EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT – 19.04.08

LONDON LEAGUE 3SE : EASTBOURNE 20 AYLESFORD BULLS 17. .

In the final league match of the season Eastbourne faced the form team Aylesford whose squad has been augmented latterly to good effect. Despite damp conditions both teams played enterprising rugby throughout to the entertainment of the crowd. Eastbourne deserved to win a fluctuating match, dominating the line-outs with a massive effort from lock Dom Groenen, whilst in the backs Danny Craven controlled play with a vintage performance mixing angled kicks to touch and into the spaces with several good breaks over the gain line: he was aided by two good performances in the centre by James Bremer and James Coulthard , so there was a cutting edge and confidence seen behind the scrum not evident recently. This effort was also aided by skipper Mat Pysden constantly hounding the opposing scrum half.

Playing up the slope Eastbourne made a bright start with a disciplined display which enabled it to camp in the Bulls half for the first 20 minutes. During this period the Blue & Golds took the lead when a good drive up the middle was followed by an astute kick by Craven, from the scrum which developed No. 8 Matt Thompson barged over for a try, hooker Nathan Ring converted accurately for a 7 – 0 scoreline. Only minutes later Craven fed James Coulhard and the latter stepped inside the rush defence and passed back to Craven who out stripped the midfield defence and delivered a great pass to wing Paul Keen: Keen still had a bit to do but his pace took him free of the cover and he touched down Eastbourne’s second, well converted by Ring to extend the lead to 14 – 0. The Bulls had hardly touched the ball during this period but hit back to good effect when their fly-half converted a penalty award from 35 metres and when, in the closing minutes of the half, their pack rolled Eastbourne back over it’s try line for a converted try, reducing the margin to 14 – 10.
Eastbourne had slope advantage in the second half but proceedings were more even. The Blue & Golds soon increased their lead when a penalty for obstruction was converted by livewire Nathan Ring – 17 – 10. The Bulls then tied the scores at 17 – 17, as defensive lapses gave them the opportunity of a strong rolling maul which culminated in another push over try, a good conversion made it a seven pointer. Play continued from end to end but Eastbourne looked more dangerous as Groenen won a series of line outs against the throw in. The Bulls conceded penalties and whilst Ring was just wide with the first attempt he made no error with the second to restore the Blue & Golds lead at 20 – 17, a score which remained when the final whistle went.

With Lewes losing 36 – 8 at Dover, Eastbourne leapfrogged them into 9th. place in the final league placings.

MOM: An excellent display in the line outs by Dom Groenen was just shaded by Danny Craven’s great all round effort in his first game for two months.

TEAM: Flude, Ring, Price, Groenen, Farley, Buttle, Tobin, Thompson, Pysden (c), Craven, Keen, Bremer, Coulthard, Clark, Jackson, Barron, Bailey and Crane.

Eastbourne’s second string also entertained Aylesford and won by 26 – 10 with tries from Martin King, Toby Spires, Tim Norwood and Frazer Hookham who also added three conversions.

Peter Lloyd/20/04/08.