Feb 19 - Cup SF Diss(A)

W 34 - 12 Match Report attached

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County Cup Semi-Final Match Report – Diss –v- Wymondham, 19^th February 2012

U13 ‘A’ Team – Diss 12, Wymondham 34

The next fixture for the Wymondham U13A team was a semi-final match within the Norfolk County Cup competition against Diss away at their home ground.   This was an eagerly anticipated game with Diss fielding a full-strength team and ‘pulling out all the stops’ to try and secure an important win against Wymondham (which had two Eastern Counties players absent).

The game started vigorously with Diss clearly showing they had improved their game and were determined to win.  Their tackling, rucking and handling was strong and there were a number of moments when they seemed to out-step the Wymondham team.  However, Wymondham dug deep and with some strong defensive play, rucking and breaks by individuals in the backs, the tries soon started to flow.  Scrummaging was good with Will Findlay working hard to safely secure the rugby ball and move it out to the backs.  Both Lewis Jennings and Owen Sharpe made good breaks, quickly covering almost three quarters of the pitch to score two tries each.  Dominic Smith also made several powerful runs driving through defensive lines to secure another try and leave an opposition both dazzled and exasperated.

Notwithstanding the successful outcome of this game, Wymondham could have played better and they lost possession of the rugby ball all too often.  This was attributed to several missed tackles and weak secondary support at the breakdown which was duly exploited by Diss through fast and effective rucking skills.  More balls could have been won by Wymondham at the line out and the backs lacked a degree of pace and vigour, appearing almost static at times.  This, in turn, placed increased pressure on individuals to make breaks when a more confident and faster team effort would have proved more successful. 

In conclusion, this was another solid win for Wymondham against a Diss team that had improved their game.  Notwithstanding this victory, Wymondham must now work to improve its tackling, line-out and support play at the breakdown.  Confidence and belief are both critical ingredients within this mix if the Wymondham team are to return to their true form on the rugby pitch.

Tries:  Lewis Jennings (2), Dominic Smith (1), Dan Wood (1) & Owen Sharpe (2)

Conversions:  Joe Milligan (2)

Man of the Match – Dominic Smith