The two sides met for the third time this season in a friendly encounter to produce yet another free scoring game producing nine tries between them as they entertained the side-line with a display of open free-flowing rugby.

Harwich made the most of the home advantage and unusually mild weather conditions at Low Road as they were throwing the ball freely in close and out wide testing the Felixstowe defence forwards and backs showing good hand skills as they interchanged passes in open play to open their account when Chris Coyle’s touched down for an early try.

Felixstowe were able to respond straight away with an individual effort from the young full back who receiving the ball in his own half tracked across field before picking his line making a decisive run evading would be tackles for a converted try.

Harwich continued to play with pace, their stand-off Craig Wilson and centre pairing of Simon Kean and Chuck Heeney making the gain line with ease as they kept the visitors defence under pressure and on the back foot resulting in two tries for Wilson and a try for Scrum Half Ryan Boyne before the break with only a single conversation from Wilson who amassed an impressive personal twenty point tally on the day with his dominant performance.

Despite the efforts of the visitors it was the expansive open fifteen man rugby that Harwich were producing which although far from error free was entertaining to the spectators and installed a confidence within the team which had been missing in previous weeks.
Although not on the scoreboard the forwards were working hard and putting in a good shift, none more so than lock Mike Cowley who was running around like a man half his age and was unlucky not to score in the first half as he was held up, he was rewarded for his efforts eventually when he crashed over the line from close range, Craig Wilson converted his first of three tries as he settled into his kicking duties.

As Harwich reshuffled their centres introducing Josh Eldridge and moving Simon Keen into No. 9 giving him opportunity to snipe round the fringes as the backs demonstrated a smooth transition to the changes it was business as usual as they enjoyed the lion share of possession despite a spirited effort by the visitors who held strong for much of the second half but as fatigue set in the gap started to appear in the defence which eventually resulted in three further tries from full Back Tommy Kite, Scrum Half Simon Keen and prop Rob Wood to round off a dominate performance.

Captain Oliver Bray was pleased with the performance which will give us a boost on our preparation for next week’s game against local rival Clacton and it was good to give another youth Player Jamal Schut his first senior games as it was to see the return of veteran Rob Nicoll to the game after a long absence which all helps to the depth and balance of our developing squad.

This week Harwich 2’s are at home to Clacton.

Report by Andy Bray