EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT – 15.09.07.

LONDON 3SE LEAGUE MATCH: CHICHESTER 32 EASTBOURNE 8.

Eastbourne welcomed back Sam Gower, Jon Oakey and Paul Keen to the squad but still had to make 3 enforced changes to the winning team of last week. In a game that in the balance until the last quarter, Eastbourne’s performance was disrupted by having to play nearly 40% of the game with 14 men as a result of yellow cards issued to three of its players and injuries to key players in the scrum.

This disruption started as early as the 5th minute when prop Adam Flude was sin binned and Chi took the lead when scrum half Andy Webb converted the ensuing penalty. Just as Eastbourne appeared to have weathered this loss of personnel Chi increased it’s lead when No.8 Alex Chappell scored from close range and the Webb conversion increased the lead to 0 – 10 on 15 minutes. With Flude restored to the pack, Eastbourne started to control more up front and play was taken into the Chi half, hooker Nathan Ring kicked a fine penalty goal and this was soon followed with a further score when centre Steven Clark picked up a rolling, rebounding ball at pace and outstripped the home cover defence to touch down near the left corner post; although Ring narrowly missed the conversion attempt the margin was reduced to 8 – 10. Further Eastbourne sorties were repelled by stout Chi defence and the score remained unchanged at half time. During this period the referee resolved a niggling confrontation between lock Dom Groenen and Chi’s loose head Nick Fakahau by yellow carding both.

Chi produced some wide passing moves at the start of the second half, but were soon forced on the back foot by strong forward play which led to Eastbourne to dwelling in and around the home 22 for the next 13 minutes. Crucially, however, the Blue and Golds were unable to turn this pressure into points not only because penalties were conceded just metres from the Chi try line but also play was rarely played out wide to the backs. Chi then scored against the run of play when Eastbourne lost possession in attack and the ball was kicked through and replacement Glen Barton picked up eluded some ineffectual Eastbourne tackling down the right flank to score in the corner a fine conversion by Webb increased the lead to 8 – 17. Eastbourne was still in the hunt in the last quarter aided by the sin binning of Chi’s Alex Chappell but any advantage was soon lost when both Adam Flude and Nathan Ring had to leave the field with significant injuries, which disrupted the pack and then centre Tim Williams was unaccountably yellow carded after making a fine tackle and appearing to roll clear in appropriate fashion. Webb kicked the resulting penalty for Chi to increase its advantage to 8 – 20. In the last 10 minutes the game finally went away from Eastboune as Chi ran in two tries by full back Richard Johnson and fly half Scott Carter, with Webb converting the latter for a final score line of 8 – 32, a more comfortable margin than the contest indicated.
MOM: Centre Steven Clark, proving to be a real asset to the team with his consistent attack, defence and kicking from the hand.

TEAM: Flude, Ring, Price, Farley, Groenen, Oakey, Gower, Tobin, Pysden (c), Craven, Brown, Williams, Clark, Newell, Platt, Cottingham, Baldwin, Keen.

Next Saturday Eastbourne plays its first home league game of the season against co-promoted Dover at 3pm.

PBL/15/09/07.