Arms Freeze Out Horsham

After the cancelled Worthing game and a scheduled week off it has been almost 3 weeks since we had taken to a rugby pitch in anger.

It's fair to say that Horsham have been resurgent of late, with their results against the likes of Barns Green and Pulborough showing that they have fixed their early season failings, as such Norfolk knew that this was going to be a tough match. It was made tougher by the arctic wind and freezing conditions, not one for the spectators...

As is usual with most ball games, the match was underway following the kick off! within minutes Norfolk were awarded a penalty and elected tom kick for touch. From the resulting line out and maul, Matthew (Mooey) Hodson could smell the try line and wouldn't be stopped by the three successive tackles from Horsham, 5-0. Sadly Andrew "Have We Tossed Off Yet" Whatley missed the conversion.
For the next 30 minutes the game was much like watching two heavy weight boxes slug it out, some heavy tackles and tight defences were mean and didn't allow either team to break.
On the 35 minute mark, Norfolk had managed to get into the Horsham 22 and were awarded a penalty that the Horsham players had a few questions about, whilst they remonstrated with the referee an opportunist moment from Whatters saw him take the quick tap and charge over the line for our second try. Sadly how boot wasn't as he missed the second conversion!!! This Whatters bashing should get some reaction on social media?

10-0

Half Time

Second half naturally followed the first half and was similarly started with a kick off. 5 minutes on and we made our first sub, Chris Kelly - my man of the match - came off allowing Jez Stewart to move from 10 to 9 and the behemoth that is Matty Laker to fill the 10 (and indeed the 12, 13, 14 and 15 slots) with a desire to play a more direct game. Norfolk had more of the possession and greater control but were unable to score anything more than a kicked penalty as the past play of the game.

13-0

All in all, a good solid defensive performance with some exiting points of attack. Only negative was our patently count around the ruck which cost us at a few critical moments, this really is nit picking though.

Great result, see you all next week when we host Littlehampton in another league game.

toodle pip for now.