Hopwood sets Tigers on way
Ipswich YMCA 0 Ely Tigers 19 ELY cruised to a comfortable away win in their second league match of the season. The game got off to a scrappy start but Ely gradually started to get on top and release the ball out to the backs. The Tigers took the lead whe
Ipswich YMCA 0 Ely Tigers 19
ELY cruised to a comfortable away win in their second league match of the season.
The game got off to a scrappy start but Ely gradually started to get on top and release the ball out to the backs.
The Tigers took the lead when Tom Jackson and then Ed Fahy gained territorial advantage with some long runs and, after a series of moves, James Hopwood ran 20 metres to score.
For the third match in a row, Ely were troubled by a kicking fly-half, and a combination of this and Ely's lack of clinical finishing ability kept the score at just 5-0 at half-time.
The second-half started with Ipswich pressure and they reached the Ely 22-metre area with ball in hand for the first time.
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But Ely's resolute defence shone through and as Ipswich ran out of ideas, they resorted to kicking, even when close to the Ely line.
Ely finally moved upfield when a penalty kick for touch missed and the counter-attacking Ipswich defender was robbed of possession.
Lee Coulson then went on a 30-metre weaving run and passed to Mark Goude, who shrugged off the attentions of the backtracking defence and ran in to score. Gavin Ross converted to give Ely a 12-0 lead.
The Tigers then moved the ball forward with a series of drives and won a scrum 30 metres from the line. A fluent back-row move followed and finished with Lee Kupyn going on a long run and scoring under the posts. Ross converted to leave a final score of 19-0.
Director of Ely Rugby Club Terry Moore said: "It was not a good performance, but it is the sign of a successful side to be able to win well whilst playing badly."
# Ely Tigers II won their first Greene King Premier League match of the season 22-12 against Cambridge IV.
# Ely Tigers III were not so successful, losing their first Greene King Deuxieme League match 29-7 away at Newmarket III.
