Saturday saw Brentwood take on Norfolk’s premier club, Diss. Always a tough fixture, the home supporters were hoping for a continuation of the team’s current good form.

After further injuries last week, Director of Rugby Steve Killington was forced to change one forward and three backs. Jack Springall made his first start at prop and Dan Whitehead, Andy Lloyd and Tony Poole came into the back line.

Brentwood kicked off down the slope. Diss made their usual feisty start gaining an early penalty. With the Uruguayan referee punishing the home pack, Brentwood were lucky that the visiting kicker was off-form. However, settling into their game,
Brentwood were first to score. A typical John Beith break from the base of the scrum, quick ball to Tony Poole and the winger sped over the line for the first try. Dan Whitehead’s kick came back off the posts but Brentwood were ahead 5-0. This was a great response to the opening spell by Diss.

Keeping up the pressure, full-back Dan Whitehead kicked deep into the Diss 22. A line-out win and back-row Chris Stewart crashed over for the second Brentwood try. Again, Whitehead’s conversion attempt came back off the upright.

Going into the second quarter Brentwood started to dominate. Diss committed a rucking offence and fly-half Charlie Chambers converted the penalty to put the home side 13-0 ahead. Almost immediately, the third try came. Great inter-passing down the right touchline was finished off by centre Aaron Stanier. Chambers converted the easy kick and Brentwood were now comfortably ahead 20-0.

Problems now occcured in the home pack when skipper Josh Woodcock was yellow-carded for not releasing the ball. Number eight John Beith was injured to be replaced by Tom King.

The remainder of the first half saw Brentwood pressing but failing to add to their score.

At half time, Brentwood were worthy of their 20-0 lead. Their three tries had been taken in style this week. In defence, their intense tackling had knocked back all Diss’s attempts in attack. With Diss often being tackled back over the gain line, Brentwood won a feast of loose ball.

The second half started badly for the home side when Diss converted a well-driven try. Back came Brentwood. A Chambers penalty came up short in the wind. However, a period of intense forward play saw Tom King eventually batter his way over for the fourth try and a bonus point. Into the fourth quarter, Brentwood were up 25-7. Diss kicked a penalty before winger Andy Lloyd went over in the right corner for the home side’s fifth try.

At 30-10, the game looked over with fifteen minutes to go. However, two late converted tries saw Diss recover the score to 24-30.

The last few minutes were nail-biting but Brentwood hung on for another win and a bonus point. Up to third place in the league with five wins, one draw and only one loss, the team have made an excellent start this season.

Against difficult opponents, Brentwood had three quarters of the game before relaxing in the final minutes. Altogether it was a highly satisfactory day.

Next week the Brentwood 1st XV travel away to unbeaten Bury St Edmunds who are averaging fifty points a match this season with only six against. An extremely tough fixture, the team need as many supporters as possible to travel to Suffolk. (ko 3.00pm)

Team: Springall, Snooks, Sherwood, Woodcock (capt), Hobbs, Metcalfe, Beith, Stewart, Green, Chambers, Lloyd, Stanier, Thomas, Poole and Whitehead.