Harwich & Dovercourt RFC welcomed Bury St Edmunds Wolves to Wick Lane on Saturday 24th October, looking to respond after suffering their first defeat of the season away to Thurston Rangers last time out. Thirty miles per hour winds and lashing rain made conditions difficult from the start. One for the purists, as the old adage goes. Harwich understood the assignment.

Bury started brightly and had Harwich pinned back against their own try line in the opening stages. Quick line speed from the home defence repeatedly shut the door before the pressure eventually ended with a Harwich turnover. A line break quickly took play back upfield, although an unforced error brought the attack to an early end.

Harwich didn't have to wait much longer for the opening score. Inside centre Lewis Williams spotted space behind the Bury defence and put through a well-weighted grubber kick. Andrew Sterry won the chase, gathered the ball and crossed for the first try of the afternoon. Sam Parker converted to make it 7-0.

As the conditions worsened, Harwich went back to basics. Route 1 rugby was the order of the day, with successive carries from the loose forwards making hard-earned metres through the middle.

Once the defence had been drawn in, Harwich moved the ball wide to Sterry. He broke the line and raced in beneath the posts for his second try, with Parker's conversion stretching the lead to 14-0.

Harwich were back inside the Bury 22 for their third score. Scrum-half Will Ovenden gathered a loose ball and looked to keep the move alive with an offload. The ball was knocked backwards by a Bury defender and Gareth Sanders-Crook reacted quickest, bundling his way over beneath the posts. Parker converted again.

Half-time: Harwich & Dovercourt 21-0 Bury St Edmunds Wolves

The second half started much as the first had finished. Harwich controlled possession and Sterry was again at the centre of the attack, breaking the defensive line before finding Lewis Williams in support. Williams finished beneath the posts and Parker added the conversion for 28-0.

From there, the game became a battle of attrition, with both sides testing each other's defence and clear scoring chances became harder to find.

Harwich did manage one final try, and it came courtesy of some determined defensive pressure. Bury had a scrum just five metres from their own line and looked to clear through their fly-half. Bradley Durrant had other ideas. A huge hit forced the knock-on over the try line, with Ovenden quickest to react and dotting the loose ball down in the corner.
The conversion was missed, bringing an end to the scoring.

Final score: Harwich & Dovercourt 33-0 Bury St Edmunds Wolves
Harwich are back on the road next Saturday 31st October when they travel to Felixstowe 1st XV.