Norwich slipped to their first defeat of the season to a stronger side but, gifted their opponents easy scores through poor tackling that inflated the scoreline.  

It all started positively enough, as Norwich came out at full throttle into the strong breeze and hit Brentwood hard in the carry, earning a penalty 5 metres out. Mike Batty got on the end of some patient phase play to force his way over to the left of the posts with barely two minutes gone. Jake Christian-Goss added the conversion.

Whether the ease and speed this opening score had a negative effect, Norwich rarely found that level of intensity until the second half.

Norwich’s injury list is now at crisis level, as Reed Watson went off to hospital after 6 minutes following a hit in the ribs. Brentwood levelled the score with a penalty kick to the corner and some very good support play saw them go over and convert. 

The visitors scored a lovely try from a scrum on halfway where the support players flooded through and the ball carriers offloaded in contact to keep the move going. 

They scored again almost from the kickoff when a Norwich player was stripped in contact and an easy try resulted.

On 20 minutes Jake Bailey followed Watson to hospital with an injury that will sideline him for 5 weeks and Brentwood scored again from a penalty 5 metres out for offside and they made the hosts pay with another try under the posts as a result of weak tackling. Brentwood scored twice more to go in at half time 7:40 ahead. 

There were some improvements in the second half which Norwich effectively lost 12:19 but the damage was already done.

There was a 10 minute period when Norwich were the dominant side and caused the visitors to concede a catalogue of penalties in their 22. With scrum dominance, Norwich chose, time and again to scrum the penalties, only for Brentwood to offend again. Eventually, from a scrum on 5 metres, Dave Micklethwaite picked up and went over, the conversion was added.

Brentwood scored four more times as Norwich lost Ed Montgomery to a recurring hamstring injury. 

Norwich had one final score from patient build up play, allowing Ollie Marsters to barge his way forward and stretch out to the line. Norwich pushed hard in search of the 4 try bonus point but ran out of time.