EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT – 01.09.07

EASTBOURNE 15 HEATHFIELD 19.

Although by no means at full strength, the Blue & Golds would have expected to have been able to see off  Sussex One opponents Heathfield. In fact the hosts were a pale shadow of last Saturday’s fluent team. Frustrated by a lively, robust and ‘in your face’ visiting team, they ultimately conceded defeat to deserving opponents and in the process picked up a string of worrying injuries, including Matt Thompson, who joined the long term injury list with a fractured clavicle. A good deal of effort will be required before next Saturday’s opening London 3SE league fixture at Old Midwhitgiftians.
Play was even until the 14th. minute when a period of sustained pressure caused Heathfield to concede a string of penalties, from the final one of these No.8 Matt Thompson received a tap ball and drove towards the line before releasing the ball to wing Chris Brown who touched down for a try which was converted by hooker Nathan Ring. Heathfield continued to infringe, especially at the rucks and on the half hour mark Nathan Ring converted a penalty with a fine kick from 40 metres to give the hosts a 10 – 0 lead which remained intact at half time. The general consensus was that an active Heathfield side, with the wind and slope in its favour would threaten that lead unless it tired.

Heathfield fulfilled that concern when, from an attacking line out, it a executed well planned short ball throw to catch the Blue & Golds on the hop to score an unconverted try near the left touch flag to reduce the arrears to 10 – 5. Eastbourne’s pack had been badly disrupted when Damon Varney, Matt Thompson and Gavin Farley all had to leave the field whilst Nathan Ring’s hooking was hampered by an ankle injury. Joe Tobin, who had earlier been replaced by Dom Groenen had to return to the fray whilst Greg Hunt came into the back row with Henry Stafford moving alongside him, moving from centre, Tim Williams came into the backs. The disjointed hosts then conceded two converted tries in quick time. The Heathfield fly half first stepped neatly inside the Eastbourne mid-field defence to score under posts, converted his own try and then minutes later directed a grubber kick through the advancing Eastbourne defence, this was picked up by his centre to dive over for Heathfield’s third try which the fly half converted to stretch the visitor’s lead to 10 – 19. In the final 10 minutes Eastbourne exploited another series of penalty awards and with some driving play on the blind side by Henry Stafford was at last able to exert some pressure within the Heathfield 22 and skipper Matt Pysden touched down Eastbourne’s second try to narrow the points gap to 15 – 19. The conversion attempt was charged down. In the final few minutes Neil Pysden replaced Paul Keen, another injury victim, at full back with the score unchanged at the final whistle.
Team: Flude, Ring, Price, Tobin, Farley, Varney, Gower, Thompson, Pysden M., Bremer, Platt, Stafford, Newell, Brown, Keen, Groenen, Hunt, Williams and Pysden N.

PBL/02/09/07.