COLCHESTER Rugby Club rounded off an eventful 2024 with defeat on a mud bath of a pitch at National 2 East league leaders Tonbridge Juddians, writes EDWARD MARRIAGE.

Despite losing 22-0 and conceding four tries, Colchester can take encouragement from their performance against a side which included former Premiership and Championship players, and who have lost just once in 14 matches.

For periods, particularly in the first half, Colchester belied their league position, but crucially failed to turn possession into points.

“An unbelievable effort,” said head coach Mike Haywood. “The scoreboard doesn’t reflect the game.”

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Recent rain and a steady downfall in the second half turned Tonbridge’s low-lying pitch into a quagmire, making running rugby impossible.

Tellingly, three of the four tries came from kicks to the corner and line-out drives.

Colchester weren’t helped by a lengthy list of absentees through injury and illness.

To compound matters, skipper Danny Whiteman pulled out in the early hours of Saturday morning through sickness.

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Stand-in skipper Scott Lloyd started at fly-half with Jacob Bodkin on the wing. There were welcome returns for Will Blakemore in the centre and Ashton Webb at openside.

The visitors started the better. Haydn Sykes, in for Whiteman, was on his way to the tryline when pulled back for a forward pass, while quick-thinking by Lloyd kicked the Blacks into a promising position.

But on their first venture into Colchester territory, TJs scored. From a line-out, full-back Howard Packman found himself with an overlap on the right for a straightforward finish.

On the half hour, Tonbridge drove for the line after a penalty for a deliberate knock-on, but Bodkin forced a timely turn-over.

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Colchester were down to 14 as Sykes went to the bin for an illegal intervention and from the resulting penalty the hosts thought they had scored, only to be pulled back for a forward pass.

Turning round 5-0 down, Colchester started the second half well but couldn’t cash in on a fine break by Connor O’Reilly then good work by Ross Taylor.

A 50/22 gave TJs a line-out five metres out and the hosts piled over, hooker Will Holling getting the first of his hat-trick of tries.

Colchester twice got themselves into scoring positions only for Tonbridge’s defence to prevail.

With Alex Mitchell, Leroy O’Neil, Brett Cutbush and Dan Lewis all seeing action in the final quarter, and the rain intensifying, the hosts went back to basics.

The Juddians’ line-out drive, a potent weapon all afternoon, brought two further tries for Holling to complete the scoring.

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“We showed so much heart, so much effort,” said Haywood. “We’re going in the right direction.”

Of the challenge of playing without several first team regulars, the coach remained upbeat.

“We’ve had quite a few guys drop out and it goes to show that with minimal prep we can put some good stuff on the pitch.

“If we can put our best team out on the pitch each week we’ll be challenging the teams at the top.”

A mud-plastered Cam Kerr was named player-of-the-match for another tireless performance in the back row.

Colchester have a welcome three-week break over Christmas and the New Year and will hope to get injured personnel back for the home match against Barnes on January 11.

The Ravens lost 14-12 at Cantabs and remain ninth in their league.

Colchester: Taylor, Bodkin, Hoppe, Blakemore, O’Reilly, Lloyd ©, Creighton; C Jeffery, Rossouw, L Jeffery, Brock, Friend, Kerr, Webb, Sykes. Reps: Mitchell, O’Neil, Lewis, Cutbush, Varela.