There was a point towards the end of this game when Norwich had a 4 point deficit and looked to have sufficient  momentum to pull off a win. However, they managed to contrive to lose yet another game by poor defence.

The game started off badly with Rochford crossing for the first try on 5 minutes, mostly due to weak tackling, after an initial surge from the hosts. The kick was missed. 

Norwich butchered a pick and drive penalty 5 metres from the line and good defence prevented another in the corner. Those two occasions were as close as they came to scoring in the first half. Play fluctuated back and forth for a considerable period but with time ebbing away, Rochford used their bigger pack to bulldoze their way over from a 5 metre penalty and the conversion took the score to 0:12 at half time. 

Norwich were first on the board in the second half as a Rochford player was carded and Jake Christian-Goss kicked the points.

Shortly after the restart, Rochford were held up over the line but Ollie Marsters was carded. Rochford made their possession and territory count and patiently hammered at the Norwich line and scored. With the conversion going over, 3:19 looked an ominous score but Norwich soon pulled one back. Christian-Goss made good ground on the right and the ball was recycled, once he was stopped, to Danny Van Staden who went over in the corner. The kick was missed but Norwich’s backs were firing at last. 

Van Staden scored again when, following a scrum on the Rochford 22, the ball reached Ed Montgomery who made ground before passing to Van Staden who cut back against the grain and went in to the right of the posts. Christian-Goss added the conversion to take it to 15-19. 

Rochford bounced back when Norwich chose to try and run the ball rather than use the significant breeze and their error lead to Rochford’s power runners carving a way through the Norwich defence.

Norwich scored again when Elliott Baines got on the end of a pass following a period of play where Norwich had looked after the ball well and patiently built the phases. Christian-Goss again added the conversion and Norwich were back within 4 points. 

However, they allowed Rochford to work their way out of their half and a penalty kick into the corner provided them with field position to batter their way over for the final score.