EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT – 28.10.07

LONDON LEAGUE 3SE: EASTBOURNE  5     DEAL & BETTESHANGER  20.

Despite another convincing display by the forwards and a promising first half, the game became rather structureless with neither side imposing itself on the other. The Eastbourne pack gained supremacy in the line-outs and developed good rolling mauls and also scrummaged well and drove forward from the rucks, so the Blue & Golds had a good share of possession, but the passing amongst the backs was somewhat ponderous and lacked accuracy to the final receiver. Three good line breaks by fly-half  James Bremer and inside centre James Coulthard, from the 10/12 channel, created good opportunities in the first half but, with the Deal & Betteshanger try line beckoning, the final pass went astray or was fumbled. The difficulty is that thus far this season it has not been possible to select a settled side, there hasn’t been a week when the back row and the centre combinations have been the same. There were 6 changes from the team that played last week, mainly enforced.

After initially having to defend, the Blue & Golds worked into the game and encroached in and around the D&B 22 with the pack dominant, however the pressure was not converted into points and in the 26th. minute the visitors went ahead against the run of play when left wing Luke Armstrong gained possession inside his own half on the right flank, Eastbourne tacklers got in each other’s way and left a gap which Armstrong exploited to run 60 metres unopposed to score under the posts, the conversion by fly-half Tom Best gave D a 0 – 7 lead. With the slope and wind in it’s favour Eastbourne was able to respond with a series of attacks into the 22, D&B infringed and the penalty was kicked to touch, good line-out ball provided the opportunity for a driving maul which was driven over the try line for returning prop Adam Flude to touch down, decreasing the margin to 5 – 7. Eastbourne continued to press and further infringements produced goal kickable chances, however the ball was again kicked to touch but the hosts were unable to repeat their previous success: so the teams turned round with Eastbourne still in arrears and having to cope with the slope and a burgeoning wind.

D & B were the more dominant side in the second half as the Blue & Golds tired, after their big effort in the first half the pack found it difficult to maintain momentum whilst the backs were able only rarely to penetrate the visitors rush defence. D & B went further ahead from a penalty award which Tom Best converted and then produced a clinical mid-field move, poorly defended by Eastbourne, which put full back Dan Best in under the posts, the conversion by Tom Best put D & B into what proved to be a commanding 5 – 17 lead, increased to 5 - 20 when Tom Best kicked another penalty goal minutes later. The final minutes of the game was characterised by two incidents which produced a sour note; firstly D & B’s loose head prop was red carded and sent off for an incident in a scrum, to be followed almost immediately by Eastbourne’s flanker Alex Bailey, sin-binned with a yellow card for an indiscretion.

The match result saw Deal and Betteshanger top the league whilst Eastbourne remain one of three basement sides along with Tonbridge-Juddians and Lewes. Over the next few weeks between now and the beginning of January, Eastbourne, having played all the current top clubs in the league have some serious opportunities to garner much needed league points from sides in adjacent league placings. They need to grasp these opportunities with confidence.

Team: Baldwin, Oakey, Flude, Farley, Groenen, Varney, Bailey, Tobin, Pysden M.(c), Bremer, Crane, Coulthard, Clark, Newell, Pysden N., Barron, Ring and Ashworth.

PBL/29/10/07.