After last weeks 24-0 win away at Littlehampton, this weeks home game against equally as tough opposition was going to be an acid test of whether our early season form was merely an anomaly or not. As it would happen it would seem we have turned a corner and are on fine form...

The crowd at Steyning was buoyed some what by the first ever outing of The NOBs (Norfolk Old Boys). The match got under way and Norfolk looked to have an edge, sadly the first 30 minutes was a little like a couple of tired heavyweights slugging away at each other, edging around the pitch from set piece to set piece. It took for a moment of inspired play when Nick Miller was set free on the blindside to run in the first of Norfolk's tries for the day. Tim Laker added the 2 points to give us a 7-0 lead. Half time arrived, and it was agreed by all that we should up the work rate and make St Francis play at our pace.
Second half began at a canter, with all 15 taking the ball on and doing so at a pace that St Francis couldn't defend so easily. Shortly it was The Silent Assassin who was sniping over the try line from a blindside move from Jez Stewart. Tim missed the conversion from out wide.
Sadly we let our defensive guard down and St Francis scored their one and only try. 12-5 to Norfolk.
Memory is lapsing at this point... Matthew Hodson did his usual mole like attack at the try line and scored, Tim adding the conversion for a 19-5 and this was shortly added to by Sam Frankland who glided like achilles over the tyrosine for our fourth and final try. Tim struggled again from out wide. 24-5.
With only a few minutes to go, the Norfolk made one more challenge on the St. Francis line, it was during this passage of play that possibly the ugliest and most vicious thing I have ever seen wearing a Norfolk Arms shirt reared its gnarled and hideous face... DROP GOAL from Tim Laker, who up until that point was having a wonderful game, but with that one moment of weakness, secured the WOTM award and possibly the "He who drew the shortest sword" award at the end of season dinner?

Joking aside, it was another well disciplined and controlled performance from all. Adjustments in game plan and pace were testament to the work being put in on a Thursday.
Week off this week, but Shoreham away in 2 weeks time will be a tough game too.