Humbling defeat at league leaders

Colchester 2nd 50, Fakenham 15

Fakenham’s fifth league fixture saw them travel to league leaders Colchester 2nd. Having amassed the full complement of 25 points from their opening five fixtures, Colchester were clearly going to be a tough opponent, but having won the only game between these sides last season, Fakenham knew they were capable of a victory.

The first ten minutes of the game were an even affair, with neither side able to make significant inroads with the ball in hand, but after that, the home side began to take control. Two quick tries off the back of good lines and strong runners, with the first of those converted, gave Colchester the lead.

A lull in points scoring followed as Fakenham tried to get themselves on the scoreboard, but it was Colchester that scored two more tries in the last ten minutes of the half, with their bonus point-securing effort the final play of the half. With one of those converted, it put the half-time score at 24-0.

Fakenham knew that they would have to score first after the break to stand any chance of mounting a comeback and that is exactly what they did. A couple of minutes into the second half, the ball was worked wide to the left before a perfectly weighted final pass allowed winger Charlie Fish to run onto the ball at full pace on the Colchester 22 before finishing well in the corner. Fly-half Lloyd Marshall tantalisingly hit the post with his conversion effort from the left touchline.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Fakenham continued to push. They won a penalty in front of the posts which Marshall duly slotted to raise the hopes of a comeback.

However, these were dashed when Colchester crossed the whitewash for the first time in the half, adding the conversion to reassert their lead at 31-8.

Fakenham came straight back on the attack, but a Colchester player bravely went for an interception on their own five metre line as the away side looked to move the ball to the left, where they had an overlap waiting. The Colchester player managed to hold onto the ball after knocking it up into the air, before showing impressive pace to run the length of the pitch and score. The extra two points were added, with this moment of turning a surefire Fakenham try into a home score, effectively ending the game as a contest.

Two more tries followed in quick succession for Colchester as they asserted their dominance, adding the conversion to one of these.

The away side continued to fight, showing heart as they always do, even when going down to 14 players due to injury. Fakenham at least had the final say, scoring on the opposite flank this time as winger Kyle Roberts went over. Marshall nailed the impressive conversion from wide on the right with the final act of the game, as Colchester won 50-15.

A humbling result for Fakenham on the road as Colchester showed why they top the table with a ruthless edge.

Next week there is no game, with Fakenham’s next fixture being at home on November 4, when they host Cottenham Renegades at the Stringer Ground.