Dec 11 - Fakenham (H)

W 22 - 7  Report attached

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For the first time this season the Wasps had to play on a wet, slightly muddy pitch.  This combined with multiple scrummages made for a turgid affair.  Scrum after scrum should have suited the heavier forwards of Fakenham, however,  the Wymondham pack proved they can pack a punch and gained parity and some in this area. 

A mistake at kick off gave Fakenham possession in the Wymondham 22 but the Wasps showed their mettle and repelled the Fakenham advance gaining possession themselves and through good handling ran the ball into the Fakenham 22.  From the resulting penalty, Dyche reacted quickly and charged over from five metres, conversion missed.

The belief was beginning to grow and it was not long before quick recycling gave another opportunity to score which was taken with aplomb by Nwandu following precise handling by the backline.  10 -0 after 13 minutes.

Fakenham managed to gain some possession and get the ball to their inside centre who evaded some half hearted tackling and ran in under the posts.  The conversion made the score 10 – 7.

The multiple scrums stifled any attempts to play with width or any sort of pattern and the half ended 10 – 7.

The second half began in the same fashion as scrum after scrum negated any attack from either side.  It wasn’t until 20 minutes in when a breakthrough happened and Wymondham had a period of playing to their pattern.  They released the balletic Crowther whose speed of foot left the defence flailing in her wake.  The conversion from Dyche made the score 17 – 7.

Walsh seized upon an opportunity from the scrum to exploit the blind side and despite being caught after twenty metres continued to carry three Fakenham players a further ten before presenting the ball.  Lockwood, finding herself at scrum half threw a good pass to Eldridge who linked with the precocious talent of Crowther once more.  Crowther ,now playing with confidence took no second invitation to go on the outside and score her second of the day in the left corner.  Final score 22 – 7 to Wymondham.