IPSWICH YM RUFC First XV v BURY ST EDMUNDS RUFC II's Match Report 14th October 2023

IPSWICH YM RUFC First XV v BURY ST EDMUNDS RUFC II's Match Report
14th October 2023

Whilst much focus over the weekend was on the quarter final matches taking place in France for the Rugby World Cup, the local rugby community was left distraught by the news of the tragic death of a Wisbech Rugby Club player during a league fixture against Diss RUFC. Both teams have been regular and competitive fixtures for Ipswich YM RUFC over the years as they will be this season in the Counties 1 – Eastern Counties League. Our collective hearts go out to the families and loved ones of Arturas Rudys, as well as the players, officials, volunteers and supporters of both clubs on a dark day for the sport we love.

Ipswich YM RUFC welcomed table-topping Bury St Edmunds RUFC seconds 15 to the Rushmere ground on a sunny and fresh afternoon. Injuries and absences required the YM to shuffle the squad with Tristan Gladwell and Jonny Gozizc packing down with the forwards and Austin Bulgarelli on the right wing with Matt Houlden switching to full back.

From the whistle Bury repeatedly tested the YM defence with expansive play but that defence was resolute until a high tackle conceded by YM led to a 5m line-out for Bury and repeated attacks towards the YM try line. A knock-on by Bury resulted in a scrum which a powerful Bury pack took against the head allowing their back row to crash through for a converted try on 10 minutes. YM 0 v Bury 7.

The YM enjoyed their first break into the Bury half but a knock-on advantage allowed Bury to break strongly back into YM territory until a penalty for holding on in a ruck allowed the YM to clear their lines. But as has been a feature of all the games this year, the advantage gained was given away by a foolish penalty by YM and, in a somewhat strange interpretation of the location by the referee, Bury took a quick tap penalty and crashed over for their second try which was also converted to double their lead. YM 0 v Bury 14.

The YM started to switch on and play with real conviction. Scrum-half Tyen Mulller was an attacking threat all afternoon, broke away from a ruck and advanced well into the Bury half where the YM maintained territory and threat until a penalty released the pressure for Bury. That pressure was reapplied almost immediately as the YM forwards drove forward and camped in the Bury 22 until a quick tap penalty by the YM released Corey Parfitt to score a deserved try for the YM in the corner. The difficult conversion kick was missed by George Hendry. YM 5 v Bury 14.

Frustratingly, Bury regained easy possession from the restart kick and their attack was assisted by a series of YM missed tackles allowing a simple try which was converted on 35 minutes. YM 5 v Bury 21.
Bury conceded a penalty and earned a yellow card for a high tackle on Tyen but the YM could not turn possession into points whilst the quickest players on the pitch in Matt Houlden and Ed Parkin on the wing reached half-time with cold hands and the score YM 5 v Bury 21.

The second half got underway with a revitalised Bury pushing deep into YM territory for what felt like a decisive score. Sustained pressure from Bury led to a knock-on from YM in front of the posts and the powerful Bury scrum secured quick ball and a well worked try for Bury in the corner. The conversion was successful, YM 5 v Bury 28 after 45 minutes.

This seemed to energise the YM and back they came with Matt Houlden collecting a Bury kick and gliding past two Bury players before setting up a ruck in midfield. The tireless YM pack started to gain advantage with Andy Gostling, Connor McLaughlan and Nick van Der Linde notable in this process. The confidence levels of YM visibly increased and they started to play the fast and exciting rugby for which they are renowned. Bury started to concede penalties and lost another player to the sin bin in the process. The YM pressure was eventually rewarded as fly-half George Hendry scored a try but narrowly missed the conversion with the ball clipping the upright. YM 10 v Bury 28.

With both sides tiring in the final minutes, Bury’s impressive full-back broke the line and scored under the posts to extend the Bury lead to a somewhat flattering YM 10 v Bury 35. But back came YM with man-of-the-match Tyen Muller putting a big tackle in on the Bury full back to win YM a scrum. Nick van Der Linde broke off the back of the scrum and put in a characteristically strong run with great support from Tyen, Andy Gostling and George Hendry for Keiran Rudland to score with the last play of the match and a final score of Ipswich YM 15 v Bury IIs 35.

The result will go down as a home defeat against the league leaders but injuries and absentees had resulted in a much changed First XV for YM. The game was closer than the score suggests although the win for Bury was very much deserved, they were the better team on the day. The YM are gaining in confidence and if on-field discipline and decision making can be fine-tuned then it will build sustained pressure on opposition teams and generate the results that the superb efforts of the squad and coaches deserve.

We are YM!