Fakenham started their league season against the same side they finished last season against, hosting Wymondham II at the Stringer Ground. Wymondham came out on top, 43 – 35, in the Norfolk Intermediate Cup Final in May, so the Fakenham boys were aiming to overturn that result.

Whilst the sun stayed hidden behind the clouds, it was still a warm occasion and with no rain, the only excuse for knock-ons was the sweat dripping from the players’ brows. Both sides came with the intention of playing some rugby and put on a good performance for the fans.

The game started evenly, as both sides felt their way into the season. Fly half Lloyd Marshall got the first points on the board, as a penalty on the Wymondham 10m line in the middle of the pitch gave him the chance to take aim at the posts. He slotted with ease to give the home side a 3 point advantage.

The away side fought straight back, taking control of the field position and coming at the Fakenham line with wave after wave of attack. Initially, the home side held firm, defending well, but eventually Wymondham forced their way over the line to the right of the posts. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, giving them a 2 point lead.

It did not last for long though, as Fakenham soon regained the lead. A strong platform set by the forwards on the left gave the backs a chance to launch an attack and they made the most of it, as full back Murray Tindal was on the receiving end of some good hands to cross the line wide on the right, before running back underneath the posts to dot down. Marshall was successful with conversion.

The even nature of the first half continued to play out. Fakenham managed to turn the ball over in the Wymondham half and the ball was quickly recycled to the backline, where Tindal took control of the transition defence to hit the gaps, used his pace to get to the line and make sure he got the ball down as he was tackled across the try line. With the final act of the half, Marshall nailed the conversion to give the home side a 17 – 5 lead at half time.

Fakenham struck again straight from the restart. Marshall claimed the kick well and set off, making his way deep into Wymondham territory. Keeping the ball alive, they got it out to winger Jack Bryan-Green who showed his finishing capabilities to force the ball down over the line, despite the attentions of a couple of Wymondham players as he got across the try line. Marshall finished what he started, slotting an impressive conversion from wide on the left.

10 minutes later it was the turn of the Fakenham forwards to get the score. A scrum on the Wymondham 5m line, to the right of the posts, allowed them to get moving towards the try line. After they got the initiative, captain and number eight Adam Lingwood picked from the base from a few metres out and powered over the try line. Marshall couldn’t add the extras this time round.

As with the rest of the game, a long period followed with both sides evenly matched and unable to trouble the scoreboard. Nonetheless, after 20 minutes or so, it was the home side that added to their lead. Another scrum on the Wymondham 5m line gave Fakenham the chance and the forwards got the upper hand in the scrum, powering towards the try line. Lingwood kept control well at the base before picking up and dotting down as the scrum made its way over the line, meaning he covered about 5m total for his two tries. Marshall was unsuccessful with the conversion.

The game finished without any more points, leaving the score 34 – 5. Fakenham scored an almost identical number of points in the cup final, but on that occasion Wymondham scored over 40, showing how impressive the defensive effort was today. A great game of rugby, with the contest more even than the scoreline suggested.

The Barsham Brewery Man of the Match was split between Fakenham’s two flankers, Joe Airey and James Howell, who covered a lot of ground and made their marks defensively and in the lineout.

Thank you to Katering 4U for the match teas that both sides enjoyed.

Next week sees Fakenham travel to Thurston, which promises to be another tough fixture. All travelling support will be very welcome.