coming away with the points.The Firsts had a tough trip away to Rochford, an established London Two team, where what has been described as a stoic defensive test was witnessed, leading to a 13-7 victory. This success has been put down to an advantage in fitness which an average team age of something like 23 and half years gives coach Graham Richards.
However those who were involved have told me that the victory was achieved by having a winning game plan, and sticking to it even if the team may not have fired on all cylinders for the whole game. This win and the points gained will be essential when it comes to the end of the season, and early points on the board can often make all the difference to the direction in which the season will go; so hats off to the guys involved for their achievement.
The Seconds welcomed Stowmarket Seconds to Whittome Field for their Eastern Counties Two South bow, and they passed the test with flying colours. A 10-try mauling of a side which had considerably more years, and considerably more pounds under their belts (with the writer excluded of course), was testament to the front up attitude instilled within a team with an average age of just over 22, which contained five 17 year olds, three 18 year olds and six guys making their competitive debuts for senior Sudbury sides.
With this weekend in mind, and with what I make at least a further half a dozen to ten guys becoming available following absences for World Cup attendances last week (which as a team manager I have a bone to pick with the RFU about) we look forward to welcoming our newly reformed Third XV to what is quite possibly their first match since the club moved to Whittome Field.

The Third XV host Bury St Edmunds Fourth XV in what is likely to be a tough, competitive Eastern Counties Four South debut against a club whose first team now play in National League Two South. However, from looking at the team sheet I would certainly suggest that Bury will be in for a tough test of their strength in depth this weekend.

The Second XV are away to Ipswich YM Seconds, a bit of an unknown quantity after our year-long absence from playing them, with the first team welcoming Romford following their return to London Two after losing their place in London One in a tightly contested battle at the end of last season.

Having played Romford Twos in October 2014 I can assure the First XV that they are in for a tough test, which is compounded by Romford’s victory against our promoted colleagues Cantabs last week. However, I and all the guys in the squad know that we are up to the test and will throw everything at Romford in looking to build on the good start of last weekend.

In closing I would like to welcome our visitors from Romford and Bury and wish all teams the best of luck. I think all will agree that last weekend was a good start for the club’s 2015-2016 season, but only a start, and that now is the time to kicking on and building towards the club’s goal of achieving the highest possible standard of rugby available across all three senior sides.

Paul ‘Cabbage’ Mather
Club and Second team captain
From the Romford programme, September 26