Gideon Roussow helped Diss win London Two North last season

North Walsham secured Norfolk rugby bragging rights with a 16-10 win at Diss on Saturday.

A big crowd at Mackenders saw the National League stalwarts make the best of their chances, while newly promoted Diss missed theirs.

Walsham skipper Gideon Roussow, who played for Diss last season, said it was a good competitive game.

"It was a well contested game, everybody put their hearts in it and it was enjoyable," he said.

Roussow, who began his Walsham career nearly a decade ago before spending a year at Diss, said he was given a warm welcome by his old team-mates.

There was the odd sneaky punch from my old friends in the front-row union, otherwise it was a good spirit I think Gideon Roussow

"There was a few words said in the scrum in the middle there, a few people having a go," he said.

"In the rucks and mauls there was the odd sneaky punch from my old friends in the front-row union, otherwise it was a good spirit I think," he said.

The South African hooker, who will be returning to his home country before the two sides meet at Scottow in December, said it was important they did not allow Diss to take their crown as the county's top team.

"I said to the lads in training and before the game, we are the top two teams in Norfolk and we've got to walk with our heads up high," he said.

"You've got to walk in the city, and in town, and people will respect who you are if you make sure you're better than your opposite number, hopefully we showed that today."

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