Sat 22 Mar 2025
MARCH BEARS RUFC vs IPSWICH YM RUFC First XV Match Report
22nd March 2025
The heavens opened during the warm-up for the YM’s penultimate fixture at March Bears RUFC. The rain pummelling the players, coaches and supporters until it mercifully subsided shortly after kick-off but leaving tricky conditions for both teams on the tight and undulating pitch.
The conditions inevitably led to some pretty scrappy opening exchanges but March took a degree of ascendency capitalising on a series of silly penalties by YM. March narrowly missed the kick for one of these penalties and this escape prompted the YM to start exerting some control. A good exit kick from deep in their own half by YM scrum-half Tyen Mulller was well chased by the YM and earned a penalty which was kicked to 5m for an attacking line out. Securing the line-out, the YM pack repeatedly drove towards the March try line winning another penalty for off-side with a quick tap allowing the YM’s Toby Hill to score the opening points of the game. Barny Horsfield missed the conversion, March 0 – YM 5 after 20 minutes.
March drew a series of penalties again as they camped in the YM half from the restart and when one was awarded almost directly in front of the posts just outside the 22 the March captain elected to kick for the points. March 3 – YM 5 after 23 minutes.
The March pack were causing issues for the YM pack in the scrum with almost every scrum rotating and creating messy and contestable ball for either side. A March scrum near half-way was a case in point but as the ball was moved from their number 8 to their midfield Barny was on-hand to intercept the pass and surge away to outpace his pursuers to score YM’s second try. The conversion was missed with the score now March 3 – YM 10 which remained the same until the end of combative and tight first-half.
The YM started the second-half with a good move from ball won by the forwards from a chased down kick by YM full-back Toby Ruffles. Toby and Corey Parfitt pinned the March receiver on his own 22 with the forwards then turning the ball over and it was moved through the backs to right win Max Taylor. A try saving tackle from March stopped Max from scoring in the corner and ended his game with a stinger to the arm. Matt Houlden replacing Max on 50 minutes with Ben Hockley and Chad Harvey also coming on as replacements in the YM pack.
The YM started to gain control of the game with the pack winning the ball against the head in a scrum in the March half allowing YM to turn defence into attack. Quickly moving the ball through the hands of Tyan and fly-half Adam O’Leary gave Barny the opportunity to take the ball up to the March try line where Tyan wheeled off the resulting ruck to score near the posts. Adam secured the conversion for the YM to increase its lead to March 3 – YM 17.
The rest of the second half belonged to the YM as a tiring March pack allowed the reinforced YM pack to drive forward in a scrum and allow Jake Goodwin to collect the ball and surge through to score the Bonus Point try under the posts. Adam secured the 7 point score and to extend the YM lead to March 3 – YM 24 after 75 minutes.
In a repeat of the move in the final play of the game, a dominant YM scrum on half-way resulted in Jake again emerging with the ball but this time with a much tougher task ahead of him. But breaking two tired March tackles allowed him to run through the March half and score the YM’s final try which was well converted by Adam. Final score March 3 – Ipswich YM 31.
This was a very good win by the YM in tough conditions and the score did not necessarily reflect the efforts of a competitive March Bears side whose league position, based on this showing, also seems quite harsh.
As for the YM this win secured their second position in the Counties 2 Eastern Counties league with 75 points secured ahead of the final home game against Bedford Athletic II on 5th April 2025. Third place Mistley remain 7 points behind the YM also with one game to play and a maximum of 5 points available.
The result represents a tremendous effort by all of the playing squad, coaches, backroom support and Committee over the course of the season. This deserved success is a suitable reflection of those immense efforts - the time given up and spent on training and match days by all - and a tough job very well done.
Let’s ensure that support for the pre-match lunch, the team’s home fixture on 5th April and a celebration of the season as a whole is supported in true YM style.
WE ARE THE Y!
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