IPSWICH YM RUFC First XV v DISS RFU Match Report
9th December 2023 Ipswich YM RUFC welcomed Diss RFC to the Rushmere ground on a sunny and windy afternoon after a morning when the heavens had opened
IPSWICH YM RUFC First XV v DISS RFU Match Report
9th December 2023
Ipswich YM RUFC welcomed Diss RFC to the Rushmere ground on a sunny and windy afternoon after a morning when the heavens had opened, again. Injuries and absences required the YM to shuffle the squad with Chris Blom and Nicky van Der Linde pairing in the centres with Toby Ruffles also making a welcome return from long-term injury on the right wing.
Whilst the conditions were relatively bright the pitch was heavy and the gusting wind made handling difficult with both teams electing to kick possession in the early exchanges. The YM started to apply pressure and whilst the young Diss side smartly started to move the ball through their midfield the final pass often resulted in a knock-on or turnover for the increasingly dominant YM side. Both YM wingers martialled their channels well with Ed Parkin and Toby Ruffles making big defensive tackles.
The YM forwards were instrumental in the opening score as they swarmed repeated rucks and moved ever closer to the Diss try line and allowed scrum half, the excellent Tyen Muller, to snipe a well taken and typical poacher’s try after 20 minutes. A Diss player was given a yellow card for an infringement in the lead up. James Tabor missed the tricky conversion attempt. Ipswich YM 5 – Diss 0.
The YM’s Charlie Harvey was an injury replacement with Keiran “the Crab” Rudland taking the field at the restart. The referee had his hand reaching for his cards again at a breakdown shortly after the restart with the YM’s Chad Harvey leaving the field after his brisk effort to free himself from being held on by the Diss player.
The numerical advantage afforded to the Diss side was difficult to notice from the step up in effort from the YM side and this was typified by a great rip and steal of the ball by Nicky van Der Linde just outside his own 22 to sprint away and score a huge breakaway try under the posts on 30 minutes which was converted by James Tabor. Ipswich YM 12 – Diss 0.
YM dominated the remaining minutes of the first half with a penalty successfully kicked by James followed by another great effort from the forwards with Keiran Rudland driving strongly over the try line which was successfully converted by James Tabor to give the YM a 22-0 lead at the break.
The second half provided more of the same and the rugby played by both teams was testament to their skills as the pitch started to cut-up, the temperature dropped and the wind refused to abate. A period of dominance by the Diss pack led to a deserved try on 50 minutes as their hooker bundled over from close-range to get his side their first points of the game. The conversion was missed. Ipswich YM 22 – Diss 5.
Toby Ruffles made an impressive breakaway down the right wing but the Diss cover tackle arrived just in time to deny him a deserved try. But the YM spent almost all of the rest of the game in the Diss half as they hunted down a bonus point score. That score eventually came from repeated pressure and an increased penalty count from Diss.
A 5m line out was secured by Josh Rhind and the maul set with Chris Blom driving over to score the important 4th try of the afternoon which was converted to leave Ipswich YM the victors against a spirited Diss side 29 – 5.
We are the Y!