YM Hawks vs Colchester V

The Hawks ended their Season yesterday on home turf and completed a League and Cup double by beating Colchester Vs 40-7 in the Suffolk Bronze Cup final. Whilst the sun was out the wind was too, and gusty conditions ensured tricky conditions for the Hawks from the kicking tee.

Early nerves showed by the Hawks side and the trademark slow start followed, with Colchester winning a couple of early scrum however once YM settled they managed to gain some territory. After earning a penalty on the Colchester 22, YM chose to tap, utilising the structure the side has gained through the forwards through a couple phases saw the Hawks No 8 Danny Brown go over and open the scoring. Simon Arnold missed the conversion and it was 5-0 to the Y.

The Hawks had now settled and starting playing some good structure under the guidance of the Fly Half Tommy Hale. After winning a Line out Danny Brown makes a good off load to Tyler Baumgurtel who ran low, fast and hard through the Colchester Line, this created a gap for Fynley Hack and Tommy Hale to get through with Hale pulled down just short of the line. YM regroup quicker than the visitors defensive line and the ball is then worked out wide to Gav Good, conversion missed 10-0.

Not long after the restart Danny Brown makes some good yards and broke the Colchester line in midfield, the ball is spread quickly to Ben Hockley who spots a gap on wings and passed it to Connor McLaughlan and Gav Good who make an awesome break from the Y Half but pulled into touch around the opposing 22; Colchester go on to lose their line out and gave the Y a penalty, a quick tap from Simon Arnold to Ben Hockley sees the latter power over to make it 15-0.

At the restart Colchester are quicker to the ball and this allows them apply some pressure on the YM line. The YMs usual resolute and structured defence was uncharacteristic poor and gave some sloppy penalties away on the Hawks 22. Colchester tap well and work it hard in their forwards and go over, Colchester seemed to have brought their kicking boots unlike the Y and get a conversion. 15-7.

YM then managed to pin down Colchester in their half from the restart and get a scrum on the Colchester 5 after they threw ball out past the dead ball line. YM win the scrum and use their hands straight out to Ed Parkin who goes over, 20-7.

A similar story for the Ys fifth try, YM had managed to pin Colchester down after the restart, and from a line out a period of scrappy play allows Danny Brown given the ball on their 22 who brakes the line but is held up, he and manages to offload and YM uses the width. Connor McLaughlan scores. 25-7

Colchester manage to absorb the YM pressure after the restart this time and manage to work into the YM half, YM giving away a couple of penalties but Ben Hockley is given a yellow for a foul in the ruck, YM manage to see the half out without conceding any points in the first half.

The second half started off nervy again, with the majority of Hockleys card to remain the Y aimed to manage the game and not allow Colchester back in game. Once 15 a side had been resumed without conceding any more points the Hawks were guilty of over playing and started to become a bit wasteful in possession. A Hollywood pass out to John Meredith goes awry and he baited the Colchester player with the ball on the floor and stepped the player with the gusto of a player half the age of YMs Senior Welshman. He worked it out to John Carr who runs hard but gets tackled on the line. The YM recycle the ball well and the supporting Meredith is left with a 1 on 1 and the Welshman powered over and score. 30-7.

From the resulting Kick off, Owen Clarkson makes an impressive break and this allows Connor McLaughlan to break and show some impressive footwork for a back rower converted as a centre, the Y try and spread it across the pitch but Ed Parkin is fouled on the line and a yellow card is shown to a Colchester Player. From the Quick Tap penalty Joe Pearce dives over. 35-7.

The final try of the match comes not long after. Following ripping the ball in midfield Jonny Godzicz passes it to Chad Harvey who is tackled not far away from the line, Godzicz in support of Harvey takes advantage of the disorganised and tiring Colchester line and powered over from the ruck to score the final Hawks points of a very successful season. 40-7.

A great win in early summer conditions at The Street wraps up an excellent season for this young and hungry YM side, with some hard work in the close season this year and the dedication they’ve shown in the season the team could challenge again in EC2 with the players they have showing excellent depth the club currently has.

Photo shows match day players and some of our other squad members unable to play. Top to bottom, left to right...
Top: Nathan Richards, Danny Brown, Bishop Jeremy Foster, Joe Pearse, Connom McLaughlan, Sam Burrows, Alex Wold
Middle: Max Taylor, Adam Sawyer, Gavin Good, Jon 'Taf' Meredith; Tommy Hale, Jack Richards, Marcus Lockwood, Tyler Baumgurtel, Jonny Godzicz, Fnley Hack
Bottom: Ed Parkin, Simon 'Waffle' Arnold, Owen Clarkson, John Carr, Zak 'Buster' Elliston