This was an excellent exhibition of 15 man rugby by Wimbledon which yielded 10
tries against Colchester, the majority of whose losses so far this season have only
been by narrow margins. But with Dons’ forwards running and passing like backs,
and the backs piling into rucks as if it were their role in life, Colchester were simply
overwhelmed, despite holding their own in the set pieces and with a lively three-
quarter line.

The first of the succession of tries came within a minute of kick-off, when wing
Tommy Moore ripped the ball from his opposite number to run in unopposed. Stand-
off Bryan Croke calmly landed the first of his six conversions. Centre Aaron Lowe
got the second try after backing up a lovely run by wing Josh Charles. Then just seven
minutes in, the half back pairing of Rhys Morgan and Bryan Croke – who controlled
the game throughout – produced try no.3, the latter touching down after Morgan had
sliced through the smallest of gaps.

Five minutes later a rare lapse in Wimbledon’s defence allowed Colchester centre
Brett Cutbush in for a try, converted by David Higgins. But it was a brief respite;
Dons’ debut prop Phil Viane then gathered the ball from a ruck and bulldozed his way
30m to the line for try no.4, swatting off defenders en route.

Then a dummy by Croke – which fooled most of the spectators as well as
Colchester’s centres – opened a gap through which Dons’ centre Jack Reville sped
through for the fifth try. The captain, lock Dylan Flashman, rounded off the half with
a strong run through the visitor’s defence to score the sixth after a fine forward drive.
It took the half time score to 40-7.

The pack also produced try no.7 ten minutes into a slightly scrappy period of the
game, when a powerful drive ended with lock Sean Renwick touching down. Another
fine run down the touchline by Charles, and some neat inter-passing with number 8
Roy Godfrey, saw the wing dive in for the eighth try. The ninth followed immediately
when slick passing after another Morgan break gave Moore the chance to run in his
second try. Then the pack got the last in the dying seconds, with replacement prop
Ben Brooks scoring after another power drive from a lineout.

The spectators will look forward to another enjoyable exhibition of running rugby
away at Chichester next week.