Derby defeat a learning curve for West Norfolk

West Norfolk coach Jamie Williamson says the club’s defeat to Fakenham was an Eastern Counties learning curve for his team as they bounced back to winning ways at the weekend.The Gatehouse Lane outfit saw off Mistley 34-32 in a thrilling affair – just seven days after suffering their second loss of the campaign against their Norfolk neighbours.Williamson said: “We went into this game with last week’s performance still fresh in our minds.”While we were keen to move on from the Fakenham match, we also knew that ignoring the lessons it offered would be a missed opportunity. As coaches and players, learning from setbacks is how we grow.”The Mistley fixture was all about mindset. We have the talent and the fitness to beat any team in this league, but rugby is never just about skill—it’s about attitude.”Winning comes down to being mentally tougher than your opposite man, making the right decisions under pressure, and doing whatever it takes to come out on top.”Thankfully, our preparation was spot on, and the squad approached the game with real intent. “We knew Mistley would be a physical side, so it was crucial to impose ourselves early and show that we could meet them head-on. From there, our forwards put in the hard graft, and when our backs got quality ball, they looked as dangerous as ever. “With Jack Wicks sidelined through injury and JJ Hart unavailable, we had to make some adjustments.”I was particularly pleased with the partnership between Fin Wilcox at 10 and Sam Moses at 12. Both are natural playmakers who can create something out of nothing, and they stepped up when the team needed them.”Ethan Young, Hayden Revell and Morgan Smith all helped themselves to tries against Mistley with Revell kicking two conversions and four penalties and Sam Moses kicking another penalty. The coach was delighted to see his side return to winning ways.”Bouncing back with a win was crucial—not just for the league table, but for the squad’s mentality,” admitted Williamson. “As a coach, and as someone who has played for a long time, there’s nothing more disheartening than standing in that huddle at full-time and seeing the look on players’ faces when they know they haven’t done themselves justice.”That feeling after Fakenham stuck with us all week. We owed ourselves a response. “That said, we’re not where we want to be yet – We still need to sharpen up defensively and be smarter in key moments. But this performance showed the character of the squad.”Getting back to winning ways was important—now it’s about building momentum and making sure we never feel like we did after Fakenham again.”The league leaders host March Bears on Saturday before a crunch clash at second-placed Ipswich YM the following weekend.And Williamson has left his players in no doubt about what he expects from them as they look to clinch the league title in the club’s centenary season. “That’s simple—when I took over as head coach, I put up a sign above the changing room door with five key values:accountability, solidarity, passion, trust, and commitment,” he said.”Regardless of the situation, those are the standards I expect from the boys every time they step onto the field.”