LONDON TWO NORTH EAST


Braintree................................................20
Rochford Hundred..................................32

 

ROCHFORD Hundred secured a fifth successive win in London Two North East at the weekend, winning 32-20 at Braintree.

Two tries from number eight Scott Horsburgh helped to move Rochford up to third in the standings.

But, with the amount of possession they were able to secure, Rochford should have won by a far greater margin against their hosts who have yet to win this season.

However, Braintree seem to make a habit of getting under Rochford’s skin and, after surviving a spell of pressure, the hosts hit back to open the scoring with a converted try.

Another one soon followed to make it 14-0 but Rochford gradually pulled themselves together and good pressure told when, from a scrum on the Braintree line, scrum half Brett Smith went over for one of his trademark tries which Adam Ashton duly converted.

Ashton followed up with a well struck penalty kick to reduce the deficit to 14-10.

And, as the half drew to a close, acting captain Tom Corbet, making up for an earlier yellow card, powered through to score a deserved try which Ashton converted to put his team 17 -14 ahead.

But just when it started to look like Rochford were settling down to finish the half ahead a silly offence was punished by a Braintree penalty to bring the sides level at the break The second half continued in similar vein with some poor and error-strewn rugby by both sides before Ashton slotted over another penalty to edge Rochford in front again.

The game needed a spark and up stepped Horsburgh who finished off a good move after Rochford pressure.

Ashton added the conversion to make it 27–17 before Braintree reduced the gap with a penalty kick.

However, Rochford soon replied with Horsburgh crashing over for another try which secured victory for his side as well as a bonus point.

Rochford will now be hoping for more of the same when they take on table topping Norwich this weekend.

Rochford: Bass, Chivers, Brooker, Whight, Murphy, Corbet, Knowles, Horsburgh, Smith, Needham, White, Edwards, Stemp, Baker, Ashton Replacements: Mark, Spencer & Popham l TENTH-PLACED Basildon suffered a convincing 50-3 defeat at league leaders Norwich.

l SOUTH Woodham Ferrers bounced back from last weekend’s narrow defeat to Rochford Hundred by beating Diss 27-22.

Woodham now sit eighth in the table.