Sudbury Rugby Club head coach Neil Dachtler says confidence is now flowing through team again after Woodford victory

The smiles are back on the faces at Sudbury Rugby Club.

Three wins and a draw in their last five London 1 North matches have dispelled the gloom of three defeats in their opening three games, and lifted the team to eighth place.

Head coach Neil Dachtler, following the latest victory, 57-12 over second bottom Woodford at Whittome Field on Saturday, said: “Confidence is so much higher. A few weeks ago we weren’t sure where we were going, and all looking at ourselves and wondering what we could do to rectify it.

“But we’ve all got the same badge on our shirts and we all want to work for it. So we’ve helped each other through those difficult times. Working hard has come good for us.”

And the hard work will continue, although there are no league matches this weekend.

“We’ve got next week off. We’ll have the weekend off,” said Dachtler. “But we will train for the next two weeks. We can’t take our foot off the gas. You have to keep focused.”

A visit to unbeaten league leaders North Walsham is the next test for Sudbury on November 9.

“We are looking at the big games. We said before the last two, play as if it’s against North Walsham. We have to have that mindset. The next big game will be Colchester.”

Dachtler praised the all-round performance against Woodford, in difficult conditions as it rained throughout the match.

“Our defence was formidable today.

MATCH REPORT:

Sudbury continued their London 1 North success of the previous week with another convincing win, 57-12 against league strugglers Woodford at Whittome Field on Saturday, writes Don Reekie.

In wet conditions, making handling difficult, Sam Maile scored the first of Sudbury’s tries after five minutes with the conversion by Josh Wadforth, with the same combination striking again following an intercepted pass five minutes later.

But the hosts gave away a penalty under pressure at the scrum and had a man binned, with Woodford taking advantage from a second scrum to trundle their forwards over the line.

From the restart Woodford took the ball into touch deep in their own half and quick hands put Charles Jackson over wide on the wing, again converted by Wadforth.

Sam Maile secured the bonus point and his hat-trick just before half-time as the forwards bundled over from a lineout, again converted by Wadforth for a 28-7 interval score.

Jake Sumner soon ran through at speed to score after seven minutes of the restart, also adding the conversion.

The forwards claimed the next try by rolling the maul around 10 metres from a lineout for Harry Watkins to touch down.

Woodford, who had never given up all game, got the benefit of a try from a decision where the touch judge signalled the player was in touch.

Scrum-half Beckett ran on to his own chipped pass to score inside the final 10 minutes.

Sam Bixby was next to score when Maile again intercepted a pass and offloaded to Bixby in support.

Sumner scored again in the dying seconds, running in down the wing.

Woodford were well beaten but to their credit never gave up against a fired-up Sudbury side.