EASTBOURNE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB – MATCH REPORT – 01.12.07

LONDON LEAGUE 3SE : EASTBOURNE  15         LORDSWOOD  5

With it’s third successive league win Eastbourne knocked Lordswood off of second place and , in turn, gained two league places to 8th. as sides both below and above lost.

The Blue and Golds started with changes to the front row, both props from last Saturday had to be replaced by Andy Price and Dick Barron who were more than a match for their opponents thus emphasising the strength in depth in this area. The win was based on intelligent use of the ball in extreme conditions and coping well with the early loss of two players through injury. Good line-out ball was secured by lock Dom Groenen, an immaculate back row of Jon Oakey, Damon Varney and Henry Stafford made hard yards over the gain line in attack whilst constantly harrying Lordswood at close quarters in defence, the back line showed great patience and held on to passes in difficult conditions with James Coulthard, having moved to fly-half showing deft kicking touches to keep the visitors on the back foot.

The win was probably set up in the first half, playing up the slope and against a squally wind and lashing rain, the Blue & Golds also had to contend with the disruption of losing fly-half Danny Craven with a knee injury and lock Toby Spires with a head wound, these players being replaced by Paul Newell and Joe Tobin respectively ; so the hosts had to defend hard over the first quarter but, thereafter, they took control. Skipper and scrum half Matt Pysden providing his forwards with short passes with which to drive up the pitch into the Lordswood 22, superb ball retention enabled Eastbourne to recycle the ball and encamp in the 22 for the rest of the half. Only stout Lordswood defence ensured the game remained scoreless at half time, with hooker Nathan Ring having gone close with a penalty attempt.

With the advantage of slope and wind and decreasing rain, Eastbourne continued to dominate, a great drive lead to flanker Jon Oakey driving over the opposing try line but the try was disallowed, a knock-on having been adjudged. Eastbourne then broke the dead lock when full back Paul Keen fielded a Lordswood kick out and sped past defenders before releasing the ball, which was then quickly passed along the line to left wing Matt Crane overlapping, he surged over for the try, Coulthard’s conversion attempt scraped the outside of the upright. To Lordswood’s credit it was quickly back on terms when it launched a fierce counter attack from it’s kick off and scored an equalising try on the right flank, the conversion kick hit the posts but failed to go over. Eastbourne once more gained the ascendancy when centre Steve Clark made a neat interception inside the Lordswood 22 to score under the posts, James Coulthard kicked the conversion to give the hosts a 12 – 5 lead. On two further occasions Eastbourne got the ball over the Lordswood try line, once when Paul Keen followed up a James Coulthard kick ahead but his touch down was adjudged to be over the dead ball line: then No.8 Henry Stafford made a typical charging run, taking him along the right touch line and over the try line but he hit the corner flag as he touched down. The issue was finally resolved when despite the conditions James Coulthard was able to kick a neat drop goal to end the match at 15 – 5.

Men of the match: The back row trio of Oakey, Varney and Stafford.

Team: Price, Ring, Barron, Groenen, Spires, Oakey, Varney, Stafford, Pysden (c), Craven, Crane, Coulthard, Clark, Ashworth, Keen, Newell, Tobin and Gauntlett.

Peter Lloyd/01/12/07.