Wold fly half Luke Wade turned from zero to hero in this game, having earlier been sin binned for ten minutes, before slotting two massive long penalties at the end of the game for the six points that turned a loss in to a victory for battling Wold
It was a thrilling end to a game that was a superb advert for rugby, great tries, great tackles, great handling, great running coupled with a bit of true grit, a little bit of handbags due to high emotions but companionship and respect from both sides in the bar post match.
The game simply had everything including the fairytale ending for Luke Wade and Wold, and it even saw Wold coach Phillip Anthony punching the air at the final whistle and leaping about as if he was dancing on hot ashes in bare feet
The wind also played a massive part blowing strongly from one end of the pitch to the other, and Wold battled against it in the first half lighting up the game in the first twenty minutes and steamrollering Wymondham to score three great tries in that period
The first came from James Hall in the fourth minute, when after a great period of Wold possession, he sprinted up the right hand touchline to score in the corner
Wymondham replied with a penalty but on the quarter hour it was the turn of Josh Crick to muscle his way over again in the right corner, as Wold continued to keep the ball and smash their way up the pitch against the wind
Five minutes later it was the turn of centre and skipper Cemil Duruk to go over, this time wide on the left when he was fed from a great inside pass from Jacob English on the left wing
Three great tries but no conversations as despite Luke Wade’s best efforts, the wind simply did not allow the ball to reach the posts and the loss of those impossible six points was to prove crucial later in the game
Wymondham were then awarded a penalty for a high tackle and brought the Wold lead back to 6–15 around fifteen minutes before the break with what should have been an easy kick from in front of the posts, but the ball only just crept over the bar to the left, having skewed across off the inside of the right hand post
Both teams continued to attack fiercely without adding to the score until three minutes in to added time before the break. Deservedly it was Wymondham who went over for their first try following a spell where they had camped in the Wold twenty two for several minutes
Wold had given away two penalties in their desperation to defend their line but from the second penalty, the home side had men over on the right and a try out wide was inevitable. The conversion was good and the score at the break was 13 –15 in Wold’s favour after a cracking first half, with Wymondham coming back in to the game and Wold giving away too many penalties in the second quarter, each resulting in points against or a drastic loss of territory through huge wind assisted touch kicks
Everyone watching the first half expected Wold to use the wind in the second half to their territorial advantage by some wind assisted long kicking of their own. It didn’t turn out that way though, not helped by the yellow card for fly half Luke Wade not long after the restart for appealing that he had won the ball fairly in a ruck, when the referee had obviously disagreed and yellow carded him, some thought unfairly, for the appeal
Wymondham however slowly became more confident, keeping the ball for long spells and Wold continued to give away silly penalties which didn’t help their cause.
With a degree of inevitability the home side did score next with their second try of the game, when their prop barrelled his way over with an unstoppable run out wide on the left. Also inevitably, as with Wold in the first half the conversion was impossible, but Wymondham had the lead for the first time in the game at 18 – 15 and their tails were up with fifteen minutes left on the clock. The home supporters could now sense a great comeback win, but they were held by Wold until the end of normal time, and then up stepped Luke Wade in added time to firstly stick the knife in and then twist it cruelly
His first penalty kick a minute in to added time was from the ten yard line out towards the left hand side and it sailed over to level the game to muffled groans and loud cheers from the home and away supporters respectively
Everyone at the game thought that was the end and a draw would have been a fair result, as it had been Wold’s first half and Wymondham’s second half
There had been several stoppages for injuries in the second half with the result that the referee walked to the centre spot and the game was restarted following Wades first three points
Unbelievably Wold gathered the ball from the kick off and made ten metres with good forward play back towards the halfway line right in the centre of the pitch before play broke down and Wold were awarded a penalty for an infringement in the loose
Wades kick from halfway sailed up and over the bar and the touch judges raised flags signalled the end of the game and an amazing victory for Wold snatched literally from the jaws of defeat with a six point turn around in the space of two unforgettable minutes
It was harsh on Wymondham but they were the first to admit post match that they had done exactly the same to Diss the previous week, and as they always say, what goes round comes round
This was a real statement of intent by Wold against a big and talented Wymondham side, but they must clean up their habit of giving away so many thoughtless and hence needless penalties, which would make their life in general, so much easier

MOM : Jonah Cunningham at No 9 in only his second appearance in that shirt. What potential he has in that position, albeit Luke Wade has written his name in to the annals of Wold rugby history in bold gold letters

Arn The Wold !!
Arn the Village People !!