NORFOLK CUP: PLATE FINAL

Diss picked up where they left off in the semi-final a week previously. From the outset they attempted to play 15 man rugby, with the forwards punching holes in the Holt defence and the ball being passed along the back line at every opportunity. Holt, however, enjoyed a lot of possession of their own in the opening 5 minutes and the first Diss try was somewhat against the run of play. Some good harrying of the Holt back line by Dom Bell-Tye caused the ball to be fumbled and he hacked through. Showing great speed and no mean footballing skills, winger Toby Drake ran through from the halfway line and, with the aid of three deft kicks, out-paced the defenders to pounce on the ball over the try line. (5-0).

The try gave Diss the impetus for further attacks and shortly after, a ruck on the left was spun along the line for Drake to score again, this time in the right hand corner (10-0). Diss were becoming increasingly dominant up front and when Harry Williamson picked up at a ruck he was able to burst through two tackles to run round beneath the posts; Aaron Frith converted to make the score 17-0. Further pressure near the Holt line saw Williamson and Nathan Shaw thwarted but when Williamson picked up at the resulting 5m scrum he managed to force over in the corner (22-0). Diss continued to press and, with the last play of the half, only a last ditch tackle prevented Drake from scoring in the corner (HT 22-0).

Diss continued to push strongly as the second half got underway and a loose ball from a Holt line-out saw Sam Burnett burst over for a try (27-0). At no stage in the contest did Holt take a backward step and, although the Diss boys will be disappointed to have conceded a score, few watching would begrudge the try by Cameron Baldock following a concerted spell of Holt pressure (27-5). However, this only served to galvanise the home team and from the kick-off several phases of play saw Nathan Shaw held up over the line. But the respite for Holt was short-lived and from the resulting scrum the ball travelled swiftly along the line for a try by Bell-Tye beneath the posts; Frith easily converted (34-5). The final try of the match owed much to Frith’s well-judged kick ahead and terrific chasing by Drake putting pressure on the defenders who were forced to kick the ball back to the Diss players. Leo Sargent gathered it and made a good 20 meters, side-stepping away from would-be tacklers. He fed to Bell-Tye and, with options either side, he chose the inside pass to allow Drake to sprint through beneath the posts for his hat-trick try. For Frith the conversion was a formality (41-5). The final whistle blew a short while later, with Diss encamped near the Holt posts. (FT 41-5).

On previous occasions it has been difficult to choose the best Diss player from perhaps a handful of choices. However, this time the selection process involved all 19 players in the squad, as everyone put in a performance worthy of the final. Of particular interest was the battle between the two Diss hookers, Jedd Carter and Wilson Potter, with both winning severable strikes against the head during their time on the pitch. Leo Sargent, Nathan Shaw and Aaron Frith all distributed the ball well to the back line and Tyler Pursehouse was irrepressible in the forwards. However, it was two backs who were jointly selected as the Players of the Day; Toby Drake and Dom Bell-Tye.

Toby Drake was unstoppable (almost) on the wing, showing pace, jinking and confident running, along with his hat-trick of tries. Dom Bell-Tye was constantly involved from his midfield position and captained the team with his usual skill, leading by example and being a catalyst for much of the attacking play. Well done to everyone for a thoroughly entertaining final.