Sat 14 Sep 2024
Vocal home support welcomed the YM’s opening home fixture of the season and it was good to see visitors, Mistley, bringing along some welcome support to Rushmere on a warm and sunny afternoon. The pitch was in superb condition reflecting the dedicated efforts of all concerned in its preparation.
The YM has had a busy closed season with many changes taking place in facilities, coaching staff and players and the team taking to the pitch reflected this. So it was good to see a number of new faces amongst the more established players.
From the kick-off, it was the YM who dominated play and established strong field position in the Mistley half for the first 10 minutes of the match. Ultimately the pressure told with a penalty awarded to the YM which fly-half Adam O’Leary narrowly missed. From the restart it was a dominant YM that re-established themselves in the Mistley half and an impressive scrum penalty was awarded to YM in almost the identical place. It was good to see O’Leary backing himself and this time his kick rewarded the YM’s early dominance with 3 points.
A similar pattern emerged for the most of the remaining first half with the YM camped in the Mistley half but finding a way through their resolutely effective defence somewhat illusive. But once again, the concerted pressure from YM who were starting to link interchanges between forwards and backs drew infringements from their opponents. A sniping try from scrum half Tyen Muller set up after a ruck with Chad Harvey and Ben Hockley at its core was a well-deserved reply to YM’s sustained efforts. The difficult conversion was missed. YM 8 - Mistley 0.
Some skulduggery in a breakdown led to a flare-up between players with YM number 8, Joshua Rhind, unfortunately being the recipient of a red card on 35 minutes. As YM regrouped, it was Mistley who sensed an opportunity and great defence from all the YM was necessary to keep their reinvigorated opponents from scoring. Full back, Tim Mann, marshalled defence and instilled a confidence in the backs that resulted in YM increasing their lead just before half-time. Quick ball released George Hendry and he elected to launch a well-placed attacking kick from half way over Mistley’s left winger into space. A great chase from the YM saw Muller show-off some tidy feet to score his second try in the corner. The conversion was missed but the YM took a deserved 13-0 lead into half-time.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with YM spending the first 10 minutes of it camped in the Mistley half drawing repeated infringements from their opponents. The referee eventually running out of patience and sending a Mistley player to the dug-outs for 10 minutes being the result. Despite the hard work of the YM it was again matched by a dogged Mistley defence who eventually won a penalty in reward for their hard work with Mistley fly-half Nicholas Flexman launching a fine penalty kick exit to half-way. This seemed to lift the effort of his teammates leading to a Mistley try after the YM gave the ball away rather cheaply in their own twenty-two. The conversion was missed. YM 13 – Mistley 5.
YM full back Mann launched a superb defensive kick from his own half into the Mistley twenty-two to restart the YM efforts and from the resulting line-out play was cleverly moved across field with O’Leary running a good line to off-load to the supporting Muller. A high tackle from a Mistley player earned a yellow card and a penalty try for the YM denying Muller his hat-trick in the process. YM 20 – Mistley 5.
The never-say-die attitude of Mistley then came to the fore and they capitalised on a drop in intensity from the YM which combined with repeated penalties being conceded by YM that resulted in an unconverted Mistley try and renewed belief on 70 minutes. YM 20 – Mistley 10.
Mistley now sniffed an opportunity and gained it when YM’s Mann was unfortunate to receive a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on when the ball appeared to have been legitimately spilled by the Mistley player during the tackle. The somewhat fortuitous opportunity was well taken, however, with Mistley scoring a converted try to close the gap to just three points. YM 20 - Mistley 17.
A nervous last 5 minutes ensued but YM knuckled-down and held on for a deserved win with the final score Ipswich YM RUFC 20 v Mistley RUFC 17.
WE ARE THE Y!
