EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT- 06.10.07.

LONDON LEAGUE 3SE: EASTBOURNE 10   OLD DUNSTONIANS 15.

The Blue & Golds were bitterly disappointed to come away from this match without badly needed league points. Their forwards dominated scrums, lineouts , rucks and mauls to provide a majority of possession and territory. This was particularly the case in the first half, which was spent encamped in the Duns. half to an extent that the visitors rarely encroached in the Eastbourne half: yet at the end of it the scores were even at 5 -5, for all their forward superiority the Blue & Golds had the reward of just one unconverted try, scored by lock Dom Groenen after a splendid catch and drive from an offensive line out. Duns. replied with an interception of a loose pass to score an unconverted try, with the home covering defence just failing to stop the reply. There does not appear to be a massive difference in quality between the 12 clubs in this league and the results depend on which can convert pressure into points, the Blue and Golds currently do the former but need to conjure more of the latter, outside fly half there was just one significant line break during the match. Eastbourne was also handicapped with the absence due to injury of it’s three top goal kickers, as a result neither try conversion nor the one penalty goal attempt was successful, had they been so the match would have been won.

In the second half while Eastbourne had slope advantage Duns benefited from a strengthening breeze and play was more even as Eastbourne found it difficult to clear its lines kicking into the wind. The Blue & Golds still had the more emphatic opportunities and went into the lead with a well worked blind side move created by fly-half Danny Craven who slipped the fringe defence and made good progress before delivering a well timed pass to right wing Paul Keen who scorched 60 metres to out pace the Duns defence to touch down, unfortunately the conversion attempt and a subsequent penalty goal kick went wide. These proved costly when Duns drove up the pitch to score an equalising try and then converted it to take a 10 – 12 lead. Eastbourne responded but was disjointed by injuries to prop Dick Barron and Danny Craven, who were replaced by James Baldwin and Tom Redman respectively, lock Dom Groenen had earlier been replaced by Gavin Farley. Eastbourne came close to scoring on several occasions and was also awarded penalties in kickable positions but, no doubt due to earlier failures, goal kicks were spurned for kicks to touch. Subsequently Duns wrapped up a fortuitous win when prop Andy Price was yellow carded for retaliation and, from the ensuing penalty, the goal kick was accurate to extend their lead to 10 – 15, so the visitors went home delighted with both league points and still unbeaten.

MOM: Jointly awarded to flankers Damon Varney and Alex Bailey constantly harassing the opposition.

Team: Barron, Oakey, Price, Groenen, Spires, Varney, Bailey, Tobin, Pysden (c), Craven, Crane, Bremer, Newell, Keen, Jackson, Baldwin, Farley and Redman.

Apology: To hooker Jon Oakey, who scored Eastbourne’s second try at Gravesend last week and not Paul Keen, as I reported. It was scored with such Keen-like pace that my mistake was understandable!

Next Saturday Eastbourne host fellow league club Lordswood in an EDF Senior Vase tie, kick off at 2.30pm