Ipswich YM won their Suffolk Gold Cup Semi Final this weekend by comfortable margin of 45-10 in fine spring conditions. Taking the opportunity to blood some younger players from the Hawks, YM gave a few competitive debuts to players in the first team against their EC1 opponents.

YM took a while to start clicking and had to absorb some very early pressure by Bury and the visitors opened the scoring by powering over in the corner after YM gave away a few penalties in their own half. YM woke up after going behind and started to turn the screw. YM built pressure on their opponents and opened their account with a debutant try by Marcus Lockwood after the centres worked well to create an overlap. Max Taylor unfortunately missed the conversion. This started a period of YM scoring 38 unanswered points.

The second and third try where a brace by starting number 8 Harry Williamson, YM pressure at the line out on Bury’s 22 meant the ball bounced and Harry running through and scoring his first try, this time Max Taylor converting. The third try came with a trademark powerful run by Harry and his bursting through the line and scoring his second and YMs third. Barney Horsfield converting after taking over the injured Max Taylor kicking duties the score was now 19-5.

YM did unfortunately end the first half with 14 Men after a newly streamlined Keiron Rudland received a yellow card akin to Charlie Ewels high tackle against Ireland. YM then absorbed pressure in the scrum, an area where Bury did match the YM all game, for 10 minutes which only slowed the YMs win.

YM made a raft of changes at the 50-minute mark and the unfamiliar centre partnership of Colby Hack and Junior Ford worked well with full back James Taber to make space which allowed Matt Houlden to speed away from 40 yards out and score YM’s fourth try. YM continued to play well and when receiving a penalty on the Bury 22 Charlie Harvey quick tapped and made a break before offloading to Wez Chetty and a no look offload to Fynley Hack meant he also went over for a debut try, Barney converted, and it was 31-5.

YM played well in midfield and the back line worked very well making breaks and defending hard with some excellent spread defence. Barney Horsfield making a break on the wing allowed Jamie Everson to make the break and score from the YMs own half, Barney converting, and it was 38-5. YM took their foot off the gas and allowed Bury to start playing some good rugby, Bury maintained pressure in the YM half and scored a deserved second try making it 38-10 late in the second half.

After the resulting Kick Off Bury absorbed some pressure and cleared their own lines with Tyen working well and spreading it to James Taber and Fyn Hack’s supporting play allowed Chris Blom to make a break from within his own half. Jamie Everson again supporting the marauding Blom and finished off the final try with aplomb. Barney converting the final try and the ref blew for full time.

It was an encouraging game with numerous debutants playing against opponents two divisions higher than they have been used to with none looking out of place. YM are through to their second successive Suffolk Cup final and will play Thurston in the final.