NC East 1 Bury Foxes 17 Woodbridge Amazons 10 This top-of-the-table clash saw the Foxes make it ten wins on the bounce and all but secure second place in NC East 1.
The first half began with a long period of pressure from Woodbridge, who went through a number of phases with their strong runners. The Foxes’ defence held firm with some determined tackles coming in to keep the away side at bay. When they finally got possession of the ball they unleashed their pace and handling skill out wide and made 60 metres to flip the pressure on its head.
The resulting ruck saw the ball come into the hands of Natalie Palmer, who stormed over under the posts for the opening score of the game.
Bury struggled to effectively deal with ball retention from kick-offs, and soon gifted the ball back to the Amazons, who continued to plug away at the Bury defence.
But eventually a forced error allowed some more pressure to be built by the home side and after some line breaks and skilled handling, Lucy Kerr was able to go over and extend the lead.
The half concluded with more of the same from the home side who began to string some longer periods of possession together, and the stealthy efforts of Abigail Kegge were finally rewarded with a try that signalled the end of the first half and a healthy 17-0 lead.
The away side showed their quality in the second half and refused to lie down, continuing to pepper the Bury line with some strong and quick running lines.
After a 15-minute period of constant pressure and precious little ball, Woodbridge went over to open their account after capitalising on a handling error in open play.
The Foxes were then unable to escape from their own half and some indecisiveness and frustration at the lack of ball began to creep in, which allowed Woodbridge to spend near enough the entire half camped in the Foxes’ 22.
But it took the Amazons until the final play of the game to get their final score, which is testament to the commitment shown by the Foxes to not let the game slip away.
The Foxes now welcome table-topping Harwich to the Harberden on Sunday, February 18.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here