ENTERTAINING GAME

By don reekie

BUT TOO MANY BASIC ERRORS

Sudbury started 2019 with a spirited home performance against third in the table North Walsham in what proved to be an entertaining game.
Sudbury kicked off down the slope but the visitors immediately took play back into the Sudbury half for an early advantage but the defence held firm for the first ten minutes until a missed tackle let Goodwin through for a try under the posts from close range. Sudbury looked to return the favour with a sixty metre run from Sam Maile but he was taken into touch inside the Vikings twenty two but it was not long before Sudbury pounced on the loose ball and kicked ahead twice for Jake Sumner to level the score.
Slack tackling by the blues was letting Walsham have more of the play than they deserved, a period of pressure put play in the Blues red zone and but for a try saving tackle by Charles Jackson they would have scored again. Eventually a move from right to left across the park found the gap in the Sudbury defence for Waltham’s second try just before half time but Sudbury were still in the game and were still taking the game to the visitors.
Early in the second half the Vikings opted to try and use their forwards to out scrum Sudbury with several scrums in the twenty two but when they had no success after four attempts they settled for the three points.
Sudbury had good period of play when several good attacks ended with knock ons or missed passes and it was a poor pass which led to a try by the visitors as they were gifted a try in the Blues 22. On the half hour Sam Maile eventually got his name on the sheet with another blinding run from a hooker, two kicks ahead and a dive for the line wide on the right wing.
Unfortunately the missed opportunities continued to be the order of the day for Sudbury as good moves went begging and Walsham finished with a fourth try from a short tap penalty and then converted another penalty with almost the last kick of the game.
Sudbury played some good attractive rugby throughout the game but seemed to be bedevilled by basic errors which must be sorted for the next game against Luton away which is a must win tie.