Diss 3s 62 : 0 Holt 3s - 13th February 2016

No selection problems this time, just pure blue and white magic. The score will show that Diss 3rds cruised past Holt 3’s without a backward glance but give little hint of the cruel beauty of this ten-try exhibition. This was attacking rugby par excellence, performed by a side who prefer the stiletto to the lead piping. If they keep playing like this, the league is heading in only one direction.

Their next opponents, Watton, will offer a rather stiffer challenge than Holt were able to do but Watton are not in the same league in terms of making neutrals gasp at the quality of their execution. Diss scored five tries in the first half alone and three of them, in their different ways, ranked alongside any of the excellent scores previously seen at the club. To be on the same pitch to witness them was to be simultaneously entranced and grateful. Xavier Valentine was everywhere playing in the back row and Will Foote didn’t look like he hadn’t played hardly all season. The game was uncontested scrummaging but it didn’t matter as Diss enjoyed this one sided game.. With three players returning from skiing holidays to the line up the side had a familiar look to it and within twenty minutes the game was gone, bonus point in the bag and it was only a discussion on how many. James Hayhoe and captain Benny Goodman were solid in the centres and with lineouts working well courtesy of Charlie Oakes at hooker and the two jumpers Gareth Watts and Nick Yager there was no hiding place for Holt.

Even Holt can console themselves they lost out to a good side but not playing like a great one. In the space of 15 minutes at the start of the second half, in particular, Diss were irresistible. Fred Precious’s devastating sidestep, Naz Gurgins sweet back-handed off-load, Steve Macqueens scarily convincing Jonah Lomu impression … all three suggested a Diss 3rds team whose days of freezing on the big occasion, particularly against North Norfolk opposition , are long gone.