Colchester's second string travelled to Humber Doucy Lane expecting an easy ride in this ECRU Merit Table game, but they were taken by surprise by a lively Ipswich side in what turned out to be a thrilling game, played in excellent spirit.
In October the the Ravens scored over 80 points against the Magpies, and when they scored a try after just three minutes through lock Shoala Adeniren it looked like a similar score might be on the cards.
Colchester were totally dominant in scrums and lineouts, and Ipswich wondered when they would get any possession, but when they did get the ball in the seventh minute their pacy backs rounded their Colchester counterparts to score and take the lead after a successful conversion.
Colchester pressed forward and spread the ball to the wings but they could not find a way through a determined Ipswich defence.
Colchester kept trying but an interception saw Ipswich score their second try, and a few minutes later a dropped ball was kicked through for a third try and Ipswich were 17-5 up.
The Ravens began to get their act together and used their forward superiority to pull a try back through Matt Frost just before half-time.
Turning round 10-17 down Colchester kept the ball tight and drove up the middle of the field, but when they lost the ball it was quickly passed by Ipswich to their winger who went over in the corner.
Once again Colchester rallied and from a tap penalty 20 metres out prop Shane Jerram charged into the Ipswich side before offloading to centre Jon Ward who crashed over the try-line, Vinny Geaves adding the extra points to make the score 17-22.
The defining moment of the game came soon after this score when Colchester put on their remaining substitutes.
Almost immediately wing Lawrence Tapper pulled a hamstring, and as all three replacements had been used the Ravens were forced to play with 14 for the last 30 minutes.
Despite this setback Colchester played the better rugby for the remaining period, even scoring through Jay Duder who ran from half-way to level the score at 22-22.
But the advantage eventually told when with five minutes to got Ipswich scored a converted try from a five-metre scrum.
Published Tuesday, January 28, 2003
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