Sussex Rugby - Heathfield & Waldron RFC - Developing Boars of Heathfield 19 Hove Beefeaters 14

	Saturday, February 11, 2006

Developing Boars of Heathfield 19 Hove Beefeaters 14

What do you call a squad made up of Boars forwards and Development team backs? Surely it must be the "Developing Boars". Whatever the name it was a 'combined team' that faced the Hove Beefeaters on a sunny afternoon that offered the promise of perfect conditions for running rugby.

The game started with Hove taking the early initiative by attacking repeatedly through their large pack. Early set pieces suggested that it might be a long afternoon for Heathfield's forwards if they could not retain the ball on their own put in. It took Heathfield about 10 minutes to sort themselves out and counter the forward strength of Hove with quick ball to the backs. This tactic paid off when Barry Slay came into the line from fullback and danced past two defenders in a 22-metre dash to the line. Will Drinkwater accepted an easy conversion to take the score to 7-0.

More hard work in the forwards (the tight 5 working hard in set pieces with superb work from the back row in the loose) gave the Heathfield backs enough ball to ensure good territorial advantage. From a maul on the 22 metre line Mike Brown produced an excellent break before being hauled down on the 5-metre line. Mike Brown did superbly to retain the ball and was (to everyone's surprise) supported by props Macleod and Lester who made room for Andy Sutton to pick up and crash over the line for a score once again converted by Will Drinkwater.

If Heathfield thought that this might cause their opponents to drop their heads and open the floodgates Hove were to prove them wrong. Yard by yard the Hove forwards drove up the hill and were rewarded for their efforts by a well worked converted try. The Hove forwards bludgeoned the defence forcing the Heathfield defenders to commit too many bodies before spinning the ball wide to score in the right hand corner.

Heathfield then went back to work and got what was to prove the decisive score 5 minutes before half time. A Brady Burdett break was well supported by Mike Brown and Tom Faulkner-Bryant finished off with a pick up and drive when Brown was hauled down just short of the line. Will Drinkwater hit the post with a difficult conversion attempt leaving the half time score at 19-7.

The second half was much more difficult for Heathfield as they had to play up the slope and the heavier Hove forwards ensured that the game was mostly played in the Heathfield half. Heathfield had a brief respite when Hove had a man sin-binned for failure to retreat at a penalty but failed to take advantage of the extra man.

When Hove were restored to a full compliment Heathfield had to defend for a long spell as Hove won 'put in' at a series of scrums and applied serious pressure. After several drives from the base of the scrum Hove were awarded a penalty try as the Heathfield back row broke their binding too early in search of an early tackle. The try was converted to take the score to 19-14 and the outcome of the game was back in the balance.

The rest of the match was generally evenly fought with both side threatening. But the game went to Heathfield after a tackle by Walker and MacLeod denied Hove when they kept the ball from being grounded over the try line during Hove's most threatening attack.

Squad - M. MacLeod, J. La Roche, S. Lester, A. Sutton (P. Hookway - 40 mins), S. Walker, K. Lewis, Tom Faulkner-Bryant (D. Wythe - 40 mins), M. Brown, W. Drinkwater, B. Burdett, D. Hesketh (C. Jones - 40 mins), A. Farrell, P. Phillipou, O. Hearsey (W. Harris - 40), B. Slay

Report by Mike MacLeod

Development Team | Latest News | The Boars
2/11/2006 9:11:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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