After back to back wins, Eastbourne were brought down to earth by league leaders Heathfield. Notwithstanding the score, however, the game presented 40 minutes of extraordinary heroics by the Blue & Golds to limit the size of the win. Losing 28-3 at half time is bad enough; having had to call on all 3 substitutes from the bench within the first 20 minutes of the match presents an impossible challenge. To lose another player in the second half and then play out 20 minutes against a strong opposition with only 14 fit men should have meant that a cricket score resulted. But that was not the case. Even in their depleted state, Eastbourne played some of the bravest rugby in the club`s history and ended up on equal terms for that half. Senior Heathfield committee members were quick to praise their visitors for such a showing.

Of course the match was over by half time. The youthfulness, speed and support play of Heathfield was simply too much for the visitors. The first try came after 5 minutes following an attacking scrum. Minutes later a long kick was fielded by the home full back who turned defence into attack allowing his winger to score out wide. Matt Mottram was the first Eastbourne player to leave with injury, followed in quick succession by Adrian Platt and Ben Barter. Positional changes meant that Cousins had to move out into the backs; Heathfield pressed for further scores and a clever dummy by their fly half opened the gap for him to cross the try line. When the young left wing evaded all Eastbourne attempts to tackle him and ran the length of the pitch to add the 4th try, all looked lost for the visitors. A consolation penalty on the half time whistle by Nathan Ring was the only reward.

Whatever head coach Russ Aitkenhead and player coach Matt Pysden said at half time paid dividends from the restart. A resurgent performance followed and even when prop Liam Goldsmith left the field with concussion and the team was reduced to 14 men, the magnificent rearguard action showed what the team is capable of. Every single player who fought that second half deserved to be man of the match. A loss certainly but with heads held very high.

Eastbourne:- Goldsmith, Sinclair, Bowry, Mottram, Farley, Cousins, Redman, Grey, Pysden, Barter, Cheater, Clark, Ring, King, Platt, Shuttleworth, Van Bentham, Petrides