HOLT 16 – BECCLES 25

Beccles Bulls came from 16 points down in this top of the table showdown to win and take a massive step towards winning the league. The Bulls recovered from a shocking start to win by 25-16.
The Beccles team were accompanied by a bus full of supporters for the trip to Holt. With no injuries to worry about Hinsley was able to send out a full strength side. However, the match did not start well for Beccles. Holt had to win to have any chance of catching Beccles in the league and were playing like their lives depended on it. They scored a penalty soon after the start and added a converted try soon after when a lucky bounce took the ball away from the Beccles defence. Two more penalties were added and after fifteen minutes Beccles were 16-0 down. To make matters worse Payne was lost to a hamstring injury and was replaced by Puxley.
The Bulls needed to get into the game as they were being starved of possession. The Beccles forwards rose to the challenge and began to secure Beccles some possession. The front row of Ling, Lake and Danny Rix were giving a solid base in the scrum enabling possession to be secured. The first try came from a planned move from a scrum, the Beccles pack set up a rolling maul and drove the opposition over the line enabling Hadridge to touch down.
The Bulls pulled another try back before half time again from a rolling maul. This time it was David Rix who touched the ball down over the line. This gave a halftime score of 16-10.
Beccles begun to dominate the match after the break. The Beccles backline were becoming more confident. Arnold, in only his second game at fly-half was running the game well and Squirrell was making the hard yards. Gedney and Harris were cleaning up any attacking threat that Holt showed.
After a period of pressure Beccles added another try. Johnstone peeled off the back of a ruck sprinted down the wing and dived full length over the line to bring the Bulls within one point of the home team. Johnstone was later made the White Horse man of the match.
The Bulls were soon in the lead. Arnold fed the ball wide to Wade who cut a seemingly impossible line down the touchline and squeezed over in the corner. He then got up to add a superb conversion from the touchline to make the score 22-16.
Holt came back hard at Beccles after this but with Hinsley and Thomas all over the pitch putting pressure on them they did not look like scoring. Beccles kept attacking and Wade was able to add a long distance penalty which pushed them more than a score clear.
With the massive Beccles support continuing to inspire the team Beccles never looked like conceding again and the final whistle brought wild celebrations from players and supporters alike.
Beccles now have four games left and are five points clear at the top of the league. Two more wins would send them back in to the London leagues as Champions. Their first opportunity is against long time rivals Mersea Island at Beef Meadow on March 4th

Keith Johnstone Beccles Press Officer