Crusaders V Wymondham

Crusaders ovecame their local rivals and one of the promotion favourites Wymydham in a titanic battle which no side deserved to lose. With both sides having lost their opening league games maximum comittment was required and that's what the supporters enjoyed.
Crusaders welcomed back Greg Thurtson and new recruit Conan Hoey at fullback. Both hugely influential in the result, Greg with some crunching tackles in the centre and Conan with a masterful display of line kicking.
Both teams locked horns in midfield with neither side's defence giving an inch. Then after 15 minutes Wymondham were rewarded with a penalty which they kicked to the corner and from a well rehearsed lineout move their rolling forwards touched down for an unconverted try 0 - 5. Crusaders response forced Wymondham to concede a penalty in their 22 and Gareth Drewery made no mistake with a penalty 3 - 5.
Crusaders who had their coach Phil O'Brien in the back row soon had the visitors under pressure and a rolling mall of 20 metres was illegally brought down a metre from the Wymondham line resulting in a penalty try, Drewery converted 10 - 5.
Back came a fired up Wymondham and they were rewarded with a try after their forwards determed assault on the Crusaders line 10 - 10 half-time.
The second half was not for the faint hearted with both sides fully committed to their tackles and with Crusaders Blinkhorn yellow carded for a marginally high tackle. Crusaders eventually broke the deadlock as Wymondham failed to contain the drives of Crusaders pack. With Henry Joy and Peter Blinkhorn prominent. The former crashing over for a well deserved lead, Gareth Drewery converting into the wind
17 - 10. The same player added a penalty to increase Crusaders lead 20 - 10. Wymondham hit back with a carbon copy of their first try from a 5 metre lineout
20 -15.
Wymondham pressed hard for an equaliser with Crusaders defence severely tested in the final minutes but they held their line for a well earned victory.