Ipswich Rhinos Rugby League Club


	Ipswich vs Bedford 1st July 2000 Ipswich 68 - 7 Bedford RHINOS ENJOY BEST WIN OF SEASON The Bellway Homes sponsored Ipswich Rhinos hit top form on Saturday running in thirteen tries to record their highest win of the summer. Self belief and rugged commitment enabled the Rhinos to score two wins on the trot for the first time this season. The result comes at the right time ahead of Saturday`s visit to Thetford Forest for the East Anglian Derby with the Saints of South Norfolk. No one is under any Illusions about the size of the task against the Saints but the Ipswich Players are going there at the best time, confident and in form. Ipswich`s backs ran riot laying claim to eight of the thirteen tries with hat tricks for both Tony Skurr and Winger Daren Page.

	But the result and the all round team performance was set up by the Ipswich pack who hustled and harried the opposition all afternoon to set up the try fest with some highly disciplined possession play. The player who made the most impact on the match spent the least time on the pitch. Hooker Dave Signor set up a host of new forward moves and calls at training and before the match. With Signor making the calls and distributing the football the team gelled well and Signor himself was the first player to score taking advantage of slack marking at the play the ball, before leaving the field with a knee injury soon afterwards.

	It took the side a full eleven minutes to resettle to a new hooker and in that time Bedford were allowed the sole comfort of a one point drop goal. Tom Evans-Jones took over the hooking duties admirably from Signor and by half time Ipswich had full control of the match 32-1. Acting coach Dave Flaherty had dangled the carrot of places in the side for the approaching East Anglian Derby before the kick off, emphasising that the team also needed to defend stoutly and the players responded well. Bedford to their credit keep trying to get into the game but the Ipswich pack notably Stu Bradshaw, Olly Barclay and Andy Windridge got under their rivals skin with some heavy tackling. With the midfield trio of Scrum half James Goodall, Stand off Richard Pollard and centre Paul Thurston running the show Ipswich`s possession could only mean points - all but one try involved these three players. Full back Skurr is turning out to be the find of the season for Ipswich, confident in the air and able to turn defence into attack. With Sean Griffin in the Gulf and Lee Birch on honeymoon the youngster has grabbed the no1 shirt in some style with his first hat trick coming in only his third match for the club.

	Adam Welch showed good sleight of hands to conjure up passes which put Daren Page and Paul Thurston clear for tries within minutes of each other. But it was prop Andy Wilson who earned the biggest cheer of the day when he dummied two markers before outpacing his pursuers to the line for his first try of the year. Bedford`s top player Andy Pilkington was rewarded for his never say die attitude when He intercepted an Ipswich pass on his own tryline to sprint all the way for a deserved try.

	Lee Haylock in the back row and the Le Marquand brothers were far from bit players in a fine all round team game, but Ipswich now have to mute their celebrations and channel their efforts in training towards much stronger opponents in the form of South Norfolk in Saturday`s local Derby. Play off chasing Saints are trailing leaders Hemel courtesy of Ipswich`s classic 34-24 win at Rushmere back in May and they need to win to put daylight between themselves and third placed St Albans who they defeated 20-32 last Saturday. South Norfolk will be desperate to beat Ipswich and avoid the banana skin of a Fourth consecutive Derby day defeat at the hands of the Rhinos. Ipswich scorers and team: Tries: Signor, Skurr (3), Page (3), Thomas (2), Thurston (2), Wilson, Evans-Jones. Conversions: Pollard (8) Team: Skurr, Paul & Pete Le Marquand, Thurston, Page, Pollard, Goodall, Evans-Jones, Signor, Welch, Thomas, Windridge, Barclay, Wilson, Bradshaw, Haylock, Barrett. (Half-time: 32-1) (Photos courtesy of Jamie Niblock)

Fixtures - News - Membership - Merchandise - History - Links - Home
Ipswich Rhinos RLFC