Epping 30 : 31 Diss - 22nd October 2016

After a weekend off Diss made their way down to Essex to play Epping, a team that has seen promotion two years in a row.

This match was to prove an epic encounter and, as the saying goes, “A game of two halves”. With Diss dominating in the first half and Epping coming back with a sting in their tail for the second.

Diss kicked off and early indications were that Diss were going to send their big ball carriers through the middle to test the opponents defence and throughout the game Kami Latu, Steve Hipwell and Ali Abercrombie did just that. Punching holes in the Epping defensive line giving the team go-forward ball.

Jamie Burroughs took full advantage of one of these drives to pick and go from a ruck. After beating two opposition he went over for the first try of the game on 5 minutes. Sean McClure converting.

The restart resulted in a penalty for Epping, duly converted.

Hipwell was next to get on the score sheet from a scrum on the Epping 10m. He picked from the base and went on his own shrugging off 3 defenders to score a solo try which was not converted. With points rattling up the score line, Sean McClure and Phil LeLevrie, who played sharply all afternoon, decided to get in on the act and shortly after the restart ran back at the opposition with very skilful interplay between the two of them resulting in a well worked try for LeLevrie, converted by McClure.

Diss were firmly in charge at this point in the proceedings, 20 minutes in with the score line at 3-19 and the opposition giving Diss too much time and space on the ball. However, Epping had other ideas and after a scrum midfield, won by the home team, their 8 went blind to feed their backs. The breakdown ruck resulted in a penalty for Epping with a Diss player entering from the side. The kick was taken into the corner, their line out won and driven over for their first try, not converted. Shortly after this Diss lost Mike Fuller who went off after a heavy tackle and Michael Jones came on to play solidly for the remainder of the game.

Following a series of midfield attacks by the Epping backs and nearing half time, the ever alert LeLevrie intercepted a pass and sprinted half the length of the field to score his second try of the afternoon, which was not converted. Just on the stroke of 40 minutes a clumsy penalty by Diss allowed the Epping scrum half to take it quickly and score under the posts. Half time score 15-24.

The second half started with Epping galvanised into action. Their big ball carriers making a big impact on the Diss lines. Diss were now guilty of giving their opponents too much time and space on the ball. However, Will Waddingham had an outstanding game on debut, and his defensive work was tireless. It needed to be as Epping pressurised the Diss line time and time again through their forwards and backs. After taking a quick penalty on the Diss 22 metres they were rewarded with a well worked try, which was converted.

Diss rallied after the Epping pressure. The away team were awarded a scrum on the Epping 22. Burroughs fed Giles West coming off his wing and ghosting through the opposition defence to score, converted by McClure.

With the score line now at 15-31 the game looked secure for Diss. However two quick tries for Epping, the first ultimately caused by an intercept pass leading to a line out that was driven over, and the second by a well worked forwards and backs move from an unnecessary penalty for back chat to the Ref, put Epping back in the game and with 12 minutes to go managed to cross the line again in the corner, this time from their winger, not converted. With ten minutes to go, with the score at 30-31, the Diss try line was under siege with huge pressure from the home side. A massive defensive effort was called for and delivered as the team defended their line to see out the end of the game and claim the victory to keep the team top of the league.

Report by Alistair Shepherd