RUGBY: Lowestoft & Yarmouth travel to Norwich tomorrow and if they win it should see them start the new year at the top of London League 3 North East.

Norwich, after a poor start, have come on strongly, last week running out with an emphatic 40-point win over Wisbech.

L&Y have made only one change to the squad that showed a rich vein of form and thumped Newmarket 39-17 last week. Jan Schiedje takes a spot on the bench in place of Daniel Boardley, who will drop to the seconds for a full game.

First team manager Matt Jary said: “It’s a massive game for us this Saturday and hopefully the weather will not disrupt it. Norwich will be looking for revenge after the early-season defeat we inflicted on them.

“We are well aware of what Norwich have to offer and we have been working hard in training to contain their powerful back row.”

L&Y have over 20 supporters travelling for the pre-match luncheon and a lot more travelling to watch the fixture, ko 2pm.

Squad: Richard Bristo, Chris Howe, Jake Titterington, Simon Coleman, Russell Wilkinson, Steve Adams, Steve Powles, Marc Thomas (captain), Russell Chapman, Scott Nelson, Joshua Fewkes, Myles McAlone, Kristen Taylor Crisp, Tom Dare, Brad Sutherland, Graeme Newton, Donald McArthur, Jan Scheidje.

Lowestoft & Yarmouth 39, Newmarket 17

A superb team effort featuring inspired performances from captain Marc Thomas and prop Jake Titterington condemned league leaders Newmarket to only their second loss in over 40 games and meant L&Y leapfrogged temporarily to the top of London 3NE.

L&Y scored three tries in each half, five of them by No 8 Thomas and one by centre Myles McAlone. But for three home team lapses, Newmarket would barely have challenged at all.

Newmarket cantered in for a try after only two minutes. L&Y shook it off and tore into the opposition, Brad Sutherland and Titterington making inroads into the Newmarket half.

Scott Nelson popped the ball skilfully to Thomas who cut through under the posts for any easy Russ Chapman conversion.

L&Y realised the visiting pack was no match, and they sent their big runners such as Titterington, hooker Chris Howe and lock Russ Wilkinson into the Newmarket ranks. The visitors had a neat off-loading game, but by tightening the defence and watching for a late pass, L&Y were rarely troubled.

The second try came from more good driving play into Newmarket territory, with Richard Bristo, Steve Adams and Steve Powles all prominent before Nelson switched blind from a maul, twisted out of a tackle and fed Thomas for his second try.

The restart didn’t make 10 metres and from the resulting scrum Thomas picked and went only to pop the ball straight to the Newmarket 13 who raced through untouched to score and convert. Sixteen minutes, four tries, scores even.

A catch and drive from a line-out in the left hand corner gave Thomas his hat-trick. Chapman added a penalty.

Second half L&Y screwed home their possession and set-piece dominance. Thomas was once again driven over by his pack from a line-out, then he scored a remarkable fifth try when a huge scrum effort 10 metres from the Newmarket line saw L&Y win against the head, and the captain popped up to twist over the line.

Tom Dare, 17, and replacement Dan Boardley showed nice touches on the wings, as did Josh Fewkes and his replacement Donald McArthur in the centre.

Outside centre McAlone made a superb 60-metre break but was cut short of the line, but bagged the final try after intercepting on halfway. Sutherland landed the last two conversions, and Newmarket managed a consolation score.

L&Y: Bristo (Newton 63), Howe, Titterington, Wilkinson, Coleman, Powles, Adams, Thomas, Chapman, Nelson, Dare, Fewkes (McArthur 55), McAlone, Taylor Crisp (Boardley 48), Sutherland.