Ladies triumph in top-of-the-table clash

West Norfolk Ladies recovered from conceding an early try to triumph in their top-of-the table clash at Colchester on Sunday.The Essex side scored the opening try of the afternoon, but West Norfolk recovered to eventually triumph by 43 points to 26.Head Coach Jane Middleton-Jones said: “I am so, so proud – not just of the team’s performance today but of all the hard work, training and focus that got them to this point.”Colchester are a great team, and this was a brutal, brilliant game – we laid everything on the line and I couldn’t be happier.”Fly-half Georgie Lingham and inside-centre partner Sarah Hodgson disrupted every Colchester attack, enabling Lingham to snipe the ball at a breakdown on the 22 and race in under the posts for West’s first score, fullback Jade Nicholson converting.An attacking scrum from West provided scrum-half Amber Wadlow with the platform for Lingham to kick downfield and, after quick phases, Colchester gave away a penalty, quickly taken by Hodgson who popped to Lingham to score her second.Colchester rallied, with both teams putting in huge defensive efforts. A converted try from the home team raised their spirits but West bounced back immediately with a try from debutant Freya Gracie which Lingham converted. Jess Milnes replaced an injured Nicholson and immediately made an impact, easily outpacing Colchester on the flanks, taking multiple defenders to stop her.Milnes was rewarded with a long-range try, followed by one more from Lingham, converted by Milnes, to send West in 19-31 at half-time.The second half resumed with the same pace, although West were soon back in Colchester’s 22. Hooker Emma Faulkner dominated the lineouts, with one producing a massive driving maul that Colchester couldn’t stop, then releasing Wadlow to score.Colchester kept pushing back but West’s strong defence resisted, forcing errors and sending the home side backwards. The forward pack stepped up, pressuring the host’s scrum after scrum and dominating every breakdown, but injuries started to creep in.Colchester’s winger made a break on the wing until a last-gasp tackle from Lingham stopped her just short of the line, but quick recycling and hands down the line resulted in a converted try for the Iceni. West immediately went back on the attack from the restart, forcing a penalty that Lingham kicked to touch. TheWest lineout led to another driving maul, with Flanker Alice Middleton-Jones spotting the opportunity and running in the try close to the posts which Nicholson, who had returned to the field, converted.Colchester called the game early due to injuries and the West Norfolk Ladies celebrated a wonderful, hard-fought success.Back of the Match: Sarah HodgsonForward of the Match: Alice Middleton-Jones, sponsored by Nimmo Industrial Buildings.West Norfolk Women travel to Woodbridge next on Saturday, December, 14 (1pm) with the West Norfolk Men playing straight afterwards.