Beccles Bulls 8-5 Thetford

Norfolk Junior Cup Semi-Final

29/12/01

The Bulls caused an upset on Saturday with a hard fought, gruelling victory over favourites Thetford in the last semi-final of the Norfolk Junior Cup. Thetford, the highest league placed side remaining in the competition, travelled to Beef Meadow with expectation of a victory that would give them home advantage to host the final against Dereham, but the Bulls stole the match and the spoils.

With Saturday's inclement weather dominating the style of rugby it turned into a hard fought forward battle with Thetford's older and heavier pack winning most of the 1st phase set-piece line-out and scrummage. Although Beccles adapted and improved throughout the match it has to be said the Bulls pack came off 2nd best in the tight play, however this spurred them on to greater efforts elsewhere and indeed they won the game with their excellent 2nd phase loose rucking.

The opening skirmishes were pretty evenly matched. Thetford had the push on the scrummage but the Bulls lineout was secure and in fact they stole some of the Thetford ball in this area. One key area where the Bulls had definite superiority was in strike runners with both Stuart Dawson and Andy Warnes punching holes in midfield and around the fringes respectively which provided the younger and more mobile Bulls forwards with a target to focus their rucking on. In fact as the game wore on the Bulls turned over more second phase possession from Thetford than they were winning themselves.

Indeed Bulls first real foray into Thetford's territory ended with Danny Carter being driven over the line but the referee was unsighted for the try and a scrummage was awarded. A Bulls penalty allowed the visitors to clear their lines with a sigh of relief at this early stage.

Thetford's usually precise goal kicker, Paul Lumley missed a couple of penalties early on which, had they been converted, would almost certainly have changed the game. As it was the Bulls were 1st on the scoreboard after 30 minutes of playing into the stiff breeze and sleet showers when Jon Puxley made no mistake after a Thetford forward was adjudged to have entered from the wrong side of a defensive ruck on the edge of the visitor's 22-meter line. The Bulls were to maintain this slender lead throughout the course of the match and they turned around at half time with the elements now in their favour.

Puxley missed an opportunity to extend the Bulls lead 10 minutes into the second half with a penalty awarded against Thetford for failing to release the ball, however a Beccles try within minutes of the restart did open up a safer margin.

In a rare three-quarter move this match the ball was moved wide left and recycled by the Bulls on the edge of the visitors 22-meter line. Quick possession was spun wide right by Hadridge through Danny Carter and Ian Turrell to find No8 Andy Warnes loitering on the wing and the try was a formality from 10 yards out. The extra 2 points from wide out was too much to ask for in these conditions.

Thetford responded immediately and Lumley missed a sitter of a penalty within minutes of the restart, which was to prove crucial as it turned out later. The vociferous travelling Thetford spectators in fact had to wait until half way through the 2nd half before their team could broach the increasingly miserly Bulls defence. Again from a rare piece of back play a dummy and miss pass from the Thetford fly-half Gavin Crowley to his full back hitting the line at pace provided winger Ian Reynolds with enough space to go over in the corner. Again the crucial 2 points went begging.

Thetford spurred on by the ticking clock renewed their efforts and wave after wave of attacks on the Beccles try line ensued but the Bulls line held firm with the rucking at times sublime. Unfortunately some of the younger Bulls proved a little over enthusiastic in this department which forced Beccles to defend their slender lead in the last 10 minutes reduced to 13 men after firstly hooker Lake then winger Turrel were both sin-binned. If anything this spurred the remaining Bulls on, as not only did they soak up the intense pressure they in fact were soon driving for the visitors try line again. A late visitors rally forced a lineout close to the Bulls try line but Darren Ley stole yet another crucial Thetford throw to ease the pressure.

The Bulls spectators were very happy with the win even if the game was not as free flowing as they are used to and anticipation is running high at the club with prospects in the New Year of a Cup Final and ongoing promotion campaign to look forward to.

Andy Warnes.

Beccles Press Officer.