Sudbury 36 – 0 Newmarket

Despite the score line Newmarket could take a lot of positives from this performance. Moving up from mini to youth rugby is a major step and for the whole team this was their first experience of playing 15-aside on a full size pitch. For their first game they faced in Sudbury one of the strongest teams they will meet this season.

So it was a major achievement for the Newmarket forwards to dominate their more experienced opponents at the scrums and lineouts. Although not always as quick to pounce on the loose ball as they could have been, the pack scrapped well for possession and put Sudbury on the back foot with some powerful individual runs and support play.


On the rare occasions when the ball came wide the backs found life a little more difficult against their quick and powerful opposite numbers. Sudbury's full-back was very reliable under the high ball and their outside halves were quick to close down any Newmarket moves. But the real difference between the teams was Sudbury's outside centre. The No. 13 showed real touches of class to weave through Newmarket's defence and score four of their six tries.

The season may have started with a heavy defeat but, on this evidence, there will be quite a few teams over the next six months who will struggle against Newmarket's pace and power. For their all-action performance the man of the match award went to the entire Newmarket pack.