A GAME OF TWO HALVES

If ever that old cliché was justified it was in this match where for all intents and purposes Rochford looked dead and buried by half time.

They came back so strongly in the second half that Rochford were unlucky not to have picked up a further bonus point and if some attacks had fully come off could even had edged a result.

That, in reality, was a little too much to ask for and a late Ipswich try made the score line more flattering to the league leaders than it actually was.

In truth the damage was done in the first half which the home side dominated, knocking up five tries ,four of which were converted, through fast powerful counterattacking moves.

Rochford did have their fair share of ball in this one sided half but promising moves were broken down by the home side and ball stolen away from them and moved through quick hands to create many scoring chances which Ipswich took with relish.

Rochford did start to get their game together in the second quarter of the half and a good try by powerful wing Tom Pickering was duly converted by Tom Ashton but 7 – 33 at the break looked like it was all over for the Essex Boys.

A totally different Rochford side ,however,came out in the second half as they took the game to their vaunted opponents.They started to show their power up front in set piece and loose and launched a number of sustained attacks which eventually resulted in wing Jon Baker running in for a terrific try which Ashton converted.

More powerful drives by the well organised forwards where the back row of Jake Knowles, Darren Spencer and Scott Horsburgh were tremendous resulted in another try when Horsburgh powered over.

In the set scrum the front row of Michael Mark, Tom Corbet and Ricky Wiseman were impressive helped by the unstinting work of Sam Tape and Greg Whight in the second row.

In the backs Dan Bracknell and Dan Needham at half back created problems as did Ashton and Matt.Stewart in the centre and Sam Edwards at full back had an excellent afternoon in both his defensive work and in his attacking play.

When Darren Spencer went over for the fourth and bonus point try and the score line was 22 -33 with Rochford in the ascendency with 15 minutes to go one could be excused to think that they might be witnessing something really special and at least another losing bonus point beckoned but it was not to be.

As the boys in black pushed for one last big effort they extended themselves too much and a breakdown resulted in a quick Ipswich counter and right at the last gasp they went over for an unconverted try which was welcomed with a howl of relief from their anxious supporters.

An exciting come back with plenty of gritty Rochford character coming through but they just had left themselves too much to make up and will have to put it down to experience and get on with concentrating on next week’s match against South Woodham .