As I mentioned earlier; that day came back to haunt us all about 3 weeks later in a game with another Nemesis, Woolverstone Hall. The Thursday prior to the Saturday game with Woolverstone was the day of the infamous dissembling session with "The Nut."

The weather the day of the game was wet and windy. The rain never let up and the sky remained dark and funereal the entire game. It is probably accurate to say that we should have had the game well and truly won by half-time. We squandered at least 5 golden try scoring chances and took only one during a half where we were encamped in the Woolverstone 25. We were 4-0 up at the half turning to face the wind. But we weren't unduly concerned because for the first time in many, many years; Woolverstone were not a good team. Not a good team, except for a chap called Cyril Offiah, who played full back for Woolverstone that day and went on to play for Rosslyn Park, England "B" and eventually changed codes ending up representing Great Britain, if I am not mistaken. [According to the Woolverstone Hall Old Boys web site Cyril did not continue to play rugby after his time at Woolverstone Hall but his younger brother Martin did all that was listed - Sub-Ed.] But even so, we had kept Cyril pinned down and quiet in the first half dominating Woolverstone in every phase.

About 10 minutes into the second half, as Peter Hargreaves and I were getting up from a ruck about 10 yards from the touch line Cyril caught Pete with an imperious right cross and laid him out flat (to Pete's credit -- a hard man, no question -- he got to his feet, albeit groggily). As Cyril was moving away, I had a perfect opportunity to land the same on him but froze. Standing there looking me right in the eye no more than 10 yards away was The Nut. We looked at each other for a couple more seconds and I did nothing. I simply rejoined the ensuing scrum with Pete. To this day I feel like a complete sh*t for not acting. The game degenerated into a morass in the middle of the field. Even with the wind, Woolverstone never came remotely close to scoring a try. They were, however awarded two penalties, each about forty yards out, the last one from right by the touch line. Cyril kicked them both and Woolverstone won the game 6 - 4.

I can't help thinking that a number of Norwich School players from that era would have felt there was something poetic about the outcome.

I remember, Tim, the follow-on game against Woolverstone very, very well. I didn't see the punching incident against Pete. I was at the bottom of a pile of bodies at the time, but I do remember upon emerging seeing him, with his left hand held to his face, rather forcefully tell Cyril a few home truths. I also remember you being furious with yourself afterwards. My own contribution to that game was catching the "punky prop" in possession over their try line and forcing about five 5-yard scrums in succession, all of which we won.

We wasted the chance of going further ahead, and perhaps putting the game beyond Woolverstone's reach - Rory Mather frankly wasted possession each time by passing out to the backs who couldn't do anything with it. I have to hang my head in shame though, and say that it was I who was penalised for barging in the final line-out of the game, which Cyril then slotted to give them the game. Afterwards, Terry Williams came up to each of us in the changing room and shook our hands - he was actually, or very nearly crying. I have never forgotten it.

In general, rugby I think defined my time at Wymondham, along with cricket of course. In fact, I had my finest moment as a batsman (I very rarely troubled the scorer) in the 1st XI by hitting a cover drive for four against the same Cyril Offiah, who was a lightning quickie as well as a fine rugby player. He got me two or three balls later, but I had hit him for four!