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Sat 28 Jan 2017 · London 2 North East
1st XVNorwich
15
27
NORWICH EDGE OUT CLUB IN AN ENTERTAINING MATCH
Danny Elmer30 Jan 2017 - 17:51
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CLUB LOOSE BUT NOT ALL GLUM AS NEW SIGNING YOUNG SHOWS GREAT SKILL
EPPING UPPER CLAPTON RFC 15 V 27 NORWICH RFC
NORWICH UNION SECURE AWAY POINTS
Norwich had been an old traditional fixture for Clapton but the 2 clubs had not met prior to this season for over 30 years. Both clubs have had varying fortunes in the interim period. However competing in this league, you cannot take any team for granted! It is highly competitive and when 2 proud clubs go head to head, it is invariably the team which is on its game on the day that will hold sway and be victorious. On Saturday this was Norwich.
Clapton may have been guilty of being a touch complacent! They had previously won the away leg from earlier in the season, but it was the visitors on this occasion that got into their game right from the start. Within the first few minutes Norwich had scored a converted try and had taken the initiative. The next 20 minutes though saw EUCRFC claw their way back in to the game, firstly with a Harry Barnes penalty and then a Mitch Sinfield try when he crossed from close range.
Whilst ahead at this point and playing against 14 men for a period, there was no real period of domination for EUCRFC. The recent advantages they’d seen in the scrums and lineouts were not evident in this contest, so any attacking bases were mostly static and featured mainly individual efforts. Harry Barker in the centre did manage to make some real ground but support was rarely available and therefore little attacking cohesion was seen.
Having played against the elements and leading 8-7 with the first half all but over, Clapton may have thought they had got away with a below par performance. Sadly not as Norwich completed a good team move just before the break to score their second converted try and go in ahead.
The large home crowd’s hopes that EUCRFC fortunes would improve in the second half especially with the breeze in their favour were raised by a score from Lindsey Dobbin which followed the home side’s best concerted attack of the match. Harry Barker on this occasion converted from well from out wide. Clapton were ahead with 20 minutes to go.
Unfortunately that was the end of EUCRFC’s scoring! Norwich displayed a degree of maturity in the manner that they completed the final quarter, controlling the ball, playing for position and using their greater team cohesion to create 3 more scoring opportunities. Firstly an unconverted try was added to with a long range penalty and then a further converted try was scored with 7 minutes to go. From this point in, the away team had no problems in seeing the game out and no one could argue with the final outcome!
NORWICH UNION SECURE AWAY POINTS
Norwich had been an old traditional fixture for Clapton but the 2 clubs had not met prior to this season for over 30 years. Both clubs have had varying fortunes in the interim period. However competing in this league, you cannot take any team for granted! It is highly competitive and when 2 proud clubs go head to head, it is invariably the team which is on its game on the day that will hold sway and be victorious. On Saturday this was Norwich.
Clapton may have been guilty of being a touch complacent! They had previously won the away leg from earlier in the season, but it was the visitors on this occasion that got into their game right from the start. Within the first few minutes Norwich had scored a converted try and had taken the initiative. The next 20 minutes though saw EUCRFC claw their way back in to the game, firstly with a Harry Barnes penalty and then a Mitch Sinfield try when he crossed from close range.
Whilst ahead at this point and playing against 14 men for a period, there was no real period of domination for EUCRFC. The recent advantages they’d seen in the scrums and lineouts were not evident in this contest, so any attacking bases were mostly static and featured mainly individual efforts. Harry Barker in the centre did manage to make some real ground but support was rarely available and therefore little attacking cohesion was seen.
Having played against the elements and leading 8-7 with the first half all but over, Clapton may have thought they had got away with a below par performance. Sadly not as Norwich completed a good team move just before the break to score their second converted try and go in ahead.
The large home crowd’s hopes that EUCRFC fortunes would improve in the second half especially with the breeze in their favour were raised by a score from Lindsey Dobbin which followed the home side’s best concerted attack of the match. Harry Barker on this occasion converted from well from out wide. Clapton were ahead with 20 minutes to go.
Unfortunately that was the end of EUCRFC’s scoring! Norwich displayed a degree of maturity in the manner that they completed the final quarter, controlling the ball, playing for position and using their greater team cohesion to create 3 more scoring opportunities. Firstly an unconverted try was added to with a long range penalty and then a further converted try was scored with 7 minutes to go. From this point in, the away team had no problems in seeing the game out and no one could argue with the final outcome!
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