright. Patrick G received the ball wide on the left and was able to cut inside and evade multiple opponents before running in a try just inside the right touchline.
Charlie S then showcased some impressive footwork of his own, receiving the ball close to the halfway line, dropping a shoulder and weaving his way through a crowd of Norwich defenders to score his second of the game. With seconds remaining there was still time for Henry to pick up a loose ball and power his way through three defenders to score.
Stiffer tests surely await but this was a spectacular start to the season by a group who are still finding their feet when it comes to this format of rugby. The team maintained their discipline despite the one sided nature of the match and got the season off to a very bright start on a sunny Sunday that the players will never forget.