St.Albans 21 - Norwich 13
sony ericson 3pg codecSaints welcomed Norwich RFC to Boggymead Spring for the first time ever in a return leg of their Powergen London North 2 fixture. At Norwich in their League match on 3rd December 2005 , Saints lost dramatically 12-10 in the dying moments of the contest.Today there is little riding on the result for Norwich who finish a creditable third in our League ,whatever this result.
But for Saints to be fairly certain of League survival this is a must win contest to finish their historic season and still be up there at the highest League level in their short history .
Norwich RFC sent a near full coachload -in my day it was a char-a-banc, to make the 240 mile return journey with 57 players,officials ,wives and friends determined to make it a day of Rugby Union celebration at the end of an eventful season all round.
Conditions were a sunny 17C and rising with a moderate SW wind blowing down the diagonal from the Oaklands end.
Mr Peter Coulthard at 19 is the youngest referee in London North 2 ,born in High Wycombe, and is studying economics at Cambridge University.He got the match under way at 3pm in front of a crowd buzzing with excitement -many well fuelled by an excellent VP's luncheon for 60 very fortunate folk from both clubs provided by Saints' Masterchef Ann Dickinson and her ever reliable team.
Norwich won the toss and chose to start from the Oaklands end with the sun and breeze behind them.
Saints' No 10 Jack Stevenson kicked off from the Vet's end and immediately Norwich conceded a penalty for in at the side after only 15 seconds far out near the visitors' 22.
Centre No13 Mark Kentish (picture 1) missed the goal attempt . Norwich dropped out long and arrived at Saints' 10 metre line for an attacking lineout but knocked on . Solid Saints' heel-it was all match, fed Stevenson who kicked long for the corner but the Norwich full back No 14 Iain Young replied with interest pinning Saints down on their 22. A clean catch by skipper Dan Hillier (picture 2)-he repeated that feat all match,set up the first of many Saints forward drives.They were penalised for holding on in the tackle near their 22 far out.Norwich's No 14 kicker Iain Young missed his kick at goal so Saints took another long dropout .At a Saints' lineout second row Mark Davis caught and fed wing Ed Coy on a blindside run who then kicked ahead.This was marked by the Norwich No 14 who tapped and went ,his presence of mind forcing a scrum. From there the Norwich pack moved up a gear pushing Saints back to their 22.At the lineout hardman flanker Richard Louw went on the crash ball leaving a trail of bodies behind him but was penalised for holding on just inside his 22 well infield.
Iain Young this time made no mistake taking the penalty and Norwich into a 3-0 lead after 9 minutes.
The visitors were now getting the upper hand as their wily No 10 Richard Woollam returned Stevenson's long dropout with siege gun boomer of the day which their backs reclaimed on Saints' 22.Only their own knock on stopped a certain 5 or 7 pointer but they remained camped in Saints' 22.
A key moment now arrived as Norwich star No 8 and captain Richard Dolding picked up and drove from the base of a Norwich scrum .Going right all the way along the line full back Young fed right wing No 20 John Statham for a crisp, pacy try in the corner-unconverted.
On 15 minutes Saints 0 Norwich 8.
The visitors were warming to their task as the sun heated things up and the well victualled crowd began to roar their sides on. Hillier's men went into a huddle at an injury break and emerged looking rather more determined.
Saints were awarded a free kick at a lineout for Norwich taking too long with the throw.A quick tap sent Louw again on the crash,Day again then Hillier all picked and went but streetwise Norwich went in at the side to concede a penalty.Saints worked the touchline and forced another penalty for the same offence on the Norwich 22.No 13 Mark Kentish put Saints on the board at last !
On 19 minutes Saints 3 Norwich 8.
Wisely, before kick off, Referee Coulthard had ordered water breaks on 20 minutes of each half in view of the hot conditions.The good natured crowd now numbering around 100 people were not short of a liquid transfusion either - some had been practising it from about noon !
The game went into midfield stalemate of not straight, knock on and wheeled scrums.The deadlock was broken when Norwich,on their 22 pulled down Saints' middle jumper Mark Davis . Mark Kentish, 15 metres in on the Norwich 22, kicked the 3 points.
On 27 minutes Saints 6 Norwich 8.
This galvanised Norwich whose Woollam restarted with a huge dropout ,Saints finally going offside.Norwich drilled a fine penalty to 5 metres from Saints' line.From the lineout a perfect No 8 catch fed the backline all the way left this time for No 13 Aidy Ball to score a textbook training paddock try in the other corner-unconverted.
On 30 minutes Saints 6 Norwich 13.
At the restart Saints were in front of their kick so gifted a scrum to Norwich. Saints now pushed Norwich off their heel- the first of two in the match.The Saints pack rumbled a full 20 metres before feeding James Dickinson on the right but the move foundered . Norwich were again caught offside 23 metres from their line . Again Mark Kentish kicked a fine penalty goal.
On 34 minutes Saints 9 Norwich 13.
Norwich soon had a lineout ,another excellent Dolding take fed their two props who got things moving their way but more injury breaks slowed the game down.
Saints were driven to 20 metres from their try line but now again wrecked the next Norwich scrum driving them back to near half way.The Saints front row union of Green,Giddings and Lemiere sensed all was not well with the Norwich front five as a fitness or injury issue was manifesting itself in the Norfolk boilerhouse. Again Norwich infringed as inspirational captain Hillier caught clean. Stevenson working the touchline for a lineout ,sent hooker Lemiere then County wing Coy on the rampage forcing Norwich's Dolding again to infringe this time in at the side.
The speculative kick at goal 40 metres out by Saints was missed.The half petered out as the heat began to take it's toll and all cooled off with a well earned break after an exciting but penalty strewn half.
With Norwich 2 tries to nil up and leading by 4 points ,all the visitors had to do was the same again in the second half ! Or could they?
Half Time Score . St.Albans 9 Norwich 13 .
Norwich started the second half from the Vet's end , their recharged pack soon going on the rumble but half back Woollam overcooked a kick into Saints' in goal where full back Joe "The Mighty Swede" Shaw touched down for a 22 dropout. Norwich replied to this dropout by kicking out on the full so Saints cheerfully arrived at half way. More lineout to and fro but again Saints were having the best of it up front ruining a series of Norwich scrums who gave away yet another penalty on half way.Saints sensibly worked the touchline their backs now getting in Norwich faces as the visitors tried to escape their half but conceding another penalty missed by Saints.