A SHARP LEARNING CURVE AT PRESENT

In a thirteen try bonanza poor Rochford came off second best against a good Bury outfit who came to play rugby at pace.

Here were two sides wanting to throw the ball about which they did with a vengeance but unfortunately Rochford’s defence let them down in the end.

Bury started at a pace and went ahead virtually from the kick off when their centre drove over the line for a converted try.The home side responded with a Tom Ashton penalty and soon after no.8 George Chipper crossed over for a fine individual effort to give his side a narrow 8-7 lead.

It was one of those games that was played at a pace and became very loose and anything could happen. Unfortunately it was Bury that it happened for soon after they swung the ball wide as first one winger went over for a try and then the other one did the same breaking through either poor or none existent tackling to create the overlap.

Bury did not get it all their own way as Rochford second row Scott Goodliffe went over for a well taken try which Ashton converted .

Two further tries ,one of which was converted and a penalty from the Suffolk team finished off a frantic first half and were 32 – 15 to the good at the break.

Rochford’s line out, where Chipper, Needham, Goodliffe and Mott won good ball and the tight where the whole pack knuckled down performed well but it was in the defensive work that they struggled to keep the lively Bury side at bay.

The second half started with the visitors extending their lead with another converted try and a penalty kick before the boys in black responded with a try for winger Josh Levy who was having an excellent game. Ashton converted to put the score at 22 -42
Bury kept the pressure on the stretched Rochford defence and their wing ran through for a converted try.

Winger Levy reduced the deficit with his second try, converted again by Ashton before the Bury skipper ran in for his team’s eighth try of the afternoon.

Rochford had the final say when impressive flanker James Needham, using all his strength and elusive running stormed in for a bonus winning try which the ever reliable Tom Ashton converted.

For a team to score 36 points and end up on the losing side is hard to take but they showed,once again, their flair with the ball in the hands but must sort out their first up tackling and not get drawn into poor defensive positions and will need to work at ball retention and turnover ball.

Young Adam Ashton at full back is growing in confidence with each game as are a number of the other good younger players such as Josh Levy and Liam Searles that have been asked to step up this season.