Felixstowe 1st XV 40–69 Colchester

Felixstowe produced a hugely entertaining attacking display at Raven Park, scoring six tries and securing a try bonus point, but a powerful second-half performance from Colchester eventually saw the visitors run out 69–40 winners.

It was a frantic start, with Colchester racing into an early 14–0 lead before Felixstowe responded through Nat Adams, who stormed through for the Badgers’ first try of the season before converting his own score to make it 14–7.

Felixstowe then suffered an early setback when Mack dislocated his shoulder following a committed kick chase. He was replaced by Ben Gemmell, while Mack’s shoulder was thankfully put back in place on the touchline.

Colchester crossed again to move 21–7 ahead, but Gemmell made an immediate impact. With virtually his first involvement, he finished off a chance created after Fred capitalised on a loose ball, with Adams converting to bring Felixstowe back to 21–14.

The visitors stretched their advantage to 28–14, but Felixstowe refused to go away.

An interception from Tom Gallacher was kicked through and gathered by Caleb, who crossed for a particularly special try on his 50th appearance for the club. Adams added the extras and suddenly it was 28–21.

Caleb wasn’t finished there. His second try brought Felixstowe level at 28–28, securing the attacking bonus point and completing a remarkable comeback from 14 points down.

Felixstowe then produced one of their best passages of the afternoon. A strong lineout provided the platform before Ben Gemmell made a superb line break. He was brought down by the Colchester fullback, but Felixstowe kept the ball alive, moving it quickly through the hands and out wide, where Keanan finished brilliantly to put the Badgers ahead.

The second half remained fiercely competitive. A yellow card for Jack Rowbotham temporarily reduced Felixstowe to 14 men and Colchester took advantage, but the Badgers continued to threaten.

An injury to Kev then provided Charlie Mundy with his first-team debut, another significant moment on an afternoon that demonstrated the growing depth within the Felixstowe squad.

Gemmell then grabbed his second try of the afternoon in spectacular fashion. He kicked a loose ball into the dead-ball area and chased it down with tremendous determination, winning the race to touch down. Adams converted again, putting Felixstowe 40–31 ahead.

Unfortunately, that proved to be the Badgers’ final score.

Colchester’s strength and depth began to tell as the second half wore on. The visitors responded with a succession of tries, turning a nine-point deficit into a commanding advantage as Felixstowe tired following an exhausting, high-tempo contest.

The final scoreline does not quite tell the story of a game in which Felixstowe came back from 14–0 and 28–14 down, fought their way into the lead and were still 40–31 ahead during the second half.

There were plenty of positives: two tries for Ben Gemmell, two tries for Caleb on his 50th appearance, a try and an excellent afternoon from the boot for Nat Adams, a well-worked team try finished by Keanan, and a first-team debut for Charlie Mundy.

Most importantly, Felixstowe showed they have the attacking ability to score tries and compete with good sides. The next challenge is turning those periods of excellent rugby into an 80-minute performance.

Felixstowe try scorers: Ben Gemmell (2), Caleb (2), Nat Adams and Keanan.
Full-time: Felixstowe 40–69 Colchester.

Felixstowe Saxons 60–35 Colchester IV

Felixstowe Saxons produced a superb second-half performance to come from behind and claim an entertaining 60–35 victory over Colchester IV.

On a sunny afternoon and a hard pitch, the Saxons were able to name a strong squad, with an incredible 26 players available. Colchester travelled with limited numbers and, in the spirit of grassroots rugby, Felixstowe kindly lent players throughout the afternoon to ensure the game remained competitive.

It was Colchester who had the better of a high-scoring opening half. The visitors were reduced to 14 men after 17 minutes following a red card for a headbutt, but continued to cause Felixstowe problems and went into the break narrowly ahead, 26–24.

Felixstowe had already shown plenty of attacking intent. Harry Brewster produced one of the moments of the first half, selling a lovely dummy before breaking through the defensive line for a well-taken try.

The second half, however, belonged to the Saxons.

As Colchester began to tire, Felixstowe’s strength and fresh legs started to tell. Ash Lacey put in a very solid all-round performance and crossed twice, while Chase Hardy also helped himself to two tries.

Finley Stack continued his excellent start to the season by crossing for his second try in two weeks, while Andy Brown provided one of the afternoon’s memorable sights. Brown broke through the Colchester line and charged some 50 yards for the try line with very little challenge—which, given the size of the man coming towards them, was perhaps understandable!

The standout try-scoring performance came from Alex Barnard, who completed a superb hat-trick in only his second game for the Saxons.

Andrew Osborne added five conversions from the tee, with former Felixstowe kicker Steve Britchfield watching from the sidelines.

By full time, Felixstowe had turned a two-point half-time deficit into an emphatic 60–35 victory, scoring 10 tries in total.

The afternoon was about far more than the result. Having 26 players available for the Saxons is a fantastic sign of how the side is developing, while lending players to Colchester throughout the match ensured both teams got a proper, competitive game of rugby.

A huge thank you goes to match-day sponsors Infinity and WeGlobal, and to Dave Barnard and his team, who did a magnificent job cooking and serving throughout the afternoon. Thanks also to The Dooley Inn for providing some excellent post-match food.

Representing a fair few years of Felixstowe rugby between them, pictured together after the game were Matt Watkins, Gareth Carr, Chris Sheehan and Andrew Osborne—proof that the old Badgers still have a bit of rugby left in them!

Felixstowe try scorers: Alex Barnard (3), Chase Hardy (2), Ash Lacey (2), Andy Brown, Finley Stack and Harry Brewster.
Conversions: Andrew Osborne (5).
Half-time: Felixstowe Saxons 24–26 Colchester IV.
Full-time: Felixstowe Saxons 60–35 Colchester IV.