EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT – 13.10.07.

EDF SENIOR VASE CUP TIE : EASTBOURNE 46   LORDSWOOD 0.

Eastbourne enjoyed a breather from league rugby with an emphatic and confidence boosting 46 – 0 win at home to Lordswood in the EDF Senior Vase tie on Saturday. Apparently the Lordswood strength was significantly depleted but it worth pointing out that Eastbourne still has 11 of it’s 1st XV squad unavailable; Danny Craven, Dick Barron and Gavin Farley were out from the XV which played Old Duns but James Coulthard and Henry Stafford returned to the squad; Coulthard playing his first game since injuring a hand playing for Sussex last April. James Bremer moved to fly-half and Coulthard taking the inside centre slot, with skipper Matt Pysden they formed a very secure and penetrative mid-field which lifted the play of the rest of the back line. No doubt benefiting from work on the Club’s new scrimmaging machine, the Eastbourne pack delivered a dominant and cohesive effort based on a sound, compact front five of Andy Price, Jon Oakey, James Baldwin, Dom Groenen, and Toby Spires with a marauding back row of Damon Varney, Alex Bailey and Joe Tobin which not only harried the Lordswood fringes but carried the ball many metres in attack.

The early ascendancy of the pack installed the Blue & Golds in the visitors 22, Dom Groenen was forced into touch just a metre from the try line, there being no advantage, the referee awarded a penalty and James Coulthard successfully resumed kicking duties to give Eastbourne a 3 – 0 lead. The restart provided another opportunity when Matt Crane fielded a kick out and Matt Pysden was stopped illegally and Coulthard slotted a second penalty through the posts for a 6 – 0 lead. Then a well directed kick ahead by James Bremer resulted in the visiting full back being caught in possession and  a turn over was achieved, the ball was then passed out to Paul Keen whose pace outstripped the defence to take him under the posts, Coulthard converted to increase the score to 13 – 0.  Another Lordswood infringement near the posts enabled Coulthard to continue his impressive kicking with a penalty conversion to take the score out to 16 – 0. In the remaining minutes of the half Lordswood responded and the Blue and Golds conceded three successive penalties but the conversion attempts went wide and judicious line kicking by Bremer and Coulthard kept the visitors at bay and the half time score remained at 16 – 0.

Eastbourne started down the slope in the second half but facing a strong breeze. The Blue & Golds dominance continued with Joe Tobin, Damon Varney, James Coulthard and Paul Newell making line breaks and James Bremer’s astute kicking finding spaces behind the Lordswood defence. The next score soon followed when a great catch and drive from the line out initiated a 25 metre rolling maul culminating in No. 8 Joe Tobin touching down, Coulthard’s conversion attempt failed but the score increased to 21 – 0. Varney made a long run towards the visitor’s posts only to stopped illegally , Coulthard was back on track with the ensuing penalty kick, 24 – 0.This was followed by a slick interchange of passes involving Newell, Spires, Tobin and Bailey enabled Groenen to touch down and Coulthard to convert to stretch the lead to 31 – 0. Yet another run at the defence by Varney was obstructed and gave Coulthard another successful penalty conversion, 34 – 0. From a scrum won against the head the ball passed whipped down the back line for Newell to touch down for a deserved try which, with the Coulthard conversion took the score to 41 – 0. Eastbourne rearranged it’s pack with Ben Gauntlett replacing Groenen, Baldwin moving to hooker, Oakey to the back row, Tobin to lock and Ton Redman replacing Bailey. Henry Stafford replaced Coulthard in the centre. Eastbourne retained momentum and another fine catch and drive from the line out saw Jon Oakey stretch over to score near the left corner flag, Matt Crane’s touch line conversion attempt just failed, striking the upright and the final score was 46 – 0.

MOM: Damon Varney made it a hat- trick with his third man of the match award in successive matches with a great performance.

Team: Price, Oakey, Baldwin, Groenen, Spires, Varney, Bailey, Tobin, Pysden M.(c), Bremer, Crane, Coulthard, Newell, Keen, Pysden N., Gauntlett, Redman and Stafford.

Eastbourne resumes league duties away to Old Elthamians next Saturday.