Fakenham book cup final date against West Norfolk

Fakenham booked a Norfolk Intermediate Cup date against West Norfolk with a 34-30 victory over North Walsham 2nds at the Stringer Ground.The club extended their season with this win and will now contest the final at the Norfolk Big Rugby Weekend on Saturday, May 3.Before the game, there was a minute’s silence held for Rosie Stewart, who was an ever-present on the touchline, wife of club stalwart Vince and mother to starting winger Ashley.North Wlsham registered an early try, but it wasn’t long before the home side got on the scoreboard themselves.A strong carry from inside-centre Murray Tindal saw him break through on the right, before drawing the final defender and passing to the supporting veteran winger Tom Bane-Young, who had enough in the old legs to canter under the posts.Fly-half and Captain Lloyd Marshall slotted the straightforward conversion to give his side a slender two-point lead.Marshall kicked the next points as well, as he nailed a penalty kick to extend Fakenham’s lead. This was soon cancelled out as North Walsham kicked a penalty of their own. Fakenham began to control the half and scored their second try ten minutes later.A strong Fakenham scrum set the platform for outside-centre Aaron Tagg to run a great line back against the grain.He crashed through the initial line of defence before evading the final attempted tackle to score just to the left of the posts. Marshall again added the extras. Tindal then showed his own strength to power through a tackle and score.Marshall once more split the posts as Fakenham went into the interval with a 24-8 lead. North Walsham scored just five minutes into the second half, though it went unconverted and another unconverted try followed, bringing Walsham within a score.However, Marshall nailed a simple penalty from in front of the posts to extend Fakenham’s lead to 27-18. Two more North Walsham tries, the second of which was converted, gave the away side the lead again for the first time since the opening ten minutes of the game.A penalty gave Marshall the chance to kick for the corner, where the home side took the lineout cleanly and set up a maul.The pack showed great strength to power over the line, where Ashley Stewart, who had moved onto the flank from the wing, was able to burrow over the line from the back of the maul.Marshall hit his most impressive conversion of the day to clinch a brilliant win.The Barsham Brewery Man of the Match went to loose head Shane Tilstone, who was instrumental in Fakenham’s dominance at scrum time in the first half.Special mention also to number eight Rob Ward.