Match Preview

An in-experienced team traveled to The Pit to face the Templars back in October 2015 and a forward dominated game ended in a 23-0 win to the hosts with tries coming from, in the first half, Rich Hickox who was quicker than his opposite number by far and made good use of his pace to gain excellent yardage and, in the second half, Ryan Rainer, going over after a quick tap penalty from a disrupted scrum, Phil Foster, crashing over from close range following a no.8 pick up and Ed Merry who pounced on an opportunistic loose ball when the Uni won a scrum which surprised their scrum half who failed to pick up the ball.

Since their last meeting however the Uni have turned things around with 3 wins, including the scalp of Brightlingsea and a drubbing of Clacton 72-5 as well as a 65 point thriller against league leaders Thurston where they were 17-5 up at half time, only to finally succumb 27-38.

In the first half of the season the Uni turned up after Halstead had won two in a row and the same situation is now true with the Templars looking for their run to continue with a third successive victory. This will not be the walkover it was in the October rain.