On a dry day it was ideal backs weather and for once it was the Heathfield backs who stole the show scoring 7 out of the 9 tries scored.  Although the scoreline suggested a rout, the visitors never allowed their opponents an easy run in and Heathfield never truly dominated. But when chances came they were taken and so the scoreboard steadily ticked over.

As the match was a friendly Heathfield were able to give all of their squad of 24 a game.

With six members of the Heathfield side currently in the Sussex squad, 5 of them in the forwards, the Hastings pack were always struggling for possession. Good driving runs upfield particularly by Larry Platt created good field position and with the hard work put in by Mike Abbott, Greg Salmon and captain Matt Halls, the ball was looked after. This possession was well used by the backs with tries coming from  Thomas Pudsie Pring after great work from Abbott, Peter Phair who cleverly changed direction and bravely drove over, Alex Scott who ran a beautiful line off the backs favourite move, Dayle Hollands took a wonderful pass from Scott then flicked the afterburners on to round the defence and Greg Salmon who had supported a clever break from Elliot Marshall.  Hooker Tom Keylock was very unlucky and deserved a try but just lost the ball going over the line.

Centre Ashley Sutton scored 2 tries, but his best saw him collect a pass on Halfway and beat at least 6 Hastings players before they finally dragged him down 5 yards from the line. The ball was recycled and from the following ruck, Sutton took the next pass again and dived over to finish the move he had started.

Captain Matt Halls also scored from No.8 and Oliver Hancock at Prop scored his customary try from 5 yards out.

Conversions were added by Peter Phair, Greg Salmon and Jeremy Burdett who was also unlucky not to score following a great run by Hollands.

Man of the match went to Alex Scott who ran tirelessly and had a very neat and effective game.

1/14/2007 5:51:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

The teams agreed to play 3 x 20 minutes thirds to enable their large squads all to get rugby and Heathfield entertained a strong Chichester side for the first time on Sunday (at Waldron).

The game kicked off and soon the powerful Heathfield pack had the visitors under pressure keeping the ball for long periods with good rucking and driving play. New flanker Abbott recently joined the club from Tunbridge Wells and playing in his first game for his new club scored after only five minutes handing off powerfully and scoring under the posts. Burdett slotted the conversion. But Chichester then got back into the game through their powerful outside centre, who beat some very poor tackling and scored two tries within ten minutes to put Chichester ahead 7-10.  The home team pack then upped its efforts at scrum time and their tackling also improved with Iqbal, Lacey and van Rensburg, in the backs and back row Hollands and Platt putting in some good tackles. Chichester went close on two occasions but for try saving tackles by Scott and Phair, looked extremely promising.

It wasn’t until the last twenty minutes that Heathfield really cut lose. Sutton moved to inside centre and the pacey Hollands went to outside centre. This had an immediate affect - good driving play by Darcy set up a ruck and the ball was spun out by Chipchase to Burdett whose pop found Sutton screaming down the middle unstoppable. Burdett converted. More ball went down the line with Phair and Hollands combining well with Scott, before captain Matt Halls drove over to finish great team score. Good driving play again saw Sutton on the scissors hitting the line well. His drive was powered on by Platt and quick ball was sent down the backs, with flanker Salmon throwing a delightful miss pass to Phair who brilliantly stood his man up and went round him to score in the corner.

The final try was “out and out” speed and power. Once again the forwards created the platform with Bridges, Keylock and Hancock doing the “Donkey Work”. Quick ball down the backs gave Hollands all the space he needed and from the half way line, his change of direction was too much for the Chichester defence to cope with and he scored a truly blistering try. Burdett converted. Tackle of the day also went to Burdett who in typical “Greg Salmon” fashion dumped the Chichester forward backwards to round off a fine afternoons work.

Squad; Hancock, Hope, Keylock, Watkins, Darcy, Horsfall-Turner, Bridges, Tyler, Platt, Halls, Hollands, Salmon, Abbott, Chipchase, Marshall, Burdett, Evans, Phair, Van Rensburg, Scott, Iqbal, Sutton, May, Lacey

11/19/2006 7:59:49 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

A determined Heathfield squad set out by bus for Bognor Regis looking to put right their lacklustre performance against Hove the week before. And put it right they did. The Bognor side contained four U16 players and looked large and menacing as a result. The opening skirmishes were tightly contested with Bognor holding the advantage in the lineouts and Heathfield the scrums. At halftime Heathfield held a narrow 15-5 lead which could well have been less.

Heathfield’s superior power in the forwards and their pace in the backs took its toll in the second half and an increasingly dispirited Bognor leaked five unanswered tries. The try scorers for Heathfield were Dayle Hollands with two (one from inside his 22), Nic Evans with 2 with his trademark sidesteps and gliding running, Callum Bridges, a new recruit at second row with his first for the club, Callum May from an excellent blindside pop from Will Chipchase, Oli Hancock with one of his thunderous 10 metre drives from a penalty and Ashley Sutton with a powerful burst down the narrowest of channels. Four conversions were slotted – 1 each by Jeremy Burdett and Greg Salmon, and 2 by Peter Phair. All in all an impressive result by a rejuvenated team

11/5/2006 5:15:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

01/10/06

Worthing (a)

15/10/06

Lewes (h)

22/10/06

Crawley (h)

29/10/06

Eastbourne

05/11/06

Bognor B (a)

12/11/06

Rye (h)

17/12/06

Haywards Heath (a)

21/01/07

Pulborough (h)

04/02/07

Hove A (a)

11/02/07

Bognor B (h)

18/02/07

Brighton (h)

25/02/07

Hellingly (a)

04/03/07

Rye (a)

18/03/07

League final (a)

15/04/07

Hastings (h)

8/2/2006 4:45:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)     

Please send any items for inclusion on the coming season, training times, contact information etc to nick.green@hwrfc.co.uk

7/7/2006 11:01:16 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)