Eastbourne RFC u13’s vs Hastings RFC (17/02/2008) Friendly.

Eastbourne 37 - Hastings 5

Eastbourne u13’s returned to their winning ways with a return encounter against Hastings. Eastbourne opened the scoring within four minutes of the kick off, when No 8 Joshua Rafferty Mc Wall picked up the ball just short of the try line and drove over. The tries then began to flow, from a line-out on the 5 metre-line Harvey Padget jumped across the line to seize the ball and score, he seems to be becoming a specialist at this move. Alex Voss Hillier converted his own try to give Eastbourne a 17 – 0 lead. Eastbourne could have been much further ahead but the forwards on too many occasions chose to pick and go from the ruck, rather than produce clean ball for the scrum half to distribute to the backs. When this finally happened, winger Tom Pashley added to his growing tally to give Eastbourne a 22- 0 half time lead.

Seven changes were made at half time and the team were warned not to repeat the previous weeks mistake of letting the opposition back into the game. However, from a penalty due to playing the ball on the ground, Hastings took a quick tap penalty and their centre scored. Eastbourne were told to reply and immediately did so through centre Joe Skeet. Louis Hall continued his trade-mark show and go from the base of the scrum to add a further score. The team continued to grow in confidence with fine displays in both attack and defence. Tom Pashley preventing a second Hastings try from within the in-goal area, both tackling and holding the ball up whilst driving the Hastings player out and Lawrence Harte remaining cool in defence when inside is own in-goal area cleared Eastbourne’s lines.

The final try of the game was a pleasure for the spectators, from the ruck just inside the Hastings half, Hall made a wide pass to fly half Chris Maskill, who attacked the channel outside his opposite number before delivering a perfectly weighted pass to Tom Pashley coming at pace, it was the perfect final play the a good days work, and a convincing 37 – 5 win. MOM Austin Hogben fine performance both in attack and defence.

Eastbourne: Kane Angel, Austin Hogben, Dominic O’Malley (captain), Sam Munton, Michael Turner, Harvey Padget, Peter Newman, Lewis Milligan, Joshua Rafferty Mc Wall, Ricky Van Bentham, Jack Priddle, Tom Minshall, Louis Hall, Alexander Voss Hillier, Chris Maskill, Daniel Stewart, Joe Skeet, Shane McLoughlin, Oliver Brooks, Lawrence Harte, Michael Honeywood, Tom Pashley.