Tendring Barbarians took on Suffolk and together they scored 14 tries providing great entertainment for the crowd at Colchester Rugby Club. Suffolk were using the game to prepare for their Championship game with Cambridgeshire the following week, and Tendring had assembled a strong side with the best players from the six clubs in North East Essex.
Suffolk kicked off, and a fumbled catch gave the County the advantage straight away. With a breeze behind them Suffolk kept Tendring pinned in their own half, but the defence was very good and aggressive, causing Suffolk to spill the ball more than once. After 12 minutes centre Max Cochrane (Colchester) pounced on a loose ball and broke downfield, and with the full back to beat passed to lock Elliott Castle (Colchester) for the opening score. Suffolk resumed their attack on the Tendring line, but an interception by full back Darren Tully (Clacton) saw the Barbarians storm downfield again, with wing Ed Merry (Colchester) touching down under the posts, Tully's conversion giving Tendring a 12-0 lead against the run of play.
Suffolk's scrum was dominant, and the forwards were providing a good platform for their backs to attack from. Quick rucking and fast hands allowed Graham Byrne (Ipswich YM) to squeeze over in the corner to pull back a try for Suffolk, and score the first of five tries in fifteen minutes that saw play go from end to end. From the restart Tendring drove Suffolk back, Mark Braidwood (Colchester) stealing possession before passing to Tendring captain Adam Brown (Brightlingsea) to dive over, Tully adding the two points. Suffolk hit back through full back David Shaddick (Stowmarket) before a superb individual try from scrum half Jon Williams (Mersea Island) gave Tendring a 26-10 lead. Once again Suffolk responded when they broke blind from a scrum, prop Dave Blackwell (Bury St Edmunds) scoring, and in injury time Byrne scored his second try, James Gee (Colchester) converting to make the score 26-22 to Tendring after an exhilarating first half.
Both side made extensive changes at half time, then the Barbarians extended their lead with a Tully penalty. Yellow cards for hookers Chris Oxborrow (Bury St Edmunds) and Shane Manning (Colchester) made scrums and line outs messy for a spell, and play looked disjointed from both sides. Tendring recovered their composure and a break by Williams, now playing at stand off, saw him get his second try, Tully's successful conversion taking the score to 36-22.
Although the Suffolk forwards were performing well, the midfield were unable to deal with the Tendring rush defence, getting caught in possession and being forced into errors near their own line. A clearance kick was caught by Tendring's Scott Gregory (Westcliff) whose run was halted just short of the Suffolk line. The County turned over possession, but their attempted kick was charged down, scrum half Jake Buxey (Clacton) diving onto the ball to score, Tully putting over a very difficult conversion from near the touchline.
To their credit Suffolk continued to play enterprising rugby, and they were rewarded when John Coone (Sudbury) went over after a flowing passing move. But it was Tendring who had the last word when man of the match Tully caught the ball just outside Suffolk's 22, chipped ahead and grounded it to take his personal tally to 18 points and give the Barbarians a memorable 48-29 victory.
Tries: Castle (Colchester), Merry
(Colchester), Brown (Brightlingsea), Williams 2 (Mersea Island), Buxey
(Clacton), Tully (Clacton)
Cons: Tully 5
Pens: Tully 1
Referee: Dave Walker (Eastern Counties)
Tendring Barbarians (B=Brightlingsea,
Cl-Clacton, Co=Colchester, H=Harwich & Dovercourt, MI=Mersea Island, M=Mistley):
Lee Amman (Cl), James Barbour (B), Steve Betts (M), Ricardo Blanes (MI), Rob
Bloom (M), Mark Braidwood (Co), Dave Bredin (MI), Adam Brown (B), Jake Buxey (Cl),
Elliott Castle (Co), Steve Dixon (H), Toby Green (MI), Scott Gregory
(Westcliff), Steve Haycock (MI), Shane Jerram (Cl), Shane Manning (Co), Sean
Mills (H), Will Morgan (B), Darren Tully (Cl), Phil Weedon (M), Craig Williams (Dunvant),
Jon Williams (MI)
Proceeds from games are donated to The Wooden Spoon Society