Boars clinch historic Treble for Heathfield

The Boars produced an excellent performance to clinch the Sussex Div 3 east championship and ensure that all three Heathfield & Waldron senior sides topped their divisions in the same season. This may be the first time such a feat has been seen in Sussex. However there was plenty of hard work done before the champagne corks popped at the end of the match.

...all round the pitch the Boars forwards cancelled out the larger Hastings forwards

the site of Joe Geesin at full pace has KFC thinking about steak, rather than the ball...

The game opened with the Boars facing a strong wind and a big pack of Hastings forwards. The first quarter was a matter of containment and sussing the opposition out. The Boars pack again raised their game against bigger opponents with the tight five working hard to allow the back row to harass the opposition. After 20 minutes a foray by the Boars into the Hastings half led to a try from number 8 Dave Cook. He broke several tackles, placed the ball between the posts and calmly converted his own kick. This settled a lot of nerves and the Boars game improved.

Five minutes later inside centre Julian Wates took the ‘wrong’ option and spurned an overlap to bulldoze into his opposite centres and he was very fortunate to break through some sloppy tackling and score another converted try [or in other words, he couldnt get the pass off so had to go it alone and through power and determination broke several tackles to score under the posts]. Just before halftime Cook rounded off a move out wide on the right as he scooped up loose ball and took it the remaining 10 yards to score. With the score at 19-0 the half-time the team talk was about maintaining focus as the game was not over by any means.

The Boars backs at FULL pace during another attack... now will Woodsie pass this time??!?!

The Boars have improved a lot this season and much of that is seen in their attitude and fitness. The second half was saw some good rugby with Rob Woods and Adam Farrell standing out as the ball flowed well and set moves came off.

First full back Woods joined the line out wide and beat the defence for pace as he raced to the line. Then Farrell smashed through the centre 15 metres out and made the ground to score a converted try. This was followed by a bizarre try when Woods broke through 40 metres out and chip kicked the ball over the last defender who then illegally tripped him as he went past to collect the ball. This would have presented the referee with a problem had winger Nick Sands not sped after the ball, collected it and scored between the posts for Ian Schleider to convert. That probably saved Hastings a penalty try and a yellow card.

Woods on the attack again during the second half...

All through the game Hastings had fought back by trying to make ground through their forwards. This finally paid off when they scored between the Boars posts after a long period of possession and good recycling that wore down the Boars defence.

Heathfield came straight back and Cook gained his third try of the match when the Boars won a penalty 5 metres out and he took responsibility, tapped and went so quickly that the defence was unable to stop him.

Woods collected his second try of the game when he again came into the line at speed and broke free of the defence to score. And the final try was the best of the nine when Farrell shook off a tackle from his opposite number 40 metres out and had just about enough gas in the tank to make it to the line just as several defenders caught up with him.

second team players look on in awe as Adam "itsmylastgameoftheseasonimnotpassingtoanyone" Farrell takes on John "Action Man" Parsons... mind the hidden suprise lads!!!!

The final whistle went shortly after this and the party started in earnest. This win sets up a fantastic final set of league matches on the 12th April when the second team travel to Haywards Heath and the Boars play Hellingly 2’s at home both with an early (12.30 pm) kick off to watch the Heathfield first team striving to beat Seaford and finish the season unbeaten in the league. The H&WRFC clubhouse will be rocking that evening with 4 trophies already won and a ‘best ever’ season to be celebrated.

Man of the Match was blind side flanker John Parsons for living up to his nickname of Action Man and doing excellent work all around the pitch.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, J. Geesin (A. Sutton – 30), P. Hookway (D. Bird – 65), T. Rose (B. Groves – 65), J. Parsons, K. Lewis (I. Schleider – 40), D. Cook, M. Brown (D. Rhodes – 40), B. Burdett, J. Wates, A. Farrell, S. Hollingdale (R. Woods – 40), M. Barber

Match report by Mike MacLeod

[with a little tweak here and there from Julian Wates]

3/31/2008 8:04:46 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)