West Norfolk continue title charge

West Norfolk made it nine wins from as many games to remain seven points clear at the summit of Counties 2 Eastern Counties.The Gatehouse Lane outfit were in no mood to surrender their perfect start to the campaign with a 47-17 victory at Mersey Island.West began with intensity, applying defensive pressure that forced a poor kick from Mersey.Finn Wilcox gathered the ball and quickly moved it wide to Angus Williams, who drew the final defender and passed to George Lemon for the opening try.Hayden Revell added the conversion, setting the tone for the match.The second try came immediately after the restart.A combination of pick-and-go phases from the forwards and quick offloads by the backs drove West deep into Mersey territory, where Jacob Chapman powered over the line. Some individual brilliance from Revell led to the third try. Breaking through from just outside the West 10-metre line, he carried the ball to the Mersey five-metre mark before selflessly offloading to Angus Williams, who finished the play.Revell then added the conversion.The visitors’ fourth try came after free-flowing rugby saw Joe Whittaker make a key pass to prop Sean Mowbray, who charged through to score his first try for the club, contributing to a well-earned man-of-the-match accolade. Despite West’s dominance, Mersey showed resilience, capitalising on a lapse in concentration to score their first try.However, West quickly regained control. Pressuring the kick-off, they forced a turnover and utilised their pod system effectively.This pressure culminated in a loose ball being scooped up, leading to a swift attack finished by Wilcox. The final try of the first half saw Ethan Young make a long break after intercepting a handling error.Though he was caught near the line, he offloaded to Wilcox who crossed for another score. Revell converted, closing a dominant first-half performance by West Norfolk.In the second half, Mersey tightened their defence, making it a much closer contest.The home side struck first, working through the visitors’ defensive line to score. However, West Norfolk had the last say as George Lemon’s pace and vision set up Williams who skipped past defenders to finish the match with style.Revell’s conversion sealed the result.