Wymondham 5, Upminster 0STORM-FORCE winds and driving rain welcomed both teams and spectators onto the pitch at Tuttles Lane on Saturday making this a war of attrition rather than a spectacle of rugby, Wymondham deservedly scraping home with a Mike Rout try in the second half.

Wymondham 5, Upminster 0

STORM force winds and driving rain welcomed both teams and spectators onto the pitch at Tuttles Lane on Saturday making this a war of attrition rather than a spectacle of rugby, Wymondham deservedly scraping home with a Mike Rout try in the second half. However, in spite of moving to just three points behind top spot Wymondham still find themselves in the bottom half of the table such is the competitiveness of this league.

Wymondham, fielding six changes from last week, kicked off into the teeth of a storm force gale knowing that their defence would need to be at its best to hold out the bigger Upminster pack.

Something that they achieved with a degree of aplomb restricting the visitors to two long-range penalties that went wide during the first forty.

However, five minutes before half-time Wymondham had to dig deep when Upminster mounted a significant attack that so nearly became the first score but the home defence was magnificent in repelling wave after wave to close the half scoreless.

Conditions in the second half deteriorated significantly with driving wind and heavy rain sending all but the very hardy to the shelter of the clubhouse but both teams on the pitch stuck to their task attempting to play some open rugby.

Wymondham's lighter pack now seemed to become more cohesive as a unit and created some great rolling mauls that eventually resulted in Upminster's John Baker being shown a yellow card. Wymondham profited immediately when they drove over the Upminster line with Mike Rout scoring his first try in the red and black.

Tom Wilson then missed a long-range penalty and there were some tense moments in the final 10 minutes but Wymondham survived to record their fourth victory of this season's campaign.

The Leathes Prior man-of-the-match was awarded to the whole Wymondham team who had collectively braved the elements to record the fourth win on the bounce at Tuttles Lane.

Squad: 15 Tom Wilson, 14 Gavin Shepherd, 13 John Gill, 12 Barry O'Sullivan, 11 Ian Harris, 10 Stephen Simms, 9 Pat Reed, 1 Lee Summers 2 Alan Turner 3 John Lusted (Stewart Forton), 4 Scott Norman (David Blake), 5 Shane Hickey, 6 Jonathan Coltman, 7 Chris Brown, 8 Mike Rout

Subs not used: Jamie Gouldstone.