The reverse fixture of this game was very close earlier on in the season & this game was no different. Both sides have a shout for the league title and as you would expect the game was a tight affair. Heathfield kicked off with a few new faces due to injury but the team soon gelled together, defended stoutly and demonstrated to the home side that they had a game on their hands.

Mike Abbott at fly half put in some good territorial kicks early on that relieved Crowborough’s early pressure and Heathfield then took the lead with a well taken penalty by the stand off. Tempers were starting to fray around the close quarters and both sides were soon reduced to 14 men when a Crowborough player was sent to the sin bin for dangerous play followed immediately afterwards by Heathfield’s scrum half for retaliation. Heathfield were unlucky to narrowly miss a couple more penalty attempts at the posts and then Crowborough levelled the scores with a penalty of their own 3-3.

Heathfield’s defence against a very direct and mobile Crowborough side was excellent. Nick Seddon and Julian Wates in particular made some crunching tackles against some very strong running. Ian Schlieder, Jim Cummings and Jack Bayley were carrying well in the loose but neither side was able to cross the try line in the first half.

The second half was just as close as the first and either side could have won it really. In a bizarre event early on in the second half Heathfield were unlucky when a try was disallowed. From a penalty kick attempt at goal and with the ball in the air the referee for some reason blew his whistle. Heathfield rightly carried on, assuming the ball was not dead until touched down, collected the ball and dived over the try line. At first the referee signalled a try but after furious protest from the home crowd and coaches the decision was reversed and a twenty two awarded instead.

The home side cleared their lines and some good running from their backs gained ground but were just held up short in Heathfield’s 22. The travelling side were then penalised for counter rucking at this breakdown and smart thinking from Crowbrough saw them take a quick tap penalty and squeeze over. The conversion was missed but shortly after this a very well taken drop goal from the Crowborough fly half extended their lead 11-3.

Heathfield refused to lie down however and came back strongly in the last twenty minutes. Several times they pressed the Crowborough defence and stayed camped on the Crowborough line until eventually the pressure told. The forwards sucking in the defenders and then quick ball shipped down the line to Mike Abbott who touched down in the dying minutes. Too little too late on this occasion but Heathfield must take heart from a superb performance against an excellent Crowborough team. The final score being 11-8. 

A mention must go to new faces, Ben Weston who tackled superbly throughout and Mike Abbott who controlled the game well for Heathfield, particularly in the first half. Mike Brown came off the bench at half time and made a difference and Julian Wates was a one man wrecking ball. Tom Gooders fielded some tricky high balls and made some tough tackles and flankers Jack Bayley and Nick Seddon were everywhere. However, with the whole team stepping up, playing and battling well it is impossible to single out one individual this week and breaking with tradition the whole team takes men on the match this week for a fantastic but ultimately unlucky effort!

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Nick Evans, Chris Jones (Ian Jenkins – 60), Rory Burchett, Kenny Lewis (Mike Brown – 40), Ian Schlieder, Nick Seddon, Jack Bayley, Jim Cummings, Tom Keylock, Mike Abbott, James, Julian Wates, Ben Weston (Tom Ingram – 65), Simon Hollingdale, Tom Gooders. 

Heathfield 3rds played Lewes 3rds in their latest league match on Saturday and faced a Lewes side with lots of new faces since their last encounter.

he game kicked off in very cold but dry conditions and both sides looked eager to run the ball when ever possible and an exciting game ensued.

It was Heathfield that started brighter and the forward pack was quick to the breakdown and even quicker to ship the ball. The home side were without their regular fly half due to injury but Dave Rhodes stepped in and as usual delivered a composed and knowledgeable edge to the key position and soon the Heathfield backs were looking dangerous. The first Heathfield try was generated from this platform. Quick ball secured by the forwards and quick simply hands from the three quarters saw full back Tom Gooders supply a great pass to winger Simon Hollingdale putting him one on one with his opposite number. The wide man muscled through the tackle and (just about) had the legs to win the race to the corner. The difficult wide conversion was missed but Heathfield were on the front foot, 5-0.

The second score from the home side came from their other wing Ashely Sutton. Again good simply hands put him in space just inside the Heathfield half and as demonstrated in several games this season Sutton’s pace was too much for the covering defence. A neat change of direction saw him cut inside the full back to touch down under the posts and this time Gooders slotted the extra points 12-0.

Making this all possible was the hard work of the forward pack. The back row in particular of Nick Seddon, Tom Ralph and Mike Brown covered every inch of turf , tackled superbly when Lewes had possession and worked tirelessly in the loose to keep the ball in Heathfield’s hands when ever possible. This work was soon rewarded with a try of their own. Scrum half Tom Keylock broke left and made a good pass to wing Hollingdale who drew wide and then passed inside to Tom Ralph on a great supporting run. Nick Seddon collected from Ralph and was driven over the try line only to be held up by good Lewes covering defence. A five metre scrum followed and a strong platform from the front five, in particular props Paul Watton and Mike Powderly edged the Lewes eight backwards allowing number eight Mike Brown to somehow wriggle over through strong Lewes tackles. Again the tricky wide conversion was missed but Heathfield were in control on the game 17-0.

Turing around at half time Heathfield made several changes and this may have disrupted their rhythm somewhat when the game kicked off again but credit must also go to Lewes who stepped up a gear and attacked the home side from the second half whistle. Some missed tackles and then a failure to clear their lines when in their own twenty two saw Heathfield punished and Lewes run in a deserved try. They narrowly missed the conversion leaving the score 17-5 and a sniff of a come back.

Thankfully Heathfield heeded the warning and returned to playing simply but effective rugby. Penalties and possession in their 22 was kicked deep and then once in the Lewes half the backs were unleashed and on a couple of occasions were unlucky not to score with great hands and running from James Usherwood, Tom Gooders and Jeremy Burdett with support from hooker Jack Bayley. Tom Keylock was also playing well, disrupting the Lewes scrum half when ever possible and starving the opposition of quick clean ball as was Kenny Lewes who made a nuisance of him self amongst the Lewes attackers when ever possible.

Finally Heathfield scored again securing the win. Again Ashley Sutton had a good run down the touch line only to be just nudged into touch five metres out. Keen to press home the advantage the Heathfield forwards spoiled the Lewes line out and then had several players pushing and just failing to reach the try line. Finally Sutton fished off the move he had started and picked a good line on an inside pass to crash over giving a final score of 22-5 to Heathfield.

A good win against a young mobile Lewes side builds Heathfield 3rds nicely for a tricky away game against Ditchling next week. Hard to pick out individuals from the side as no one had a bad game but in particular Nick Seddon and Mike Brown both played very well. Dave Rhodes had a great first half and put the Heathfield backs on the front foot and Ashley Sutton as always looked dangerous ball in hand. However, for the second week running Tom Keylock earned man of the match for some excellent disruptive work around the pitch and an all round great game.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Paul Watton (Albert Wright – 40), Jack Bayley, Mike Powderly (Chris Watton – 70), Kenny Lewis, Mike Weekes (Paul Hookway – 40), Nick Seddon, Tom Ralph, Mike Brown (Jamie Easton – 60), Tom Keylock, Dave Rhodes (Brady Burdett – 40), Julian Wates, James Usherwood, Ashley Sutton, Simon Hollingdale (Jeremy Burdett – 40), Tom Gooders (Ian Parker – 70). 

Heathfield 3rd’s returned to winning ways on Saturday with an away trip against Hove 5ths. The previous week had seen a sluggish and disappointing loss away to a very strong Hastings side but in greenies second game of the New Year, some more intense and faster paced rugby secured (in the end) a comfortable win. 

Heathfield played up the slope in the first half and started brightly against a much larger Hove pack. It was clear from the start that Hove would want to keep it tight and use there considerable size advantage to stop any decent Heathfield possession but if the travelling side could avoid being drawn into this battle and move the ball wider when ever possible the game was theirs for the taking. So it proved. Heathfield opened the scoring with the forwards securing quick ball deep in the Hove half and then quick hands through the backs found Mike Dilley on a supporting run to take the final pass and crash over. The tricky conversion out wide was missed.

The second Heathfield try came soon after this. Again fast but controlled ball from the forwards was shipped down the back line with precision to put Josh Mullet in space on the wing. He duly took his chance and outpaced the covering defence to score almost under the posts. This time with an easier kick Tom Gooders made the conversion and Heathfield were in front 0-12.

Just when it looked like the flood gates were going to open the nature of the game changed. Whether it was Hove lifting their game or Heathfield keeping it too tight some great kicking down the slope from the Hove fly half took his side deep into Heathfield territory and here the game stayed for much of the rest of the first half. The travelling side defended stoutly with Ian Schlieder, Tom Ralph and John Parsons in particular making some strong tackles. They also resisted several destructive mauls from the large Hove pack close to their line but failed to generate any good ball that could be used wide and consequently Hove kept the score line as it was to half time.  

Turning around to play down the slope in the second half Heathfield hoped to return to the game plan that had seen them take the lead in the first half. However Hove battled on for the first ten minutes and still the ball failed to come wide. In fact the next score came from a lucky break. A poor pass from the Hove scrum half went over the head of his fly half and sharp thinking from Heathfield fly half Tom Ingram saw him pounce on the loose ball and score. This break through lifted Heathfield and they began to execute what they had threatened to do from the start. The forwards stopped trying to battle Hove up front and instead rucked good ball which was shipped to the backs. Josh Mullet and Tom Gooders combined well for Josh to score his second. Mike Dilley who was lively all game and covered every inch of the pitch throughout scored a deserved second try and a chip over the defence by Simon Hollingdale was collected smartly by Tom Gooders to touch down with three Hove defenders hanging off him. Heathfield could have had more but for a bit of bad luck or at times silly errors that will need to be tightened up before their next outing.

All round a decent performance this week and Heathfield were playing with smiles on their faces for most of the game which is how it should be. Man of the match was between three. Mike Dilley for his effort, being everywhere and scoring two tries, fullback Tom Gooders also played well, giving the scoring pass on a couple of occasions and making lots of ground with some strong running, but it was returning scrum half Tom Keylock that got the award. He tackled superbly taking down guys twice his size, made some lively breaks and most importantly spread the ball wide (most of the time) when it needed to go.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Rory Burchett (Mike Powderly – 50), Dan Bird, Greg Kneller, John Parsons, Mike Dilley, Kenny Lewis (Mike Weekes – 70), Tom Ralph, Ian Schlieder (Mike Brown – 40), Tom Keylock, Tom Ingram, Julian Wates, Ross Riley, Josh Mullet, Simon Hollingdale, Tom Gooders.

Heathfield 3rd team travelled to play Uckfield 2nds in a top of the league clash on Saturday with both sides desperate to secure an advantage before Christmas.

Uckfield 2nds were unable to field a front row from the start of the game and whilst the ten point advantage was some conciliation, the travelling side were disappointed to see Uckfield 3rd team playing on an adjacent pitch with a scrum.

Without the need for larger stronger forwards, Uckfield filled their side with lots of young fit players and the question was going to be could Heathfield contain these runners and then impose their game on the opposition.

The match started at a tempo and Uckfield were soon pressuring the Heathfield line. Some good tackling and counter rucking, particularly from Rob Streeter and Chris Ambrosino, held the home side but Heathfield failed to put boot to ball on several occasions, inviting more pressure. Somewhat against the run of play Heathfield spotted an overlap in their own twenty two and some quick passing down the line found Ashley Sutton, on the wing in space and he duly engaged the afterburners for a superb solo try. Tom Gooders converted to make it 0-17 to Heathfield.

Uckfield came back even stronger and soon were on the score sheet themselves with some excellent offloading rugby that Heathfield found hard to contain. 5-17.

But again the travelling side spotted a miss match out wide and again some excellent hands, drawing the player and passing, especially from Tom Gooders, put Ashley Sutton in for his second. The winger still had plenty to do but a lovely step inside the covering defence gave him the score. The conversion was missed. 5-22.

The final score of the half came from Uckfield who were playing some really good rugby but were handed a try when yet again Heathfield failed to clear their lines and a silly turnover was punished with a score under the posts. The conversion followed leaving the score at half time 12-22 with everything still to play for.

Thankfully it was Heathfield that came out the stronger in the second half. Nick Seddon moved from centre to the flank and was outstanding in the second half. His replacement James Usherwood injected some extra pace out wide and Kenny Lewis and Mike Brown came on to give the team some fresh legs and both played well.

The changes produced more points as James Usherwood took a great line to outpace the defence and score in the corner and then the forwards used the rolling maul to great effect against the lighter Uckfield pack to drive over the line for Mike Brown to touch down. One conversion was kicked and one missed by Gooders but the game now looked secure. 12-34.

The icing on the cake came when again Heathfield produced some slick passing and James Usherwood put Ashley Sutton in space and again the winger’s pace from the half way line was too much for the defence and he secured his hat trick. Tom Gooders converted 12-41.

Uckfield came back with a good conciliation try again using their young runners and off loading well but it was too little to late and Heathfield secured the win 17-41.

Man of the match could have gone to Nick Evans who was aggressive and tackled superbly throughout, Nick Seddon also made a case for his second half performance and a mention must be made for him playing on with a broken nose after 5 minutes and then being taken to Hospital from the last play with a nasty head cut sustained in a committed tackle. However, for his hat trick performance scoring three great tries, this week it has to go to Ashley Sutton.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team: Mike Powderly, (James Usherwood – 40), Chris Ambrosino, Nick Evans, Mike Dilley, (Kenny Lewis – 50), John Parsons, Rob Streeter, Ian Schlieder, (Matt Overy – 65), Tom Ralph, (Mike Brown – 50), Tom Keylock, Tom Ingram, Julian Wates, Nick Seddon, Ashley Sutton, Mike Shallcross, (Peter Snow – 70), Tom Gooders.

Heathfield 3rd team took to a very boggy and slippery Waldron field on Saturday to play their latest Sussex 2 league fixture against Brighton 3rd team.  Last week Brighton had convincingly beaten Uckfield 2nds and so Heathfield were under no elision that this would be an easy game.

Thankfully the rain held off but the ground conditions made it hard for both sides to run with the ball and so most of the action resulted in a close forward battle. Brighton were well drilled up front particularly with the rolling maul, but Heathfield had the edge in the scrums and the line out and this gave them superior possession for most of the first half playing up the Waldron slope.

John Parsons is gets caught as Heathfield attack up the slope at Waldron...

In particular Tom Ingram kicked well to keep the action out of the home sides’ half and Jamie Ward Smith was tackling well to stem any Brighton attacks but even given their greater possession Heathfield lacked the final killer pass or move to turn this into points and just when you thought a score would come a mistake would be made and Brighton would clear their lines. Mike Shallcross was unlucky to miss a penalty attempt and then against the run of play Brighton broke and a silly miss tackle close to the scrum and a good supporting line saw them score under the posts and then convert, 0-7.

At half time Heathfield felt a bit hard done by but knew that going down the slope at Waldron is worth at least two tries and so it proved. Again in the second half Heathfield dominated territory and possession and Brighton had very little of the ball. When they did get a foot hold Ashley Sutton did very well to snub out their fast Italian winger and the forwards, in particular John Parsons, props Will Greaves and Nick “Furry” Evans made the first up tackles count and stopped any Brighton momentum.

Good line out lead to some excellent possession for Heathfield in tricky conditions...

At last Heathfield turned their pressure into points and levelled the scores with a fine try from fly half Tom Ingram. Slipping through the first tackle in the Brighton 22 and then having the strength to muscle over through the remaining covering tackles. Mike Shallcross slotted the conversion in front of the posts on the second attempt after Brighton were penalised for shouting on his first go, 7-7.

Heathfield pushed on for the win. Substitutes came on and made a difference, in particular Ian Schlieder and Charlie Jones. Julian “that’s all my good kicks gone” Wates tried to chip the defence to no avail and Dan Heyler was unlucky to get held up just short of the line. The forwards were also held up on several occasions and credit must go to Brighton for the way they doggedly defended. The break came aptly from scrum half Tom Keylock who had been excellent throughout. A quick snipe down the blind saw the covering tacklers take the dummy to the wing and he scurried over. Mike Shallcross kicked the conversion given the home side victory, 14-7.

The scrum was strong and Scrum Half Tom Keylock did well against an experienced opposition...

Credit must go to Heathfield for the way they battled to win this game against a very good Brighton side. The team showed that not only can they run the ball when the conditions allow but that they also have a plan b and can muscle and wrestle with teams when required. Their were a couple of confrontations throughout the game, one involving the whole team in the second half but the way the Heathfield players responded, showing discipline to walk away and listening to their captain after the event was a credit to their captain and them all and something the referee praised after the game.

Man of the match this week was between three players. Tom Ingram was excellent, took control of the game, kicked well and obviously scored an important try, Tom Keylock at scrum half boxed kicked well but then chased the kicks relentlessly. He also scored an important try but looked lively throughout the game. However this week’s man of the match (selected by his fellow team mates) was Will Greaves for his strength around the park, his rucking and tackling and his super work in the scrum.

Match Report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Will Greaves (Mike Powderly – 70), Chris Ambrasino, Nick Evans, John Parsons, (Kenny Lewis – 60) Mike Dilley, Alex Hodge, Jamie Ward-Smith, Mike Brown, (Ian Schlieder – 55), Tom Keylock, Tom Ingram, Julian Wates, James Usherwood, Ashley Sutton, Dan Helyer, (Charlie Jones – 65), Mike Shallcross. (Ben Cox, Simon Hollingdale, – not used).

Heathfield 3rd team entertained Ditchling 1st team in their latest Sussex Two East Fixture on Saturday. Ditchling travelled to cross in hand on the back of a one point loss to league leaders Uckfield 2nds and so the home side were set up for a close encounter. The conditions were not entirely suitable for running rugby with a gusting wind and almost horizontal rain but both sides did their best in the conditions to play some rugby and a really entertaining game ensued.

Heathfield elected to play into the extremely strong wind in the first half and struggled to get out of their half for the first twenty minutes.  A lot of the attempted clearance kicks made little ground into the wind and Ditchling used it well to ping the ball into the corner with ease. The travelling side looked dangerous at times but some good defending and some excellent first up tackles stopped their big men running and sucked the pace out of their attacking game. Rob Streeter and Ian Jenkins in particular were making it very difficult for them at the break down too, turning over and securing numerous balls.  Jamie Ward-Smith was also tackling well.

The Ditchling Scrum Half has an unpleasent Senior Moment with Streeter and Jenkins...

Heathfield then started to run the ball out of their half rather than battle the wind and this proved more fruitful.  Fullback Tom Gooders found wing Levi Willis out wide and a nice step from the wide man took the home side into their opponents twenty two. A good covering tackle saw him held up short but excellent rucking from Chris Ambrasino cleared the path for quick ball. Heathfield used it well switching the play to the other side of the pitch only for Ditchling to concede a penalty five metres short. Greg Kneller took a quick tap but couldn’t quite make the line, however Ian Schlieder followed up well and managed to squeeze over.  Into the hellish wind the conversion was missed.

Ditchling wait again to try and repel another Heathfield attack...

The home side were now playing at a better tempo and even given the bad conditions were looking to generate faster ball at the breakdown and pass it wide. Ashley Sutton on the wing, who was running well and proving hard to stop, looked to have wriggled over close to the end of the half but sadly couldn’t quite make it. If not for some silly penalties and players not passing on a couple of occasions Heathfield could have scored more, but none the less going into the second half five nil up with the wind now behind them the home side were confident that the game was theirs for the taking.

And so it was. Tom Ingram started to use the wind well and close inside the second half kicked a penalty to the corner. Chris Ambrasino and Greg Kneller combined at the front of the line out and Chris Ambrasino  crashed over in the corner for the next score. Tom Gooders then kicked a superb conversion from the touchline, kicking the ball across the posts and letting the wind pull it through the uprights which I am sure he meant to do!

A slick move at the front see's Man of the Match Chris Ambrasino score in the corner...

Heathfield were clearly on top now. The forwards were carrying well and sucking in defenders and then the backs were doing their best to move the ball wide. A nice line from centre substitute James Usherwood saw him carve up the defence only for the final pass to go astray. However just inside Ditchling’s twenty two Heathfield turned the ensuing scrum over and some neat close passing saw Julian Wates thunder over for the third try under the posts. Tom Gooders duly converted.

Almost straight from the kick off some great inter passing from Heathfield backs and forwards, gave Ashley Sutton a deserved score, again under posts. This was followed again by a good conversion from Tom Gooders.

Tom keelock in true "back style" manages to turn his old inside out kit into a fashion accessory!

Heathfield continued with the pressure and the pace and had several further chances to score. Tom Keylock looked lively when he came on at scrum half and made some good breaks. James Usherwood was strong ball in hand and made a great debut for the side.
The final score of the game, sealing the win and the points, again saw forwards and backs combining well.  A secure platform saw Julian “I have used this season and next seasons’ good kicks; I am running out of seasons to borrow kicks from!” Wates make yet another nice chip over the defence and Tom Gooders was on hand to collect and score. He then converted his own try for a final score of 33-0 to Heathfield.

A mention must go to Levi Willis for some excellent running and aggression, Ashley Sutton also played well in attack but also in defence. However Man of the match this week must go to a forward for excellent dominance at the break down. Ian Jenkins and Rob Streeter were both superb but Chris Ambrasino edged this week’s award for his tackling, rucking and all round effort.

Match Report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Greg Kneller, Chris Ambrasino, Nick Evans, (Mike Powderly – 60), Ian Schlieder, Kenny Lewis, (Pete Snow – 60), Rob Streeter, Jamie Ward-Smith, (Josh Pitman – 50), Ian Jenkins, Will Chipchase, (Tom Keylock – 40), Tom Ingram, Julian Wates, Charlie Jones, (James Usherwood – 40), Ashley Sutton, (Dan Helyer – 70), Levi Willis, Tom Gooders.

Heathfield 3rds entertained Uckfield 2nd team in the first round of the Sussex vase on Saturday. Both sides travelled down to the Waldron pitch and Heathfield elected to play up hill in the first half. It’s such a well used cliché that I hate to use it, (probably borrowed from football too – which is even worse) but this really was a game of two halves. How much of that was dictated from the Waldron slope and how much was down to the players was up for debate in the club house after the game.

Either way Uckfield started well. They were clearly a well organised unit and their fly half (who had an excellent game) had a good boot that kept Heathfield at the base of the slope for most of the first quarter. Heathfield in contrast were slow to get going but more disappointedly started missing tackles in the centre of the park. Consequently the wider defence was sucked in leaving superior numbers out wide which the travelling side used to great effect. Two tries and a penalty later and Heathfield were giving themselves a mountain to climb already 0-17 down.

Just when the home side thought things couldn’t get any worse their fly half was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringement and greenies were now fighting with fourteen men for ten minutes. Consequently another try was scored by Uckfield and the game looked lost.

However with six minutes to go of the first half there was then a long stoppage when an Uckfield centre was injured with a suspected broken leg and an ambulance was called. Best wishes to the player who was stretchered off. This break in play (sorry) seamed to flick a switch with the home side and from the restart they were like a different team. The rucking improved and because of this so did Heathfield’s possession and the backs with ball in hand started to look dangerous. It was hard to believe at times it was Heathfield that still only had fourteen men and a couple of times Heathfield worried the Uckfield try line only to be held up short.

As the teams turned around at half, the home side continued with this pressure and good possession generated by the forwards. Some crisp passing from Will Chipchase found Ben Cox determined to make up for his first half discretion and he duly started distributing the ball well and the backs then started hitting some better lines. Heathfield were sad to loose Nick “furry” Evans (who had been playing with his usual aggression and ferocity) to injury just inside the second half, but his replacement Will Greaves played fantastically for the rest of the half and seamed to have the upper hand over his man in the scrum which was much better down the hill. Kenny Lewis also made a big impact when he came on and lifted the tempo and the aggression level.

Tackling like a man possessed (as always) Julian “I have used my only good kick of the season two weeks ago so this kick is borrowed from next season” Wates demonstrated he is not all brawn with a lovely chip over the defence to the corner. From this position, Ian Schlieder managed to scurry over the try line for what looked like a score only to be pulled back for offside.

Greenies heads were now up though and Greg Kneller, who was starting to look lively around the park, intercepted a stray Uckfield pass just inside Heathfield’s half and the chase was on for the line. The prop had the legs over several Uckfield backs and scored an excellent try. Ben Cox duly converted.

Heathfield continued to use their numerous subs to give the side some fresh legs and the players that came on stepped up well and showed that this side is made up of a squad not just the starting fifteen. Tom Keylock was lively at scrum half and Ashley Sutton had some good runs in particular.

The basics were now putting Heathfield in control of the game. Good rucking, good tackling and pressure on their opposite numbers stopped Uckfield dictating how they wanted to play. The tempo was increased and this quicker ball was putting players in space and Heathfield’s second try came from out wide with good running from Pete Snow and Mike Shallcross who put Tom Gooders in for the try in the corner. He had the sense to run between the sticks making the conversion easier and Mike Shallcross just about slotted the extra two points.

Uckfield looked worried and the home support fancied an upset but it sadly wasn’t to be. The poor first half had left just too big a mountain to climb and despite some excellent fight to the end, Heathfield were unable to score any more points.

Credit to league leaders Uckfield 2nd’s who held on for the win and demonstrated what a well structured and drilled side they are and who also played the game with great sportsmanship. Heathfield 3rd team must take heart from their second half performance and work on producing that intensity for eighty minutes but they did demonstrate that when they play as a team at a quick tempo they are a dangerous side with excellent potential for the rest of the season.

Man of the match could have gone to Julian Wates for his aggression in defence and leadership on the pitch, Sam Cooley was also a handful at the base of the scrum and in the loose and had an excellent game. But for his second half performance, lifting the tempo of the side and a super try this week it was Greg Kneller that got the award.

An extra thank you should go to Mike Mucloud for stepping up to referee the game when the scheduled referee was late due to confusion over kick off times.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Greg Kneller, Chris Ambrasino, Nick Evans, (Will Greaves - 35), Mike Dilley, (Lloyd Panel - 60), Ian Schlieder, (Billy Hickson – 70), Rhys Evans (Kenny Lewis – 40), Tom Ralph, Sam Cooley, Will Chipchase, (Tom Keylock - 50), Ben Cox, (Pete Snow – 50), Julian Wates, Charlie Jones, Mike Shallcross, Josh Pitman, (Ashley Sutton - 60), Tom Gooders.

Heathfield and Waldron 3rd team faced another strong side this week in the shape of Hasting and Bexhill 2nds. The rain lashed down and the wind gusted whilst the teams warmed up and it was clear that this game was going to be about who controlled the possession and coped with the conditions best.

The Heathfield pack certainly didn’t disappoint and from the first kick of the match dominated their opposition. Whilst the line out was unpredictable with the strong wind the home side were much sharper to stray line out balls and for the majority of the time secured good ball for the backs to run with. The Scrum was a totally one sided affair. On Hastings put in Heathfield wielded them through ninety degrees or shoved them off for almost all of the game. On their own put in they gained good yards on many occasions from driving the scrum forward. At best Hastings were forced to hook the ball quickly out giving their scrum half loose ball and totally ruining any chance their backs had of a good platform. Great credit must go in particular to the front row of Will Greaves, Chris Ambrosino and Nick Evans but also the other forwards packing down as again Heathfield demonstrated how a good scrum can not only provide a great platform but also knacker out the opposition forwards who constantly have to cope with the additional pressure.

Continued Heathfield forward dominance and some excellent kicking from Tom Ingram at fly half ensured Heathfield played most of the game in the away team’s half and the first points came from a penalty duly slotted over by full back Tom Gooders from in front of the posts.

The rain dried up but the conditions were still very wet and this could have been a contributing factor to the numerous handling errors from both sides but mainly Heathfield with their superior possession. On several occasions however scoring opportunities went begging from silly mistakes or wild passes which was frustrating.

When the team did get it right, they played some excellent rugby though and Heathfield’s first try was brilliantly executed. Tom Ingram controlled his back line and his forwards well throughout the game and linked the two together well for the score. The forwards provided a great platform and sucked in the Hastings’s defence and then the back line moved the ball well, each player drawing their man and then unselfishly passing down the line to create an overlap. Josh Pitman on the wing, who looked lively throughout, ended the move in the same fashion popping to full back Tom Gooders who handed off the last defender and scored.

Heathfield were clearly on top now and a second try quickly followed. Again from superb scrumaging a penalty was awarded to the attacking side. A quick tap and an excellent drive from the ever present Ian Jenkins left space out wide for the backs again and the ball found it’s way down the line to Tom Gooders just inside the Hastings half. A great run from the full back saw him beat several covering tackles and score. He then stepped up to convert his own try and Heathfield turned round at half time in control of the score board and the game.

Hastings defended stoutly in the second half and made it very difficult for Heathfield to break them down but the conditions dictated a lot of scrums and this constant scrumaging was taking its toll. Heathfield put a number of good plays together off loading to support runners and moving the point of contact and then a storming run from Ian Schlieder through several tackles enabled the pack to push the away side back over their try line and Nick “furry” Evans burrowed the ball down to score. Tom Gooders again converted.

The final try of the game, sealing the win for the home side, was probably the best executed. The forwards provided the platform but the backs made the score by again drawing the man and passing down the line for Josh Pitman to deservedly squeeze over in the corner.

A great win for Heathfield 27-0 and this now sets the team up for possibly its toughest game of the season against league leaders Uckfield next week. The team must look to cut out the silly errors and stray passes, but if the forwards can ruck and secure good ball like they did this week and if the backs can draw and pass unselfishly, that created two tries this week, the home side has every chance. 

Man the match could well have gone to a forward for their excellent dominance up front. Ian Jenkins and Rhys Evans were both strong in attack and ferocious in defence. In the backs Tom Ingram bossed the game well but for scoring two tries, kicking most of his chances at goal and fielding some awkward kicks brilliantly in wet and windy conditions Tom Godders was this week’s choice.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Will Greaves, Chris Ambrasino, Nick Evans, (Mike Powderly – 70), Ian Schlieder, Kenny Lewis, Rhys Evans, Tom Ralph, Ian Jenkins, Will Chipchase, Tom Ingram, Julian Wates, Tom Keylock, Alex Langdon, (Ashley Sutton – 60) Josh Pitman, Tom Gooders.

Heathfield 3rd team travelled to Haywards Heath on Saturday for a friendly game arranged in the absence of a league game this week. Sadly Haywards Heath’s fourth team had recently dropped out of Heathfield’s league but the home side fielded a team with plenty of numbers and a well matched and competitive game ensued.

With a few of their regular side absent and two players dropping out at the last minute Heathfield travelled with just fifteen but the game gave the side a chance to work on several key areas of their play and as ever the home side asked a few questions of the visitors themselves.

In the first half, playing slightly up hill and into the wind, the Heathfield forwards battled well against a bulky and physical eight from Haywards Heath. The scrum wasn’t going great but again at line out, greenies often nicked or disrupted the home side’s ball. Heathfield looked the more dangerous team but lacked a bit of execution and on a couple of occasions when they had numbers wide, picked the wrong option and ran it back into the hands of the home side’s defence. Tom Keylock at scrum half was playing well and making a nuisance of himself around the base of the scrum and he also made a couple of great breaks only to miss the support runners when a try looked certain. Rhys Evans and Nick “furry” Evans also made some good carries and Ian Schlieder was very vocal and looking to get involved whenever possible.

A nice interchange between Kenny Lewes and Chris Ambrosino at the front of the line out nearly gave Heathfield the first score only for the ball to get knocked on at the last minute.

The home side’s defence continued to hold firm and as the half wore on Heathfield began to play more and more into the hands of the opposition pack, allowing them to slow the ball down and break any rhythm that Heathfield were trying to generate. To compound matters further Heathfield were starting to miss a few tackles and Haywards Heath sensed a chance which they duly took. Overpowering Heathfield’s scrum on their own put in, the home side spread the ball and several missed tackles allowed them in for a try with the last play of the half.

A quick reminder at half time about the game Heathfield were trying to play was all it needed and the second half was a much different affair. The rucking improved and the forwards began to take charge providing quicker ball for the backs to use. Tom Ingram moved to fly half and began to boss his forward pack and scrum half well. Tom Gooders and Peter Snow made some excellent ground and were unlucky not to score. Some good kicking out of hand, particularly a nice chip from Julian “there goes my only good kick of the season” Wates, used the wind and slight slope to Heathfield’s advantage and more often than not made sure the action was in the opposition half. Chris Ambrosino took charge well on a couple of occasions at the breakdown and Tom Ralph was his ever tenacious self in defence but also carried well when Heathfield were on the attack.

Finally the deadlock broke and Heathfield’s pressure told. Holding their own this time at the scrum, which improved massively in the second half, a succession of forward drives finally saw Ian Schlieder crash over from close range. Unfortunately the conversion was missed but the score was now level 5-5.

Whilst Haywards Heath defended stoutly through the second half they didn’t get much opportunity to attack aside from a couple of breaks where Heathfield again, uncharacteristically for this season, missed tackles. A penalty was awarded Heathfield’s way after one of these breaks and Ben Cox launched a superb kick almost the length of the field to give the travelling side an attacking line out ten yards from their oppositions try line. Again good ball was won and more good forward work with a nice drive from Jamie Ward-Smith saw Tom Ralph just held up short. The support was on his shoulder though and Rhys Evans was on hand to scurry over for the winning try. Ben Cox duly converted to give a deserved final score of 5-12 to Heathfield.

Heathfield lost this fixture last season because they did not control the break down and allowed the opposition to slow the ball down. Whilst not perfect, this game demonstrated the rewards that can come from strong rucking and secure attacking ball.

Whilst the backs played well together and enjoyed a lot more possession than in previous weeks, man of the match had to go to a forward for providing this possession in the first place. Rhys Evans made a good case for his all round effort, Nick “Furry” Evans was also a handful around the park and Mike Brown played well in the pack first half and then battled on superbly, despite an injury, to ensure Heathfield had fifteen men to the end. However this week’s man of the match goes to Ian Schlieder not only for scoring the first try and his all round involvement but also for his vocal direction in the second half that helped guide the team in the right way.  

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Chris Ambrosino, Rhys Evans, Nick Evans, Mike Dilley, Kenny Lewis, Ian Schlieder, Tom Ralph, Mike Brown, Tom Keylock, Ben Cox, Julian Wates, Tom Ingram, Peter Snow, Jamie Ward-Smith, Tom Gooders. 

Heathfield 3rd team faced probably their strongest opposition this season thus far on Saturday in their next Sussex 2 league game. Aside from their pink kit Crowborough second team came to Waldron looking organised and well equipped and it was clear from the kick off this game was going to be a well contested affair.

From the first drop out Heathfield forwards streamed down the Waldron slope and pressured Crowborough at the breakdown. It looked like the home side were up for this game but then from broken play they lost their shape in defence and against the run of play Crowborough shipped the ball wide quickly to score in the corner. It felt like a case of déjà vu having been in exactly the same position the week before and this is surly something the greenies will have to work on in future games. The conversion was missed leaving the score 0-5.

Both sides battled on in what was looking like a very even contest. Both sets of backs look dangerous but neither forward packs could stamp their authority on the game and both sides struggled for possession to move the ball wide. The breakdown was looking more and more like the area the game would be won or lost and both sides felt hard done by refereeing decisions in this area.

The home side were edging it in the line outs and some good kicking from Tom Ingram put Heathfield in some great attacking positions. Crowborough on the other hand started to dominate at scrum time and won several key balls against the head when Heathfield were in the away sides 22 and looking to make the pressure tell. Eventually the home side got the break they deserved and Tom Ingram made a neat dart through the defence before being taken down close to the line. The ball was turned over but a good tackle from Charlie Jones and super rucking from Julian Wates gave Heathfield back the ball for Tom Ralph to crass over between the posts. Mike Shallcross kicked the conversion and Heathfield were in front 7-5 but with the Waldron slope against them in the second half.

Crowborough came out in the second half buoyed by playing down hill but more impotently they made better decisions at the break down which in turn gave them more possession. Too often the first Heathfield forward would pick the ball up and get isolated rather than rucking the opposition away. Having said this, defence is something Heathfield 3rd team have begun to take pride in and that certainly was the case in the second half. There were some crushing tackles from Captain Julian Wates at centre, Nick “Furry” Evans at prop and Josh Pitman at scrum half to single out a few but every player stepped up and made their tackles count.

Again the breakdown and interpretation of the rules by the referee were proving key and several penalties in Crowborough’s favour eventually yielded 3 points and the lead to the away team 7-8.

To be fair to Crowborough, they should have scored a try shortly after this when their wing was clean through but had to pull up sharply with a hamstring problem with five metres to go which enabled the covering tackle to be made. They also missed a very kickable penalty in front of the posts and you just felt the luck was with the home side and they could still win this game.

With time running out and still only one point in it, Heathfield found themselves with a penalty just inside the opposition half and a chance for the lead. Ben Cox stepped up to have a go but sadly narrowly missed the uprights with an excellent drop goal effort.

The final score of the game was from yet another Crowborough penalty in front of the posts to seal the win 7-11. Heathfield battled till the final whistle but it wasn’t to be.

A mention must go to Greg Kneller who had an excellent game but the Heathfield man of the match went to Mike Dilley who has successfully played better and better each game this season and had a fine performance all round.

On reflection whilst the home side might be disappointed to loose to such a small margin, every credit should be taken for a superb effort from all their players. Bearing in mind they were playing a well drilled 2nd team that train every week and whose first team play in the lower London leagues, Heathfield 3rds can move on from this game knowing that as they play (and hopefully train!!!!) more and more together that small margin can easily be turned around.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Greg Kneller, Chris Ambrasino, Nick Evans, Mike Dilley, Kenny Lewis,  Mike Brown, (Jamie Ward-Smith – 10), (Jono Sharp – 70) Sam Cooley, Tom Ralph, Josh Pitman, (Ben Cox – 60) Tom Ingram, Julian Wates, Charlie Jones, Billy Hickson, Mike Shallcross, Tom Gooders.

Keen to keep a run of games going, Heathfield 3rd team travelled to Burgess Hill on Saturday to play a friendly game against the West Sussex side’s 2nd team.

On arrival the home side looked well drilled and buoyant of numbers. They had a good crowd on the touchline, with the Burgess Hill first team without a game, it was clear that this was going to be a tough encounter for the travelling side.

Wearing the latest in back row attire, the Lifting Thong, Mike Brown Soars high to disrupt the Burgess Hill Lineout...

And so it proved from the kick off. Heathfield appeared to be in neutral from the start of the game and Burgess Hill came out of the blocks in a much higher gear. They pressured at the breakdown and looked hungry for the ball, much to the delight of the home crowd and very quickly this pressure told and Heathfield found themselves under their own posts a try to nil down.

It was at this point that something clicked and Heathfield suddenly found their game heads. Playing down the slope but into the reasonably strong wind they started kicking cleverly for field position and once into this position the forwards began to dominate at the erratic wind disrupted line out but most notably at scrum time. It was a demonstration of how devastating the scrum can be if used correctly, both sapping the energy of the opposition forwards but also turning the ball over in key positions. Aptly it was from a scrum close to the home side’s line that Heathfield drove forward, recycled the ball well, and Nick “furry” Evans borrowed over to level the scores. 5-5. This silenced the home crowd and Heathfield looked hungry for more.

Another good break from Man of the Match Josh pitman

Shortly after this Heathfield again found themselves in the Burgess Hill half and when the home side were penalised at the breakdown, fullback Tom Gooders stepped up to take the three points to keep the score board ticking over. 5-8

The final score of the half saw Heathfield forwards and backs combing well. A catch and drive from the forwards off a line out saw the defence sucked in to create space out wide, Josh Pitman at scrum half, who looked lively all game, made a neat little break and good hands from centre Charlie Jones put wing Jack Bayley away in the corner. 5-13.

After a long break from the game, age really starts to get the better of Furry, who lines up for the opposition! 

In the second half, playing up hill now but with the wind behind them, the travelling side still looked the more dangerous team throughout. What was so encouraging from the Heathfield side was the way they were starting to play together as a team. Because of this it is hard to single out individuals for a mention because everyone stepped up. The forwards were still dominating up front and starving the home side of possession which in turn starved the Burgess Hill backs of any quick ball. If it were not for some stray passes and incorrect decision making at times, Heathfield could have scored many more points.

Excellent defense the whole way through the game help Heathfield to Victory.

The final score of the game, sealing the win for Heathfield, came about half way through the second half. Josh Pitman kicked a loose ball into space and Jack Baylay made another good kick on into the home sides twenty two. Burgess Hill clearly had some pace in their back three as they won the foot race to the ball but great pressure from Heathfield saw them forced to kick the ball dead incurring a five metre scrum to the attacking team. With their scrum still too much for the home side to handle a powerful drive from Heathfield made the try line and Josh Pitman picked up at the base to dive over and score. Ben Cox duly dropped kicked the extra two points from under the posts to finish the game’s scoring 5-20 to Heathfield.

Man of the match could have gone to any of the forwards who battled and won the contest up front superbly, Tom Ingram also played very well at fly half until forced off with an injury. However it was Josh Pitman, even with some passes going astray, that won the award for his tenacious attitude around the park and his involvement in all the tries.

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Team:  Chris Watton, Chris Ambrasino, Nick Evans (Will Greaves – 40), Mike Dilley, Greg Kneller, Kenny Lewis (Dan Bird – 40), Mike Brown, Sam Cooley, Josh Pitman, Tom Ingram (Ben Cox – 50), Julian Wates, Charlie Jones, Josh Mullett, Jack Bayley, Tom Gooders. 

Having only won one of their away league games last season, Heathfield and Waldron 3rd team travelled to play a Lewes 3rd team on Saturday with the aim of getting this campaign off to a good start.

Unfortunately the home side were unable to field a front row from the start of the game leading to a ten point penalty in Heathfield’s favour, but the game reverting to uncontested scrums from kick off.

Heathfield started the game with a fast tempo that Lewes struggled to cope with at first and good tackling with excellent rucking from the Heathfield forwards gained good yards in the early exchanges. From this solid position the Heathfield backs started to move the ball but good defence from Lewes after several Heathfield breaks held the away side at bay.

Mike Dilley has another charge at the Lewes Defence.

Eventually the pressure told and Tom Ingram at fly half made an arching run through the Lewes defence, the space he created opened the field for Justin Wates on his shoulder to take a pop ball and crash over for the first try. The conversion duly followed by Rob Woods.

The Second Heathfield try came again from a solid platform and quick ball from the forwards feeding a back line keen to run with the ball in hand. Billy Hickson fed fullback Rob Woods on an excellent line carving a hole in the home side’s defence only to be held up just short of the line. Heathfield attacked the breakdown quickly and Lewes were penalised for killing the ball. From this penalty Dan Bird reacted sharply and wrestled his way over in the corner to score. Rob Woods made a superb kick from the touchline to take the extra two points.

Heathfield competed well at the lineout, Jamie Ward-Smith nearly stealing Lewes Ball.

Whilst Heathfield’s defence and control of the breakdown were superb throughout the game, handling mistakes, silly penalties and a few wild passes were giving Lewes a chance and they duly took it ten minutes before half time. With Heathfield in possession of the ball and on the attack they threw another wild pass which Lewes snapped up. Heathfield were disorganised by this turnover ball and Lewes spread it through several hands for a try. The home side’s kicker duly converted.   

Frustrated from this lack of concentration Heathfield struck back almost immediately. Another break from Tom Ingram saw him taken down by what looked like a trip, the referee played advantage as Julian Wates took the pop ball on and Tom managed to get back to his feet and take the return ball to score under the posts. Rob Woods made it three kicks from three with the conversion.

Good defensive work from the Heathfield pack keeps out another Lewes attack.

The Second half was not as eventful as the first, possibly due to the hot weather taking its toll on what had been a fast paced game so far. Heathfield still looked the more dangerous side and at times played some excellent supporting running rugby. Keeping the ball alive and away from contact with several runners supporting the ball carrier they were unlucky not to turn these runs into more points. Greg Kneller was lively throughout and Mike Dilley was involved in almost all the action.

However, the final Heathfield score of the game came from defensive strength rather than attack. Tom Ralph who had tackled everything that moved throughout the game made yet another great hit on a Lewes player and the loose ball found its way to captain Julian Wates. With great support outside him keeping the Lewes defence in two minds, he gave a little (ok a large) show and go to open up the space to score. Rob Woods maintained his 100% kicking performance with the conversion. The final score 7-38. 

Heathfield's pack was strong all day and another maul leads to good field position.

With a majority of the side relatively new to playing together hopefully with more game time Heathfield can tighten up their handling and cut out the silly errors. What was promising today was the speed of ball the forwards were keen to provide, the supporting runs and quick passing in the open and most importantly the defensive tackling and rucking that more often than not generated turnover ball.

Man of the match again was a hard choice. Tom Ingram looked dangerous ball in hand until he had to go off in the second half with a head injury and Rob Woods ran some excellent lines in attack and kicked the extra points which can make all the difference in tight games. Dan Bird was strong around the park and put his body on the line making several crucial tackles but it was Tom Ralph who edged the award for his technically brilliant tackling throughout the game.

Team:  Greg Kneller, Dan Bird, Mike Powderly (Paul Hookway – 40), Mike Dilley, Kenny Lewis (Jono Sharp – 30), Jamie Ward-Smith, Tom Ralph, Ian Schlieder, Will Chipchase, Tom Ingram (Dave Rhodes – 50), Julian Wates, Charlie Jones, Billy Hickson, Josh Pitman, Rob Woods. 

Match report by Simon Hollingdale

Heathfield and Waldron 3rd team took to the field on Saturday somewhat depleted of numbers and with several players forced out of their regular position. They faced a Hove side with similar problems but it was Heathfield that rose to the challenge best.

Almost directly from the kick off , quick ball from the scrum and good hands from the backs saw Charlie Jones pick a good line in attack and jink his way to the corner for the first Heathfield try. 

Shortly after this forwards and backs combined well and Chris Ambrasino, who was tackling ferociously around the park, demonstrated great skill with a little chip behind the defence for second row Mike Dilly to chase and touch down in the corner.

Even with heavy Heathfield pressure and good out of hand kicking from Fly Half Ben Cox, Hove were putting up a strong fight and made a break themselves in the backs for what looked like a certain try only to be held up over the line by a superb covering tackle from Will Chipchase.

Again good pressure from Will on the Hove fly half saw his kick go astray and find its way to Ian “chase me” Schlieder playing out of position on the wing. His recovery and quick pass found its way through several Heathfield hands and it was Mike Shallcross that made the final run past several tackles to score under the posts. Ben Cox duly finished the move off with the conversion.

Hove retaliated well and scored themselves soon after when Heathfield were too slow to react to a quick tap penalty.

The final score of the half came from Charlie Jones. Dave Rhodes who had moved to fly half after Heathfield lost Ben Cox to injury made a lovely dummy to full back Mike Shallcross on a decoy run and then picked out Charlie on an angle who carved up the defence to score.

The second half was very similar to the first. Heathfield looked strong ball in hand but Hove battled and tackled well and made breaks themselves to cause Heathfield problems. There was good running from Kenny “Forest” Lewis and Ian “chase me” Schlieder but it was Mike Brown’s pressure and positioning that eventually paid off as he scored two tries in quick succession. Mike Shallcross with the conversions.

A miss tackle saw Hove break and score their second try but Heathfield hit back again quickly with two tries both from quick tap penalties with fine running lines from Charlie Jones and Mike Shallcross.

Hove lost a player to the sin bin (not before time) late in the second half and Mike Brown completed his hat trick with a fine run to finish off the scoring.

Credit to Hove for the way they battled and never gave up but if Heathfield can continue like today to play simple rugby with quick ball and good support running they should hold there own in this competitive league.

Man the match was a close call with all the squad rallying together and playing well. Dave Rhodes directed the troops superbly, Mike Brown covered every inch of the pitch and scored three tries and Charlie Jones also scored three tries picking good lines for them all and produced some quality passing. However man of the match goes to Chris Amrasino for stepping up to prop when required and tackling like a man possessed.

Team:  Chris Ambrasino, Jono Sharp , Mike Powderly, Craig Moir, Mike Dilley, Kenny Lewis, Sam Cooley, Mike Brown, Will Chipchase, Ben Cox (Nick Sands – 30), Ian Schlieder, Dave Rhodes, Charlie Jones, Billy Hickson, Mike Shalcross. 

Match Report by Simon Hollingdale

Heathfield and Waldron Boars played host to the touring side of Forges les Eaux. The two teams have had encounters in the past, but this was the first on English soil.

On a sunny saturday afternoon everything was set for a good game.

Forges arrived with 12 players and in the spirit of the game Heathfield lent them the necessary players.

Heathfield started strongly and let their presence be known especially in the forwards. not long in Heathfield were awarded a scrum on the forges 5m line. Rob Streeter broke from no 8 to power over the line. The second try came from quick ball in the middle to see Rob Woods run one of his trade mark lines to cut the forge defence in half. Brady Burdett slotted the conversion.

The home side then slipped into a lull thinking that a walk over was on the cards, but the french had different ideas.

after a period of sustained pressure on the boars line and 3 held up tries forges earned a penalty and decided to go for the posts. Benoit duly kicked this straight through the posts to put the visitors on the score sheet.

This spurred the home side on to settle down and play some good phases of flowing rugby. during this period one of the visitors made a tackle landed badly and received a broken ankle for his efforts. Heathfield lent another player and the game resumed. More flowing rugby rewarded by another try from Woods cutting through the French once more. Up stepped Ian schlieder to convert. The Half time whistle went and the teams turned round 19-3 in the favour of the home team.

After a few changes at half time Heathfield lost their dominance in the scrum and had to turn to moves from backs to keep the score moving. Brady Burdett scored next after managing to sell one of his trade mark dummies to fool the visitors and touch down.
Winger Simon Hollingdale finally scored in the corner after several good attempts were stopped by spirited defence from the French.

The next try went to the visitors after Manu broke the line and won the footrace to the try line.

The final score of the match went to the backs again seeing Adam Farrell bully his way through the French defence to score near the posts. Jeremy Burdett stepped up to convert.
The final whistle was not long after, and drew a close to a well spirited game of rugby which had been easy for the ref due to the sportsmanship entered into by both teams.

The whole day was a success for Anglo french relations and will continue on monday with le Marche being held in Heathfield.

Many thanks from all the Boars for Mike Macleods efforts over the years. Player, Manager, Captain general organiser. Played his last game for heathfield today. Good luck to you as a referee.

Special thanks to Dave and Alison Henry for organising food, accommodation and entertainment for our French tourists.
 
Team: Joe Geesin(Andy Sutton 30),Jono Sharp(Neill Newport 40),Mike Fellows(Paul Hookway 40),John Parsons,Jim Cumming,Ian Schlieder(Tom Ralph 40),Kenny Lewis,Rob Streeter,Dave Rhodes,Brady Burdett,Dave Groom(Jeremy Burdett 55),Julian Wates,Adam Farrell,Simon Holingdale,Rob Woods(Brian Burdett 70)Chris Ambrosino, Jack Bayley,Mike Macleod,Josh Henry.

On Friday 17th April The Clubhouse will again be the venue for the next fantastic Quiz Nite.  Hosted by the Junior section of the Club, compared by the Dynamic Duo Helen Goacher and Alison Bending, pencils will need to be sharpened, thinking caps put firmly on and a rallying cry of 'oooohhhh I know this one' at the ready!

Everyone is welcome, the atmosphere is always electric with excitement and anticipation of not being on the bottom of the scoreboard!

To enter your team all you will need is 4-6 players, a silly name, a £20 note, and to notify either your Squad Manager, Helen or Alison.  See Easy!

SEE YOU THERE!!!

Haywards Heath had a big, physical and experienced pack and had plenty of pace outside and so it was always going to be a difficult game, therefore the Boars new that they would have to be focused to keep up their push for a second place finish.

The first ten minutes saw Haywards Heath try and impose themselves on the Boars, and using the wind well they kept the pressure on. Eventually returning a loose kick the home team winger broke several sloppy tackles to score the opening try, the conversion was missed [5-0]. The ref was interesting but most of his decisions were going against Haywards Heath so there was no excuse’s there for Heathfield.

Haywards Heath winger causing problems early on...

From the kick off Heathfield managed a spell of pressure for themselves, things were still close but at least Heathfield were competing a little better.  But  another break down the wing and yet more poor tackling let the winger in again for his second try, this time the conversion was made [12-0].

Heathfield were in danger of letting the game slip away and really needed to score next to get back in the game. Kicking the ball into the strong wind wasn’t going to help so Heathfield had to do it on the ground and this they did, with good play through the forwards and then the ball finally going down the backs. Simon Hollingdale managed to find a little space on the wing and before he was tackled dropped a lovely kick behind the defence enabling Pete McEvoy to score in the corner, the conversion was missed [10-5].

Good tackling from KFC and Flinty...

Now several weeks ago Heathfield lost a close game because of their inability to deal with a ref who clearly didn’t know the laws of the game, there is no point in getting upset about it, you just have to deal with it and the team that does this the best usually wins. The same thing was about to happen again and that is probably the most disappointing thing about this match; if Heathfield had kept focused the result might have been different. Losing stand out open side Tony Flint after 20 minutes didn’t help, he was starting to cause problems for the home team and was going to be sorely missed.

Heathfield doing well in the lineouts, which were good all day...

Any quick ball was slowed down cleverly and not too subtly but Haywards Heath, and as frustration built Heathfield lost focus and when you are playing against experienced powerful forwards you just can’t do that and expect to win. Haywards Heath turned up the pressure again and this time after several strong runs from their forwards the inside centre found space to score under the posts from 5 yards out, the conversion was a formality [17-5]. That was the score at the half and Heathfield had a lot to do if they were going to turn things around.

The second half started as the first had finished with Haywards Heath on the attack and it was no surprise when their forwards drove over after a several minutes camped on the Heathfield line to increase the score to [22-5].

Dave Rhodes breaking up the blind side on another of his good runs...

From the kick off a knock on set up a scrum on the Heathfield 10 metre line. It was time to get a quick refresher of the laws from the ref in regard to wheeling the scrum, his comments that “Wheeling the scrum was fine” and “it was up to us to stop it happening” was all we needed. At the next break down after a quick chat about the finer points of scrumming and rucking we finally decided to focus and start playing how the ref wanted us to!! The new simplified game plan was helping the forwards focus on the job in hand and they started to dominate. With the wind behind us and our new game plan in place we gained the opposition 22 and stayed there. A good drive from a lineout and then several strong runs saw Rory Burchett crash over to score, the kick was again difficult and missed [22-10].

Finally good quick ruck ball...

The first thing we noticed with a our new game plan was that opposition didn’t seem to want to lay all over the ball anymore, in fact they complained a little... apparently 4 or 5 strapping lads trundling past you on their way to the ball isn’t much fun! A penalty on the home sides 22 for hands in the ruck was over turned because of our overzealous approach and the pressure was momentarily relieved. But we were focused again now and more strong running from the forwards and backs kept the pressure on and we were soon back in the oppositions half. A nice break from Ian Schlieder and quick ball from the forwards was given to the backs, Ingram passed to Wates who drew in the tacklers before throwing a long pass to put Nick sands away on the outside [I know I’m shamelessly bigging up my part!], Sands got close to the posts but not quite close enough as the conversion was missed again [22-15].

Unfortunately that was the last Tom Ingram would play in the game, having to go off with a rib injury. Luckily, freshly returned from St. Tropez and a modelling assignment, young Will Chipchase was ready to make his senior debut... and whatever anyone says I liked his tights! So moving the experienced Dave Rhodes out to fly half, we had 10 minutes to get another score.

hmmm nice TIGHTS St.Tropez!

Well the effort was finally being put in by Heathfield and with the fresh and skilful Chipchase getting us quick ball we pressured and pressured but just couldn’t break down an excellent Haywards Heath defence. Trying everything we could eventually a mistake was made and up stepped the nippy Haywards Heath winger to score his hatrick with almost the last touch of the game [29-15].

This was a game to learn lesson from and even though it was very disappointing I’m sure we will now concentrate on what we have learnt and use that in the remaining three games to try and get as good a league position as we can.

Man of the Match is a hard one to call this week, especially it was such a disapointing result but there were good performances. Dave Rhodes was as always excellent and so was Will Chipchase when he came on. All the forwards worked hard especially in the later stages, but for his excellent tackling Ian Schlieder gets the Man of the Match award.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, R. Burchett, P. Hookway, T. Rose, K. Lewis, Tony Flint [I. Schlieder - 20], S. Cooley,  D. Rhodes, T. Ingram [Will Chipchase - 65], J. Wates, S. Hollingdale, J. Gavor, P. McEvoy, N. Sands.

Match Report by Julian Wates

After a narrow loss to East Grinstead last week Heathfield had something to prove and with things getting close at the top this was a must win game. It was obvious that Brighton at home would be a different team from the one that came to Heathfield earlier in the season. They looked young and fit and well prepared with a full complement of 7 substitutes just in case!

But it was Heathfield who exerted the early pressure and the pack in particular was dominant. Several good phases of simple rugby moved the greenies close to the Brighton line and it was from there that the forwards battered the line until Rory Burchett drove over to open the score. Up stepped Dave Rhodes for what was going to be a fantastic display of goal kicking, slotting the conversion [0-7].

The first score seemed to cause Heathfield to relax and let Brighton back in the game. From the kick off Brighton started a good spell of possession, their backs looked lively but couldn’t seem to break through the Heathfield defence and when they finally did a handling error prevented them scoring. Yet the sustained pressure eventually resulted in points as a good chase following a kick, finally saw the Brighton backs get behind the Heathfield defence, the conversion was missed [5-7].

It was Heathfield’s turn to wake up and some good work through the forwards and backs resulted in a penalty in front of the  pasts, Dave Rhodes stepped up to tap the ball over the bar to increase the lead [5-10]. The game had now become an end to end affair with neither team really stamping their authority on the game and this was going to be the pattern for the rest of the day.

The second half started as the first had ended, with both teams having good spells of pressure but it was probably Brighton who deserved the first points and they got these in the form of a penalty, [8-10].

This was a hard fought match with both teams working hard and creating chances. The Heathfield forwards again found themselves making good yards with especially good performances coming from Matt Overy playing his first game at flanker and Chris Ambrosino. Several powerful runs from number 8 Sam Cooley forced Brighton backwards and then a couple of good breaks through the backs worked the ball down into the Brighton 22. Dave Rhodes stepped up again and when Heathfield were given a penalty he snatched up the ball and headed for the line, popping a lovely ball to Wates who with just 10 metres to go crashed over to increase the lead; Rhodes converted neatly again [8-17].

But Brighton weren’t finished and from several good moves down their backs they stretched Heathfield all over the pitch until they scored a deserved try, the conversion was missed [13-17].

The final 15 minutes were tense for Heathfield, with the Brighton backs gaining the ascendency, they continually stretched the Heathfield defence, but again it didn’t quite crack and when the Heathfield forwards got hold of the ball they managed to calm things down. Again Sam Cooley’s rampaging runs were very welcome to see and from one of these another penalty was given and Dave Rhodes stepped up to teasingly chip over the bar for the final score of the game [13-20].

Both teams played with aggression and passion and I’m sure it was exciting to watch. Unfortunately for Heathfield they could have done with scoring just one more point as the losing bonus point helped to keep Brighton above Heathfield in the league.

The backs played well in defence but really were playing as individuals in attack and need to work on that, with Wates showing why he isn’t encouraged to kick the ball very often!

The forwards were again fantastic, with many great performances, including Paul Hookway who was as solid as ever, Paul Watton who made his welcome return to the team and Mike Brown for his inspirational play and leadership. There were several contenders for Man of the Match, including Dave Rhodes for another timeless performance and Chris Ambrosino and Matt Overy for their work around the pitch. But there is a certain joy in seeing Sam Cooley handing people off, trample players underfoot and generally causing carnage in the enemy ranks, so he takes the Man of the Match award this week.

Boars Team – P. Watton [M. MacLeod - 60], C. Ambrosino, R. Burchett, P. Hookway, T. Rose, M. Overy, I. Schlieder [M. Brown - 50], S. Cooley,  D. Rhodes, T. Ingram, J. Wates, T. Keylock, S. Hollingdale, J. Gavor [P. McEvoy], N. Sands

Match Report by Julian Wates

Heathfield travelled to the league leaders with high hopes after a good win over Chichester in their last game.

There was even excitement before the game when Heathfield turned up with no kit. Heathfield’s captain, JUSTIN Waters placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of 2nd row Tony Rose; stating “We’ll he usually brings it!”… The fact that Rose was on holiday didn’t seem to matter!!! After some frantic calls to Heathfield the kit was delivered just in time for the kick off.

From the first kick Heathfield showed that they hadn’t just come along to make up the numbers. The forwards drove up the pitch and when fly half Ingram slipped the ball to Wates he crashed through the line making good ground. The Heathfield forwards had the upper hand in the early stages and for the first 20 minutes there was a real threat that they may break through and score. But Grinstead’s smaller and more mobile team always seemed to have an extra man to make that important tackle. The first half was on a knife edge and both teams had good periods of pressure without actually making any real chances.

It was in the last minute of the half that Grinstead finally managed to get the ball down their backs and a good kick to the corner put Heathfield under pressure. Nick Sands gathered the ball well but the pressure from the Grinstead backs saw the ball turned over and after several phases Grinstead’s scrum half sniped through a gap to score as time ran out; the cheer from the Grinstead players was one of pure relief! The conversion added, and Grinstead lead 7-0 at the half.

The ref had been good in the first half, consistant and talkative… I don’t think he ever intended to give a penalty but he let the game flow well and was a thouroughly fine chap.

The second half started with Grinstead with all the momentum and they managed to maintain the pressure, but with a little extra speed of their own and a game plan to prevent the quality Grinstead backs from scoring, Heathfield managed to keep in the game.

Eventually the something had to give and making a last ditched tackle fly half Tom Ingram was hurt and with no subs Heathfield were reduced to 14 for the remaining 25 minutes. Evergreen Mike Brown was switched to the wing and all the other backs moved in one place, this had two effects, neither being very good for Heathfield! One the backs became a little more direct and ever so SLIGHTLY more predictable and two the forwards, already tired, would have to keep up the pressure on the younger Grinstead pack.

Soon after from a loose kick the Grinstead winger pick up the ball and managed to slip a few week tackles around the fringes and sneaked in for a try. On balance of play the try was deserved; the conversion was missed, 12-0.

To there credit Heathfield never gave up and in particular the forwards worked well and did manage to pressure the Grinstead line again. With good play from new second row Dillion Eams in his first senior game, great work around the fringes from Chris “Goudee” Ambrasino and the occasional rumbling attack from Sam Cooley. The backs even managed to break through but they never really had the pace to trouble Grinstead, who again just always seemed to have enough men in reserve.

Grinstead’s last try came with 10 minutes to go, a good move down the backs was again snuffed out by Heathfield only for the winger [who had only been on the pitch for about a minute] to pick up the loose ball and break several tired tackles to score in the corner. The conversion was missed again to leave the final score 17-0 [I think!!]

In the end the best team won, but Heathfield can hold their heads high in the knowledge that it was a lot closer than the score actually looks and the runner way leaders will be happy that they don’t have to play us again!

Man of the match was again a hrad one to call, with great performances from several of the forwards, in particular Chris Ambrosino, Tony Flint. But this week a back takes the award, for his excellent work under a lot of pressure Full Back Nick Sands was the man of the match.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, C. Ambrosino, R. Burchett, P. Hookway, D Eames, M. Brown, T. Flint, S. Cooley,  D. Rhodes, T. Ingram, J. Wates, A. Foster [L. Cullen - 37], S. Hollingdale, J. Gavor, N. Sands

Match Report by Julian Wates

Forgotten Valentines Day is round the Corner????   Don't know what to get for your loved one?  Can't be bothered to trawl round the shops for that special gift???

Then luckily Your Club has come to the rescue.  Not only can you buy sexy tasteful lingerie, delightful jewellery and loads of other lovely things - but you can also have a pint (or two), see your mates, and whatever match is on the TV - whilst you buy!! BRILLIANT!(Rumour has it that Ann Summers will also be there!)  So lads come to the pamper evening at the Clubhouse on Friday 13th Feb - where all your Valentine present problems could be solved.........

For the lovely ladies who would like to come along.....  see all of the above plus there will be waxing and nails and even tarrot card readings!

See you there on the 13th February - 7.30pm onwards

Friday 30th January saw the clubhouse packed to overflowing for the Junior Quiz Night.  With 11 teams of 6 taking part the atmosphere was brilliant.  It was great to see teams from all age groups of the Junior Section of the club come together to make up this fantastic event. Over by the door there were the Beauties and the Beast (Mr. Wardle) ! who didn't put off the H3 Team and stuck over by the bar were the No Table Team - that's how busy it was!!

Despite the heckling from the bosterous crowd, the event was ably compared by Helen Goatcher and Alison Bending (they also put together the questions) and the evening was nicely rounded off with plates of chilli!

A great evening and over £200 made for the Club.  Thank you to everyone who took part to make the evening a success!

Heathfield Boars 19 vs Chichester III 15

The Boars had a lot to prove after a terrible trip to Chichester last year, turning up late due to traffic problems and subsequently getting beaten badly by a strong Chichester team.

Both teams looked quite evenly matched, with the Boars selecting a few younger heads to mix in with the more experienced players. It was Chichester who struck first though by winning the toss and decided to play up the slope at Waldron.

Rory gets the forwards going with a rumble...

The Boars started well and making good use of the slope controlled the initial play with forwards winning good ball in the line out and scrums, giving the backs a chance to attack. But Chichester defended well and from some loose play their dangerous winger managed to step through several week tackles in the backs to score against the run of play. The convertion was missed and this was something that would come back to haunt them later on.

Lee keylock turns defence into attack with a strong handoff...

Heathfield didn’t lose their focus and got straight back to it, the now dominant forwards really pressuring the Chichester line. After some simple but very effective pick and drive rugby the boars got to the Chichester 5 metres line and then it was down to Tony “Too Tall” Rose to pick up and dive for the line right under the posts. The simple yet very important conversion by Kenny “KFC” Lewis put the Boars in a deserved lead.

"Too Tall" Tony dives between the posts to get the Boars right back in it!

That’s how the half finished 7-5 and anyone who has played at Waldron will know that the slope is usually worth more than a 2 point advantage so Heathfield still had it all to do.

Our referee was the same one who had refereed our game against East Grinstead earlier in the season. He seems to have a problem with hard physical rugby which is a problem when you’re a fat old centre with no pace, that’s pretty much all you have left! But both teams gave him no real problems and he had been at least consistent during the first half. At least he didn’t call me JUSTIN this time!

The second half started disappointingly for the home team, as usual they seemed to be half asleep as the Chichester forwards drove to the line; then some good hands [and an outrageous knock on] saw Chichester crash over for a deserved try.

We refocused and after some strong words from Rory we seemed to wake up and get back into the game. The backs had several good runs and eventually they seemed to make this count when Simon “Twinkle Toes” Hollingdale had one of his trade mark storming runs up the side line before offloading to Pete McEvoy who sped for the corner but under pressure from two defenders couldn’t quite ground the ball. But this was just a chance for the Heathfield forwards to show their dominance. The resulting scrum was driven towards the line and the and controlled beautifully before Ian “It has to be PINK” Schlieder, who had only just come on the pitch, touched down from the number 8 spot. An excellent conversion from KFC from wide out on the right gave the Boars a 4 point lead and really kept up the pressure on Chichester.

great defensive work from the Heathfield forwards...

With both teams desperately trying to score again the defence was good from both sides and several strong attacks were snuffed out at the last minute. It was again Chichester who got the break through as a combined forwards and back move drove down the hill and wore down the Heathfield defence, allowing them to score in the corner. But again Chichester were unable to convert and so the lead was only one point at 14-15, giving Heathfield 10 minutes to try and get back up the hill to score again.

From the restart the ball was kicked deep into the Chichester half and some great pressure saw the full back slice his kick and give Heathfield a lineout on the 22. The Boars were now really up for the game and attacked relentlessly but again Chichester tackled well and held out, but they couldn’t relive the relentless pressure.

Sam Cooley peel's off round the front of the line out to maintain the pressure...

Another line out saw Sam “The Hair” Cooley take the ball and peel round the front to get close to the line, it was a great move which deserved a try but wasn’t to be. The ball was recycled and this time it was the backs who would get a chance but again Chichester held firm, even when stretched to the limit all across the pitch Chichester were resolute. A knock on gave Heathfield a scrum just top the left of the posts about ten yards out and the Boars backs all lined up to the right. Coming from the right, tight to the back of the scrum Justin “Elvis” Waters took a nice pop from stand in scrum half Tom Keylock; crashing through the Chichester scum half and then brushing aside the defenders on the line, to finally got the break through that Heath deserved making the score 19-15. The conversion was missed by Lewis, but it was a difficult kick into the wind and wouldn’t have an effect on the result.

"Justin" crashes over to score late on, after sustained Boars pressure

With three minutes to go Chichester restarted but never really got the ball, they did finally manage to get into the Heathfield 22 but good forward tackling and pressure meant the ball was recycled to Wates who hoof the ball up the pitch and out of play for the final touch of the game.

This was an excellent game played at a high tempo, by two teams that wanted to play rugby regardless of the weather and any strange referring decisions...

Man of the match could have gone to anyone. Tom Keylock stepping up to scrum half late on was a contender, as was Sam Cooley for his great barrelling runs but this game was won in the forwards and for his rallying cries and overall performance Rory “The Hitcher” Burchett has to take the honours.

Boars Team – N. Evens, C. Ambrosino, R. Burchett, P. Hookway (I. Schlieder), T. Rose, S. Cooley, K. Lewis, J. Parsons (T. Flint – 20), L. Keylock , T. Ingram, J. Wates, T. Keylock (P. McEvoy), S. Hollingdale, J. Gavor, N. Sands

Match Report by Julian Wates (with help from KFC)

Heathfield Boars 22 Lewes 3’s 10

The Boars brought in the New Year with a win over the only team who had stopped them scoring in 2008. Lewes had looked composed as they warmed up and caught the Boars cold by scoring a converted try within 2 minutes of the kick off. Aggressive and direct running in the centre found only weak tackling and the score was inevitable.

How would the Boars respond? Up stepped 17 heroes as they worked very hard to establish some control on the game, dominate field position and then finish the game strongly.

Heathfield start to move towards the Lewes try line...

How you play up the Waldron slope is a key factor in deciding who wins matches there and as the Boars defence grew stronger so the young backs started to make breaks and take the game into the Lewes half. This was rewarded when Boars won a 5 metre scrum, controlled the ball nicely and fed Tom Ingram who drew 2 tacklers before offloading for Julian Wates to score.

it was from this scrum that Ingram broke through the defense to set up the first try...

With no further score before half time the Boars were very happy to be 5-7 down but have the slope in their favour. After 10 minutes of play the Boars got the break they wanted with a carbon copy of the first try as a good forward platform let Ingram release Wates to score a try converted by Kenny Lewis.

this win was based on hard work from everyone...

A period of Lewes pressure saw them kick a penalty to narrow the gap to 12-10 and the game stayed in the balance until Tom Keylock scored a wonder try. Lewes broke out of defence and with strong running made it to the Boars 10 metre line before a good tackle put the ball in touch, KFC screamed at Dave Rhodes to take a quick throw. The balled moved through several sets of hands before it reached Keylock who jinked his way through almost the Lewis team, before handing of the full back to score under the posts, giving Lewis an easy conversion. With only 10 minutes to go the Boars knew that continued hard work would see the win and the cherry was put on top when Lewis kicked a penalty goal ahead of the final whistle.

Now we may be able to let Tom Keylock off for wearing white shorts, but what was "Brighton" Pete thinking of when he selected his!!!

This was a great team performance with everyone working for each other. Much praise goes to Sam Cooley, Dan Bird, Tom Ingram, Julian Wates and Tom Keylock but the Boars man of the match award went to back rower Tony Flint who harried the opposition throughout the match.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, R. Burchett (M. Powderley – 50), P. Hookway, S. Cooley, D. Bird, K. Lewis, M. Brown (T. Flint – 20), D. Rhodes, T. Ingram, J. Wates, L. Keylock, P. Brighton, J. Gavor, N. Sands

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Hove’s 53  - Heathfield & Waldron Boars 21

The Boars took what they thought was a good team to Hove but were blown away by a magnificent first half display of back play from the hosts. From the Hove kick off the Boars were put under pressure and the ball quickly went to the Hove outside centre who sidestepped several players and broke a couple of attempted tackles to score between the posts.

From the restart Hove ran the ball back and swept wide right to create an overlap and score. A few minutes into the next restart another Hove attack tore the Boars defence to shreds and allowed the speedy outside centre to score again. [Captains Comments! the outside centre was PRETTY GOOD!! and the old farts he was playing against were OLD!]

Woodsie starts off another attack...

We were now 10 minutes into the match and the Boars had hardly touched the ball. Something had to change or it would be a long and embarrassing afternoon so when the Boars forwards gained the ball it was a signal to tighten the game and play physical rugby. This started to pay dividends and gave a 15 minute spell played in the Hove half. However a half chance was all Hove seemed to need and when this came they counter attacked swiftly and scored out left.

Good Heathfield pressure at the scrum... careful m8, KFC is eyeing up your legs... he probably thinks they're edible!!

A return to the forwards saw the Boars grind up field then from a set scrum Mike Brown broke away and slipped a great pass to Julian Wates who cut back on the angle to score from 10 metres out. This heralded more Boars pressure but mistakes were to prove costly as Hove scored tries from two counterattacks and one interception.

Mike Brown keeping up the pressure...

With the score 43-7 at half time the Boars had little but pride to play for and each side made several changes at half time with the Boars ones being more effective. Each side scored two tries in this half (with the Boars converting both of theirs to none from Hove) with the best coming from the Boars as they ran a penalty from their own 5 metre line, the ball passing through several hands before Lee Keylock grounded for the try. Greg Kneller was the other Boars scorer as the forwards at last got the reward for keeping their opponents under pressure all game.

The Boars man of the match award went to Greg Kneller for his work rate and willingness to go keep going forward.

Boars Team – G. Kneller, J. Sharp, M. MacLeod (R. Burchett – 50), P. Hookway (I. Schleider - 40), B. Stow, T. Ralph, K. Lewis, M. Brown, M. Walker, B. Burdett, J. Wates, T. Ingram, N. Sands (T. Keylock – 40), S. Hollingdale (L. Keylock – 40), R. Woods

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Boars 27  v's  Rye 2’s 5

The Boars welcomed Rye Gooners to a sodden Cross in Hand to help celebrate the 50th birthday of club chairman and Boars scrum half Dave Rhodes. This stalwart is enjoying his 40th consecutive year playing rugby having started as a callow 10 year old. Proud Yorkshireman Dave was welcomed onto the pitch by several team mates in fancy dress providing a ‘black pudding arch’ and proceeded to give a vintage display in the poor conditions.

Little need be said about the game bar that the Boars won well and it gave an excuse for the revelry that followed.

Man of the Match was Dave Rhodes for being 50 years of age all through the game.

Boars Team – A. Sutton (M. MacLeod -70), J. La Roche, N. Evans, J. Parsons, T. Rose, K. Lewis, M. Brown, D. Cook, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, S. Barrow, S. Hollingdale, C. Martin, T. Keylock (R. Cooley – 60)

Boars 50 Crowborough 2’s 5

The Boars entered this match needing to halt a run of four consecutive defeats and did so convincingly. The Boars pack dominated their lighter opponents from the start and denied the good looking Crowborough backs any good ball. This paid off early on when no.8 Ian Schleider broke out from a maul to crash over from 5 metres. Further tries came in from Dave Rhodes and Rob Woods before Crowborough got on the score sheet as they ran a quick penalty from the 22 and caught the Boars asleep. This brought the score to 17-5 at half time.

KFC takes an early lineout, we have found that if we use food in the lineourt calls he leaps higher!

Early pressure from the Boars pack, which dominated all afternoon

Dave Rhodes pounces on a ball that shot out the back of scrum to score; at nearly 60 still has great speed and awareness.

The Boars made three changes at half time and came out much the hungrier and more aggressive. Continued dominance in the forwards provided the platform for five more tries (two from Dave Cook, another from Woods and singletons from Brady Burdett and Julian Wates) the last two being lovely backs moves scored after scrums had been taken against the head.

ELVIS is spotted in Heathfield! Justin Waters breaks the line again...

Great charge from Mike Fellows with young winger Jack Gavor supporting.

In a week with many players out to injury throughout the club much praise must go to those Heathfield 4th team players who stepped up and played a huge part in this victory.

Man of the Match was Sam Cooley for causing mayhem all through the game. This was a cloase run thing though as Tom Keylock also had a an excellent game as did Ian Schleider, it was great to see these two YOUNGER players getting so involved.

Cooley, Bazen and Brown link up to run the Crowborough forwards ragged...

TART... do I need to say more!

Boars Team – M. Fellows, A. Sutton (R. Burchett – 40), M. MacLeod, J. Parsons, D. Bazen, K. Lewis (M. Brown – 40), S. Cooley, I. Schleider (D. Cook – 40), D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, S. Hollingdale, Jake Gavor (G. Ellery – 60), T. Keylock, R. Woods

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Pulborough 2’s 32 Heathfield Boars 29

A good Boars team fell just short of victory in this Sussex Vase knockout match. Heathfield got a good start when captain Julian Wates punched through the Pulborough defence to score a try converted by Brady Burdett. Pulborough came back into the game with an unconverted try out wide as they began to unleash their useful backs. Heathfield looked to have the advantage in the early forward engagements but started to get frustrated with some refereeing decisions and began to lose concentration and cohesion. The referee was struggling to keep up with play due to a pulled muscle and this contributed to the next Pulborough score. A quick break saw him miss a forward pass and allow the Pulborough winger to score between the posts taking the score to 12-7.

Boars contesting at an early Pulbourough lineout...

This did not excuse the way the Boars then failed to tackle for the next 10 minutes as they shipped to more tries before half time. Both tries were break away moves where both forwards and backs were at fault. With a half time score of 24-7 the Boars deserved the strong words delivered in the team talk.

The team talk seemed to work as the Boars pushed hard into Pulborough and secured dominance at the scrum to give better ball and more time for the backs to execute their moves. Captain Wates then showed the way to the try line to help bring the score back to 24-14 before a good move brought full back Rob Woods into the line at speed for another try and the momentum looked to be changing the way of Heathfield.

Bradley Bundett clears his lines following a Pulborough attack...

Even an excellent solo try by the Pulborough number 9 that took the score to 29-19 did not seem to dent the Boars confidence as they went back down the other end and winger Simon Hollingdale sped over to narrow the score to 5 points.

A moment of ill discipline following a perceived refereeing error then cost the Boars dearly as the award of a scrum against was turned into a penalty within kicking distance. Pulborough took advantage to extend the lead to 8 points and the Boars now had to score two twice to win. This was one too many as another Woods try was all the Boars could summon up before the final whistle went.

The Boars man of the match award went to captain Julian Wates for inspiring the fight back with his direct running and hard tackling. A special mention should go to all the new players who played this week, especially those that only had a half a game and patiently watched from the sidelines in the cold.

Boars Team  M. Fellows, J. Sharp, M. MacLeod, P. Hookway (D. Bazen - 50), T. Rose, S. Cooley (T. Ralph – 65), K. Lewis, J. Parsons, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, D. Hesketh (T. Ingram – 30), G. Martin (J. Other - 65) S. Hollingdale, R. Woods

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Boars suffer travel sickness

The Boars suffered from the loss of 8 regular players for the long journey to Chichester and were not good enough to deny a vigorous Chichester side a win.

Dave Rhodes starts an early boars attack

With traffic delays the Boars arrived late and had only 5 minutes to warm up ahead of kick off. The Boars looked sluggish for most of the first half and were grateful to turn round at only 5-0 down. This was due to some good defence but was mainly down to Chichester errors when making breaks.

Again more good early pressure from the Boars...

The Boars also showed some great defence, well at least for the majority of the game...

Chichester were more clinical in the second half as they upped the speed of the game and ran the older Boars forwards round the pitch until gaps appeared and tries resulted. Chichester scored four tries in this fashion during a 20 minute purple patch. During this period a brave tackle from guest fullback Neill Newport saw him taken to hospital for 21 stitches to a facial cut. The Boars briefly came back into the game when captain Julian Wates chipped a flat defence and outpaced [there's something you dont hear very often!!] the defenders to score.

Justin breaks the line...

Any thoughts of a comeback were ended when Chichester scored a final try in the later stages of the game. In a game of few positives the work rate and bravery of Dan Bird earned him the Boars man of the match award.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, M. Powderley, P. Hookway, T. Rose, J. Bayley, D. Bird, K. Lewis, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, D. Hesketh, T. Ralph, B. Harman, N. Newport (S. Hollingdale – 60)

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Errors cost Boars dearly

The Boars made too many errors against a young, well drilled East Grinstead side and paid the price by crashing to their first home league defeat since March 2007.

Before the kick off it looked like a classic match of youth vs experience with the Boars aware that their greater bulk was a double edged weapon. From kick off it was a well contested game with the Boars dominating the scrums and the more mobile EG pack getting to breakdowns first.

Too Tall takes another line out, whilst at the same time trying not to be too aggressive!!

An early penalty conversion gave EG the lead and this increased when they played a rush defence against the Boars back line which led to a spilled pass being hacked on for a East Grinstead try and they converted this to take a 0-10 lead.

The Boars forwards then pounded up the middle to gain good field position from where a blindside break found Brady Burdett putting Matt Overy away to score an unconverted try in far the corner. This gave the Boars heart but another well taken EG try opened a 12 point lead. The half ended with the Boars defending their line for a full 5 minutes against sustained barrage of attacks and turning round 5-19.

Jono's aggressive stance strikes fear into the entire opposition team!!

A good spell for the Boars swung the game back in the balance as Burdett scored in front of the clubhouse when EG ran out of defenders as the Boars pressed. However the game turned back towards the visitors as they stayed strong in the loose forward play to deny the Boars possession in the vital areas. They then used their superior fitness and well oiled backs moves to run in two late tries.

Man of the Match had to be a forward and after taking 10 ‘against the head’ it had to be hooker Jono Sharp.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, P. Watton, P. Hookway, T. Rose, J. Bayley, K. Lewis, J. Parsons, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, S. Barrow, M. Overy, P. Kiwi, T. Ralph

Captains Comment!
yep this a new section of the report where I stick in my two penny's worth...

We have to learn to play the ref better, I have to admit that in the 25 years I have been playing for the club I don’t ever remember being told to tell my team to stop being so aggressive, and the fact that the opposition were younger and smaller still didn’t make me feel guilty about trying to tackle them as hard as possible! Even with the restrictions on "aggression" we still defended superbly and I was very impressed. But we still whinged far too much, even if some of the decisions were incredulous. Well played Grinstead who were on the day the better team and who played the game to win but also in a manner which was a credit to their club.

Oh and just in case the ref is reading this... MY NAME IS NOT JUSTIN! That's a special name only my wife uses and now of course the entire boars team.

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Boars win BIG AGAIN

The Boars continued their campaign in division 2 with a stunning win over the previously unbeaten Brighton 3’s.

Jack Bayley putting the pressure on nice and early...

Winning the toss is important at Waldron due to the famous slope and most teams like to play uphill first half. Heathfield won and chose this option and profited handsomely. From the first few engagements it became clear that the Boars were significantly superior in the forwards and the backs would play ‘going forward’. This led to some good attacking rugby and the Boars score six unanswered tries in the first half to turn around 36-0.

Another attack down the hill from the rampant Sam Barrow...

The forwards dominated Brighton and the back row of Bayley, Lewes and Barrow were at the heart of everything...

Playing downhill in the second half captain Julian Wates asked the Boars to end their habit of leaking tries and to keep a clean sheet. It was ironic that his attempted clearance hit one of his own players to gift Brighton their first score. By then the game was well won and all that was to be decided was the margin. The Boars were happy with their seven tries in this half but the three Brighton tries suggest that fitness levels are not all they could be.

Guess what, yep the back row getting stuck in again... and KFC, no dodgy food jokes!!

The Boars tries came from Jack Bayley (3), Sam Barrow (3), Simon Hollingdale (2), captain Wates, Paul Watton, Brady Burdett, Matt Overy and returnee Ben Harman.

Paul Watton caping of a great performance with a powerful try...

Man of the Match was close with ‘ginger sex god’ Jono Sharp and Sam Barrow challenging hard for the prize. However the award went to Paul Watton for his destructive scrimmaging and barrelling runs.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, P. Watton, P. Hookway, T. Rose, J. Bayley, K. Lewis, S. Barrow, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, S. Hollingdale, M. Overy, B. Harman, M. Barber

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Boars win BIG

Early Heathfield pressure

Dave Rhodes ready to pu Dave Cook away

The Boars continued their campaign in division 2 with a surprising win over Haywards Heath 4’s. Lacking any recognised centres the Boars put dynamic young back row forward Sam Barrow and winger Simon Hollingdale in those positions. They did the job very well and came up with three tries apiece as the Boars forwards dominated their opposite numbers and gave their back line time to smash holes in the Heath defence.

"Too Tall" Tiny Rose climbs high to take a another lineout

KFC disrupting Haywards Heathd lineout ball; someone probably told him the ball was made of chocolate!

Shaun "Poker Pro" Hipgrave digs out ball after the forwards good work

The first half was pretty even as HH used the Waldron slope to their advantage so Heathfield were very happy to turn round at half time 31-20 ahead.

From the restart the Boars hammered into Haywards Heath and kept them on the back foot all through the half. The Boars ran in eight tries while conceding only two and these from their own errors. The Boars played some champagne rugby in this half with good forward work allowing flowing passing moves to open gaps which led to the tries.

the pack driving Haywards Heath back down the hill

A good tackle from Bayley prevents HH from escaping

A welcome return by Shaun Hipgrave saw him bag two tries and the other scorers on the day were Jack Bayley, Brady Burdett, Dave Rhodes and Dave Cook who put three tries past his old team.

Man of the Match was close with Dave Cook and Sam Barrow challenging hard for the prize. However the award went to Jack Bayley for his non stop effort.

Boars Team – M. Fellows, J. Sharp, M. MacLeod, J. Parsons, T. Rose, J. Bayley, K. Lewis, D. Cook, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, S. Barrow, S. Hollingdale, S. Hipgrave, P. Squires, M. Barber

Match Report by Mike MacLeod

Boars continue their winning ways

The newly promoted Boars opened their campaign in division 2 with a hard fought win over Robertsbridge. The game seemed to seesaw wildly and had Robertsbridge not lost a prop towards the end of the first half the result might have been closer.

Bundett Chips for the corner early on...

Heathfield opened the scoring with converted tries from Jack Bayley, Julian Wates and Rob Woods before Boars lapses allowed Robertsbridge to run in three tries of their own. Heathfield captain Wates dressed his men down and asked for more effort and was rewarded by another three unanswered tries (two from Shallcross and one from Wates himself) each converted by Shallcross. This brought up half time with the score 42-19 and Heathfield having to play uphill against a heavier pack in the second half.

Farrell finishes of a good backs move, untouched under the posts...

An early Robertsbridge score rattled the Boars but tries from Wates and Farrell calmed the nerves before Robertsbridge broke through twice more. A late try from Shallcross rounded off the scoring and a tired but happy bunch of Boars trooped towards the bar to celebrate a maiden win at this level.

Boars competed well in the lineout all day

Man of the Match was Mike Shallcross for his three tries and cultured play.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp (A. Ryde – 40), P. Watton, P. Hookway, T. Rose, J. Bayley, K. Lewis, J. Parsons, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, A. Farrell (G. Ellery – 70), M. Shallcross, S. Hollingdale, R. Woods (M. Barber – 30)

Match report by Mike MacLeod

The Boars started the new season as they finished the old one. This win knocked the rust off the machine and exposed areas for improvement but was enough to suggest that the Boars can stay in Division 2 for more than a single year.

Brady gets the new season underway

The Boars scrum welcomed back Paul Watton and he repaid this with a big hand in the Boars set piece dominance. This started at the first scrum when Crowborough were driven back 10 metres off their own ball. Shortly after this Sam Barrow went over for his first try converted by Brady Burdett. But slack tackling let Crowborough level the game with a try through their forwards.

Mike Shallcross restored the lead soon after, some good backs pressure ended with Wates splitting the Crowborough defense before passing to Shallcross to score in the corner. A backs move mix up left an alert Crowborough centre holding the ball for a 60 metre dash to the Boars try line for another converted try.

RUNAWAY.. did someone tell Keith about the pre match chat!!

Better forward play saw some stability return and Barrow once again used this platform to break away and score. Last years top try scorer, Rob Woods, then got in on the action with a try just before half time.

Rob "Top Gun" Woods races away to open this years account,  with Mike Shallcroft in support...

Crowborough asked for uncontested scrums shortly after the restart and this led to a more even contest with the only score being a single try from Barrow when he snaffled the ball from a poor defensive lineout at Crowborough’s 5 metre line. This half also saw the welcome return of two ‘old’ Boars when Paul Squires and Guy Ellery pulled on the shirt after long term injuries.

We couldn't work out why Kenny kept takling the same player over and over again, it turns out he works in a local Pie Factory!! Jo Can you please feed him before a game!!

Man of the Match was Sam Barrow for his three tries and all round energy. But also special mentions should go to the wingers on the day, both Sam and Mike work hard in defense and attack and did a great job for the team.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, C. Jones, P. Watton, P. Hookway, T. Rose, D. Bazen, K. Lewis, S. Barrow, D. Rhodes (G. Ellery – 65), B. Burdett, D. Hesketh (P. Squires – 40), J. Wates, M. Shallcross, A. Sam, R. Woods

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Boars 'Top Guns' 2008/2009
Player Name	Tries
Sam Barrow	3
Rob Woods	1
Mike Shallcross	1

Boars win twin town tournament

A strong Heathfield Boars team travelled to their twin town Forges Les Eaux to participate in the local rugby tournament. The usual end of season tour preparations (i.e. drinking too much way too early) had been curtailed by a change of travel plans forced on the team by the closure of the Dieppe port by striking French fishermen. The alternative trip via Eurotunnel proved successful and less taxing on the liver.

A jaded but functioning group of players gathered on the Saturday morning and set about recovering their rugby playing skills in advance of playing.

The Boars opened the tournament and their first opponents were Grand Couronne (a team from near Rouen) and they proved stubborn but quite subdued opponents. At first it was as if neither team had quite warmed up but the Boars hit their stride first. Late in the first half the forwards gained good position and then Matt Skinner took a pass after several phases of play. Anyone who has seen him in ‘broken play’ will know how dangerous he is and he ran the width of the field plus the remaining 25 metres to score the opening try. In the second half the Boars had to resist a lot of pressure from the French before scoring the second try with a lovely breakaway move. Started on the left the ball was spun right through hands and out to right winger Dave Groom who made a lot of ground before cleverly offloading as he realised that two defenders were closing on him. Who was on hand to collect the pass, none other than Matt Skinner. That effectively closed the contest and the clock ran down without any additional scoring.

The next game saw the hosts Forges les Eaux hold on for a ‘surprise’ scoreless draw against last years champions Racing Club Paris 15.

After a long delay for two ‘youth matches’ (Forges Les Eaux have some promising young talent coming through) the Boars were up to face Paris in a match that the Boars had targeted as “The Big One!” It was thought that Paris had the edge in the backs and that the Boars could win the forward battle. The only problem was that the opposition had worked this out and committed men and fought hard to deny the Boars yards. This led to a dour ‘defence dominated’ match that was played mostly in midfield. Neither team showed the guile nor the brute force necessary to break through, so the match ended scoreless.

Forges were then beaten by Grand Couronne who showed considerable ability in the forwards who dominated play in that area and laid the platform for their two try to nil victory.

This set up a final round of games with the tournament wide open as any of the four teams could win the trophy. Next up were the unbeaten RC Paris 15 team up against an improving Grand Couranne side. This was an open flowing match with exciting attacking flair and good defence. Paris took the lead when their inside centre anticipated a pass and intercepted to race away to score. Shortly before the end of the game Grand Couranne were allowed advantage for a Paris knock on halfway and broke through a weakened defence to equalise. A draw did no favours to either side and promoted the Boars to tournament favourites.

It was now simple so long as the Boars did not lose to their hosts, Les Forgerons, they would win the tournament. If they lost the trophy would stay in France.

The final game was the most attractive of the tournament for spectators and even the home crowd cheered the Boars play when it was deserved. Forges gave it all they had and left the field with heads held high but it was the Boars who clicked into top gear. The opening try was an absolute corker. It was a classic entry into the line at speed from Matt Skinner after centres Hesketh and Farrell had pulled their opposite numbers away with dummy runs. Skinner blasted through on the Forges 10 metre line and no one got within 10 metres of him as he placed the ball between the posts. A second Skinner try before half time gave the Boars some breathing space and they weathered the Forges pressure early in the second half before driving up field through the forwards as a means of running the clock down. This gave a lovely platform for the backs to time their attacks and this led to the final score of the tournament when a Skinner break was nicely finished off by Dave Groom.

This was a very enjoyable finale to the Boars season and makes Tony Rose even more secure in his “Most Successful Boars Manager Ever” guise. To say that the party went on long into the night underestimates the stamina of some of these guys.

Man of the Tournament was between Matt Skinner for his 4 tries and general brilliance, Duncan Hesketh for battering any opponent who came his way and Jono Sharp for non stop effort coupled with good decision making.

Boars Squad – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, B. Togher, J. Geesin, J. Cumming, J. Parsons, S. Barrow, T. Rose, K. Lewis, I. Schleider, B. Burdett, N. Newport, D. Hesketh, A. Farrell, D. Groom, M. Barber, M. Skinner

Some games are memorable for the fine play and others are forgettable for dull play. This victory will live long in the memory but only of those people who stayed away from the after match celebrations. This reporter’s memory of events is patchy at best.

"Twinkle Toes" prepares to mash and mangle apposing players with a trade mark run... this run saw him pip Bradley to 3rd place in the Top Gun listing - NICE!

Dave Rhodes marches another scrum towards the tryline...

The Boars won despite a comedy of errors in the back division which three times brought Hellingly back into the game by gifting them tries. An early try from Chris Jones settled the nerves and Dave Rhodes added another shortly afterwards. Even the next score being a Hellingly try did not puncture the general feeling that the Boars could win it. Julian Wates then scored an excellent try when he took a ball on the burst at the half way line and beat the defence to make the line near the posts. This seasons Boars top try scorer Rob "Top Gun" Woods then snuck in for another score before the Boars threw Hellingly a life line with a wild ball that was snapped up and run back for a try by a grateful Hellingly player. Simon Hollingdale then showed his power game when he scored from 30 metres out having trampled 3 attempted tacklers on the way. The last action of the half was when Cook, the Hellingly number 8 broke several tackles to score between the posts to take the score to 33-19 at half time.

yes... that was "Top Gun" making a tackle, the stunned look on everyone's face says it all...

The second half saw more errors creep into the Boars game and another wild ball saw Hellingly score again before Woods struck for his second try of the day. Hellingly also found extra effort in the forwards and gained more ground in the loose and parity in the set pieces. This led to a few nervous moments after another Hellingly forward barged his way over the try line. Wates calmed things down with his second try and the Boars held on to the final whistle and time for the celebrations to begin.

Now that looks like its gonna hurt!

"Action Man" takes another lineout...

It was very good to see Joe Geesin last a full match for the first time this season even if it was accompanied by many threats that he would retire immediately the game finished. Aficionados of the Boars scrum hope this is not true. Sadly this game also sees the final game for one of the Boars founding fathers, Simon Walker, who retires after 11 seasons at the club.

Man of the Match was Julian Wates who held a fragile Boars backline together and scored two fine tries.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, C. Jones, J. Geesin, P. Hookway,  B. Groves (S. Walker – 50), J. Parsons (I. Jenkins – 35), D. Bird (J. Malewicz – 60, D. Cook, D. Rhodes (S. Hipgrave – 55), B. Burdett, J. Wates, R. Woods, S. Hollingdale (K. Lewis – 65), J. Henry (N. Sands – 40), M. Brown (B. Burdett Snr - 75)

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Boars 'Top Guns' 2007/2008
Player Name	Tries
Rob Woods	19
Dave Cook	16
Simon Hollingdale	14
Brady Burdett	13
Julian Wates	10

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]

The Boars took a scratch team to Crawley for a friendly against St Francis and eventually ran out clear winners in a hugely enjoyable game played under blue skies. The Boars arrived in dribs and drabs and only reached a full compliment 2 minutes before kick off. This also led to a strange set of backs with Jim Cumming (2nd row now with hair gel added “to feel the part”) and Jack Bayley (flanker) playing as centres and centre Julian Wates stepping up to play number 10. With all the hair styling advice Wates had given Cummings before the match he had forgotten that he would have to kick off, not know for his precision kicking it was going to be an INTERESTING start... Wates brushed off Streeter sniggering about the quality and validity of the kick and the game was ON!

Wates doing his impression of Burdett

Despite the lack of preparation the Boars were first to attack and put pressure on the St Francis line. The saints held firm by a combination of determined tackling and the Boars trying to hard, they had several chances to score but came up a few feet short every time. This led to a game with too many scrums caused by promising back play breaking down.

Finally a score in the corner

The Boars finally opened the scoring when the ball finally made it out to trusted finisher Simon Hollingdale who scored in the corner. After this breakthrough the Boars returned to their habit of trying to force the ball in the last 5 metres before the line. Finally a good set move by the stand in the backs put left winger Nick Sands away to score under pressure in the left corner.

Streeter crashes through again...

At half time saw the addition of normal stand off Brady Burdett who popped in for a game on the way back from a skiing holiday (handy place Crawley) much to the chagrin of his long suffering wife. This returned the Boars backs to their tried and trusted moves and it was not long before ‘shoeless’ Sands cut in from his left wing to take a ball as an extra centre, hit the afterburners and run half the length of the pitch to score in the right hand corner.

Burdett back in charge... Well be OK now!

Then as St Francis started to tire it was the turn of ‘all action hero’ Jack Bayley to burst through on the half way line and show a good turn of speed to make the try line for a score that Burdett converted. Towards the end of the game Bayley repeated this move only this time he took the ball to between the posts and converted his own try.

A terrible pile up is caused when Kenny "KFC" Lewis stoops to pick up what he thinks is a chicken fillet burger...

There were several contenders including Julian Wates and the evergreen Rob Streeter but Man of the Match was Bryn Groves for surprising everyone with his power, stamina and commitment in his first full 80 minute game following 9 substitute appearances. He laid down a demand for a regular place that will be hard to ignore and shows the Boars strength in depth.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, J. Geesin (B. Togher – 30), B. Groves, T. Rose,  D. Bird, K. Lewis, R. Streeter, L. Vockins, J. Wates, J. Cumming (B. Burdett – 40), J. Bayley, S. Hollingdale (B. Taylor – 65), N. Sands, M. Brown

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Boars 'Top Guns' 2007/2008
Player Name	Tries
Rob Woods	15
Dave Cook	13
Brady Burdett	13
Simon Hollingdale	13
Julian Wates	8
Jim Cumming	7

Eastbourne Blown Away by Boars

A strong Boars team travelled to a windy Eastbourne and came away with the win needed to stay top of the league and keep the Heathfield & Waldron club’s hopes of 4 trophies in the season alive. The Boars opted to play into the strong wind in the first half and hoped that their defence would hold out. For long periods Eastbourne pinned the Boars back behind their 22 metre line without finding a way through stout defence. After 20 minutes a Boars error was pounced on and Eastbourne ran in an unconverted try. This seemed to spur the Boars on and on a rare foray into the Eastbourne half Brady Burdett called a move that saw centres Hesketh and Wates take defenders away with decoy runs allowing Burdett to sprint in and score a try that Rhodes did well to convert.

KFC takes another ball at the lineout [someone told him it was edible!]

Just before half time the Boars scored a second try when the slimmed down centre Julian Wates cut through 3 tackles to round off a bout of hard work by the forwards. The teams turned round at half time with the score at 5-12 in the Boars favour.

It was clear that Eastbourne would need to replicate the Boars tactics and play a forward dominated game if they were to have any chance of winning. This they attempted but the Boars forwards have become battle hardened and tackled well to deny Eastbourne any significant progress. There was no more scoring for the first 15 minutes and it took a bit of clever play by scrum half Dave Rhodes to break the stalemate. Rhodes was first to his own kick through and gained the try that seemed to settle the match in the Boars favour.

Gilly crashes through the defence...

Eastbourne never gave up but seemed to tire and the Boars were able to add fresh legs without reducing the level of skill available. This led to a flurry of tries in the last 20 minutes of the match with Dave Cook producing a trademark burst to score followed by Burdett adding his second and young Sam Barrow scoring twice. Barrows second was a thing of beauty with him breaking tackles on the halfway line and dummying the fullback before scoring under the posts.

"Twinckle Toes" storms off down the wing again...

This rounded off an excellent display and set up a chance for the Boars to win the league title at home on the 29th March in their next match against Hastings and Bexhill 3’s.

Jono makes another tackle on his way to Man of the match...

Man of the Match was Jono Sharp for a winning 4 scrums against the head and for excellent work around the pitch.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp, A. Sutton (J. Geesin – 65), P. Hookway (S. Barrow – 45), T. Rose (D. Bird – 65) , W. Visser, K. Lewis (I. Schleider – 20), D. Cook, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, D. Hesketh, J. Wates, S. Hollingdale, A. Farrell, M. Brown (G. Woods - 50)

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Boars 'Top Guns' 2007/2008
Player Name	Tries
Rob Woods	15
Dave Cook	13
Brady Burdett	13
Simon Hollingdale	12
Julian Wates	8
Jim Cumming	7

Captain Kenny Drives Boars towards League Title

East Grinstead brought a strong team to face a Boars team without 4 of their best players and came within a minute of victory. However the Boars are proving a difficult team to beat this season and their spirit and will to win eventually got them the score that keeps them top of the league with only 3 games left to play.

East Grinstead were the better team in the opening exchanges and had the Boars under pressure from the start. EG’s larger pack was putting pressure on at the set pieces and desperate defending was needed to keep out the repeated attacks. Boars number 8 Mike Brown saved a try when he managed to hold the ball up after East Grinstead had rumbled over the try line. The Boars were relying on the boot of Brady Burdett and  Rob Woods to clear their lines and gain breathing space as the ball was not moving through hands as smoothly as fans have come to expect.

This maul lead to the first Heathfield try...

After 15 minutes the persistent pressure paid off for EG when they won a penalty 20 metre out and they chose to kick. This broke the deadlock and shortly afterwards the Grinstead number 10 added to this with a clean break through the centre for a try between the posts which was converted to leave the Boars 0-10 down.

From this low point the Boars rallied and the forwards seemed to up their work rate, gaining parity in the set pieces and an edge in the loose play where the back row trio of Kenny Lewis, Ian Schleider and Mike Brown were outstanding. This gave additional impetus to the Boars backs and five minutes later Burdett tired of watching the ball being dropped outside him, dummied his opposite number and galloped the 30 metres to score. Importantly the try was converted by Woods to take the score to 7-10 at half time.

From the Boars restart kick East Grinstead countered quickly and would have scored had Captain Lewis not swept the ball up and took it out just as the EG winger looked likely to pounce. However this simply delayed the next EG score as another break from the quick EG number 10 allowed a score in the corner from where the conversion was missed. Had this been the final score East Grinstead would have gone to the top of the table.

However the Boars struck back very quickly and from quick ball won by the forwards it was spun left and full back Woods was on hand to score a try to the relief of most of the crowd.

Dave Rhodes starts another heathfield attack...

This was followed by a moment of madness as Woods again broke the East Grinstead line and crossed the try line but a moments lack of concentration saw him drop the ball and the ref denied the score. Serious dissent saw Woods be given 10 minutes to cool down and watch his team mates toil. The remaining 14 Boars did magnificently to contain the 15 men of East Grinstead with the fresh legs of substitutes Nick Kerr, Lee Keylock and Dan Bird proving vital.

Woods rejoined the action with 13 minutes to go and the Boars still 2 points down. This period saw the Boars gain an upper hand and press their tiring opponents. Time and time again attacks were repulsed until the final minute of play approached. The ball was passed to Keylock on the left and he made yards and bravely made sure that he stayed in play. Support was found and the ball went back to midfield where the attack was held up 10 metres out. Captain Lewis ripped the ball out and passed to Duncan Hesketh who drew 2 defenders and lobbed a miss pass out to winger Simon Hollingdale who is not easy to stop only 10 yards out and true to form he crashed over in the corner. The conversion kick was missed but this did nothing to lessen the cheers when the referees whistle went for the end of the match.

This final attack lead to Simon "Twinckle Toes" Hollingdale scoring in the far corner

The Boars must win two of their last 3 games to be sure of the title but after this hard fought victory that is within their grasp.

Thanks must go to Dave Robertshaw for stepping in and doing an excellent job of refereeing this critical game at very short notice.

Man of the Match was Kenny Lewis for a dynamic and inspirational performance for the full 80 minutes.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod (D. Bird – 60), C. Jones, A. Sutton, J. Parsons, S. Cooley (N. Kerr – 50), I. Schlieder, K. Lewis, M. Brown, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, D. Hesketh, J. Wates, A. Farrell (L. Keylock – 55), S. Hollingdale, R. Woods Sub not used J. Sharp

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Boars 'Top Guns' 2007/2008
Player Name	Tries
Rob Woods	15
Dave Cook	12
Simon Hollingdale	12
Brady Burdett	10
Julian Wates	7
Jim Cumming	7

The Boars faced an Eastbourne team hurting from a surprise defeat against Cinque Ports the week before. It was clear they meant business with a large and surprisingly mobile pack taking the ball to the Boars from the start. With the Boars scrum also under pressure it was clear that the teams would run completely different tactics throughout the match. Eastbourne wanted to play a slow game close to the forwards and the Boars wanted to play a fast game out wide.

Kenny "KFC" Lewis at the lineout...

The first 15 minutes was evenly contested with both sides making half breaks and defences looking strong. The Boars changed this when they won the ball in midfield and Dave Rhodes popped a pass to the blindside for man of the match Mike Macleod to run onto. Macleod offloaded to Brady Burdett who drew in the last defender and passed to Full Back Rob Woods who outpaced the cover defence to score between the posts. Rhodes converted to make the score 7-0.

the Club Chairman has still got it...

This stung Eastbourne who pressured hard until a big clearance kick and chase got the Boars a lineout 10 metres out from the Eastbourne line. Scrum half Rhodes caught the Eastbourne defence dozing when he took the ball in himself and jinked past the sleepy defence to score in the corner. To their credit Eastbourne came back even harder and pressured the Boars line for several minutes. During this phase they were awarded a 5 metre scrum and used their considerable weight advantage to good effect by pushing the Boars back over their line to take the score to 12-5.

Eastbourne continued to pound away through their forwards and the Boars defended stoutly. Another foray into the Eastbourne half gained the Boars a vital score just before halftime. The Boars forwards recycled quick ball and it went quickly through the backs hands and out to full back Woods who snuck in at the corner to leave the score at 17-5 at halftime.

Brady puts away Simon "Twinckle Toes" Hollingdale

The Boars now had the advantage of the wind and used this to pin the Eastbourne forwards back as much as possible. This worked well until blindside flanker Ian Schleider was yellow carded and a poor clearance kick let the Eastbourne pack execute their rolling maul close to the line and the Boars did not defend well enough to stop the score. 17-10 and the game was back in the balance.

The decisive score came with 15 minutes left to play when replacement full back Sam Goatcher came into the line and scored near the corner in front of the clubhouse. The Boars continued to work hard to deny Eastbourne a way back into the game and most of the last 10 minutes was spent in the opponents half. There was great relief when the referees whistle went for the end of the match leaving the Boars top of the league.

Man of the Match was Mike Macleod for a gutsy performance as prop and for doing the ‘hard work’ throughout the match.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Sharp (C. Ambrosino – 50), B. Togher, P. Hookway (P. de Bruin – 60), T. Rose, I. Schlieder (D. Bird – 65), K. Lewis (B. Groves – 75), O. Robertshaw, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, D. Hesketh, A. Farrell, S. Hollingdale, N. Sands, R. Woods (S. Goatcher – 40)

Match report by Mike MacLeod

On a lovely sunny day the Boars enjoyed a rare outing on the main pitch at Cross-in-Hand but struggled to play flowing rugby. The first half started well with early scores from Simon Hollingdale and Rob Woods but descended into a catalogue of unforced errors by the Boars and Crowborough came back into the game with stand off Ed Radford pulling the strings. A converted try by Crowborough took the score to 10-7 and the game was in the balance before a try from Sam Barrow, converted by Dave Rhodes put the Boars in 17-7 up at half time.

Will he or wont he? Just because it looks like he is going to pass it doesnt mean he will...

The Boars made several changes at half time and that seemed to wake them up. The forwards began to be more direct in their running and began to break the line before offloading. The backs responded by catching passes that were previously going to ground. This led to a flurry of unanswered tries with Woods adding two more for his hat trick and single scores for Andy Foster, Brady Burdett and Mike Barber. The score probably flattered the Boars but the points were put in the bag none the less.

Schleider takes the ball at a line out...

Man of the Match was number 8 Sam Barrow with Julian Wates pushing him very close. A special mention must go to Keith Davies who was lent to the Crowborough side for this match and put in an abrasive and gutsy performance including a ‘cooling off’ period in the sin bin.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. La Roche (J. Sharp), J. Geesin (A. Sutton), J. Parsons (S. Walker), T. Rose (B. Groves), A. Farrell (I. Schleider), K. Lewis (D. Bird), S. Barrow, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, D. Hesketh, S. Hollingdale, A. Foster, R. Woods (M. Barber)

Match report by Mike MacLeod

A mixed team of Boars and Development team players enjoyed a close game of rugby on a cold but bright and sunny day. Early scores from Duncan Hesketh and rob Woods put Heathfield in a good position before St Francis really woke up. When St Francis capitalised on a Boars mistake to score the game got interesting. Heathfield were relieved when Nick Seddon scored and more so when Jack Bayley got another on half time to take the score to 24-5.

Hesketh charges through to score early on...

Kenny "KFC" Lewis takes good ball at the lineout...

The second half started well for St Francis with two early tries during a period when Heathfield went down to 13 men due to an injury and a sin binning. Once restored to 14 men Heathfield were very thankful for a fine score from Jim Cumming after a penalty was awarded on the Francis 22. After this St Francis piled on the pressure and the Boars limited St Francis to a single try in this 20 minute session as the clock wound down. With the final move of the game Levi Willis made the score more respectable as he finished off a good backs move.

Heathfield under pressure at the scrum...

Man of the Match was all round action man Chris Jones.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. Bayley, C. Jones, J. Cumming, I. Schleider, S. Green, K. Lewis, S. Barrow, M. Jaques, S. Goatcher, J. Wates, D. Hesketh, L. Willis, N. Seddon, R. Woods

Match report by Mike MacLeod

The Boars travelled to Hastings to play the ‘new boys’ of Cinque Ports without a tight head prop or obvious front row replacement. Veteran second row converted to loose head prop Mike MacLeod offered to convert once more and said he would try to hold up the tight head equipped only with a short lesson from injured Joe Geesin.

The Boars looked sluggish during the warm up and started the match in similar fashion. Any ball won seemed to come out slowly and the Boars backs did not seem to be passing with any fluency. The set pieces were evenly contested with Kenny Lewis dominant at the front of the lineout on his return from honeymoon and the scrum evenly contested. Cinque Ports were playing better than expected with several dangerous attacked snuffed out by good tackles.

OOH look Brady making a tackle!! well more of a hug actually...

The deadlock was broken by Dave Rhodes following up a kick ahead to touch down by the posts and then convert his own score. This seemed to settle the Boars a bit and a good spell of pressure followed. During this period the ‘disaster scenario’ struck when prop Nick Kerr injured his shoulder in a tackle and had to go off. Come the hour, come the man and Paul Hookway stepped up and offered his services and while he may have had more comfortable afternoons he did a good solid job in that unfamiliar role.

Shortly afterwards a well worked backs move saw the ball travel wide to winger Simon Hollingdale who broke a couple of tackles around the 22 metre line and sprinted through to score. This score was not converted and the score stayed 0-12 until half time.

Lineout agianst the head...

From the kick off it was clear that Ports wanted this match and were heartened when their number 8 collected and took off on a run reminiscent of the Boars own Dave Cook. He went through several weak tackles in a 30 metre rumble and even though he was eventually stopped CP had established good field position and they were determined to gain points. Several phases of play later CP established a maul that sucked in too many Boars defenders and a try ensued. This was converted to take the score to 7-12 and raised the possibility that all the hard work against East Grinstead might be thrown away.

Paul "Handsome Shreck" Hookway slows down the 8 so Tony can get stuck in...

Luckily this score seemed to wake the Boars up - in particular the backs who began to make better use of the ball they received. The decisive score came at the end of a 3 phase move (well done to Dan Bird for a good recycle and pass) when a determined Brady Burdett carried two tacklers over to score a try he then converted.

Next came the best try of the match when hard working inside centre Julian Wates dummied (You sure!! slipped more like...) the pass and rumbled into the acres of open space that had opened up and made the 30 metres to the line in great style. The Boars were not significantly trouble after this and the icing was put on the cake when Burdett went over in the corner for his second and the Boars fifth try of the match. Cinque Ports must be congratulated for their progress this season and for the team spirit they are building but the Boars did enough to come away with the victory they needed.

Man of the Match was Paul Hookway for saving a 10 point penalty by standing in as prop and putting in an excellent ball carrying performance throughout the match.

Boars Team – N. Kerr (S. Barrow - 20), J. Sharp, M. MacLeod, P. Hookway, T. Rose, M. Brown (D. Bird – 50), K. Lewis (B. Groves – 65), J. Parsons, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, A. Farrell, S. Hollingdale, K. Davies, M. Barber

Match report by Mike MacLeod

After getting to three cup finals last year, it looks like Heathfield & Waldron RFC may be trying to go one better. We are proud to point out that after last weeks league games, Heathfield & Waldron RFC are now top of all three of their respective Sussex divisions.

Check out the league tables below; well done to the whole club, not only players but also coaches, all the people who help run the club on a day to day basis and of course the supporters who turn up every week to watch all three teams play...

The First team are clear by 5 points...

The Seconds are clear by 3 points and have a game in hand against their nearest rivals...

and the Boars are also 3 points clear

There is still a lot of rugby left to be played in Sussex this year but lets keep our fingers crossed all three teams can keep on playing as well as they have been...

The Boars did what they had to do and more in this table topping clash at Waldron and in doing so avenged their only league defeat of the season so far. It was probably the Boars best ever display of rugby as a very strong side were aggressive and organised in the forwards and incisive in the backs (well done to manager Tony Rose for getting everyone out on the same weekend).

The Boars won the important Waldron ‘toss’ and elected to stick with tradition and play uphill in the first half. This turned out to be a hard fought affair with the Boars taking their half chances while the visitors missed theirs.

Within 5 minutes Jim Cumming took advantage of an early lapse in tackling as he ran 20 metres to score a converted try then giving a classic Cumming excuse of “I just couldn’t pass”. It took 15 minutes of midfield battling before the next score. From a lineout on the Grinstead 22 metre line a very well controlled maul was moved 23 metres to the line for Ian Schleider to score. Shortly after that East Grinstead drove into the Boars 22 and won a penalty that they opted to kick and score. The game was still tight until Brady Burdett called for a move that saw full back Rob Woods hit the line at speed and glide untouched the 30 metres to score between the posts. This showed the threat that centres Duncan Hesketh and Julian Wates were posing as all the defenders had lined up to halt them as usual. This took the score to 19-3 at half-time.

The Boars half-time team talk was a reminder to stay focused and not to think the game was over just because we were leading going uphill. The second half began much as the first ended with heavy hits and not much width being used. Then substitute prop Nick Kerr burst through the defence to score after a scrum near the Pirates line.

East Grinstead fought back and pummelled the Boars line for a 10 minute spell before a breakaway try for Woods seemed to swing the game. The rest of the match saw a tiring East Grinstead side trying to contain a buoyant Boars side playing at the top of their game. The last 15 minutes saw two tries from Dave Cook, a second from Cumming and a solo effort from Burdett as the Boars counter attacked at every opportunity.

Man of the Match was Brady Burdett for a controlled performance that brought others into the game, winning a maul and for actually tackling the opposition players.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod (N. Kerr – 45), C. Jones (J. Sharp - 70), L. Marshall (A. Sutton – 60), J. Cumming (P. Hookway – 65), T. Rose, M. Brown (K. Lewis – 55), Ian Schleider, D. Cook, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, D. Hesketh, S. Hollingdale (A. Farrell – 60), M. Barber (J. Salmon – 50), R. Woods

Match report by Mike MacLeod

The Boars worked hard for this victory over their local rivals. The game was competitive well into the second half before the Boars racked up enough points to relax and play expansive rugby.

The game started with the Boars under pressure but a good kick from Brady Burdett gave a lineout 15 metres out which the Boars caught, controlled and drove a maul over the Uckfield line only for an unsighted referee to deny the try. The Boars then pressure the Uckfield line for the next 5 minutes without success against stout defence until Burdett faced with few options decided to try a drop goal. It sailed ‘Wilkinson like’ over the crossbar to cheers from the Boars.

Uckfield rallied for the next few minutes until the Boars managed to push up field where Uckfield gave away a penalty in front of the posts which Burdett duly kicked.
The rest of the half was nip and tuck with both sides having opportunities which they squandered A decisive blow was struck just before half time by Simon Hollingdale; Julian Wates chipped a ball into space behind the Uckfield defence and Twinkle Toes beat the full back to the ball, hacking the loose ball on and then winning the footrace to touch the ball down for a try. This brought the score to 11-0 at half time and with it the feeling that the next score could be crucial.

The Boars had a good team talk and came out fired up. From the kick off pressure was put on the Uckfield forwards and when the ball was released the Boars backs took over with Burdett making several of his trade mark sidesteps, making several Uckfield players looking like bairns, clutching at thin air before feeding full back Mike Barber who joined in on the overlap not only to score but to score between the posts where Duncan Hesketh converted. Further Boars pressure shortly afterwards led to a poor Uckfield clearance kick being caught by Mike Shallcross who then evaded several tackles during a jinking run that ended with him scoring between the posts and converting his own try.

Uckfield began to force the game at this point to try and avoid the whitewash that faced them. This tactic allowed the Boars to feed off any errors and counterattack whenever the opportunity arose. The best try of the match followed. Quick hands through the backs saw Hesketh put winger Jake Donnebaer in space, he evaded several tackles before popping the ball back to the supporting Hesketh, who then returned the favour, Donnebaer sped through the remaining defenders finally passing out of the last tackle to flanker Ian Schleider who made the final 10 metres to tap down between the posts for an easily converted try.

With their tails up the Boars played good rugby and Dave Cook broke several tackles to score off the base of a scrum. This was followed by a Burdett try, Julian Wates  taking a pop from Burdett broke through the defence on the half way line, after breaking several more tackles Wates passed to Dave Cook who in turn passed to the supporting Burdett to score.

with several Uckfield players looking like bairns as they collected dummies.

The final try was a solo effort by Donnebaer as he collected a loose Uckfield cross field kick on his own 22 and backed himself for pace to outstrip a worn out Uckfield defence.

The Boars next league match is against East Grinstead 3’s at Waldron on the 19th January and is likely to decide the destination of the division 3 league title.

Man of the Match was Chris Jones for an outstanding performance at hooker despite dislocating a thumb early in the match.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, C. Jones, A. Sutton, P. Hookway, T. Rose, A. Farrell (S. Walker – 40), Ian Schleider (D. Bird – 60), J. Cannella (D. Cook – 40), L. Keylock, B. Burdett, J. Wates, D. Hesketh, S. Hollingdale (K. Davies – 65), M. Shallcross, M. Barber (J. Donnebaer – 45)

Match report by Mike MacLeod

The Boars continue their good run of form with a solid win over their local rivals. The Boars started slowly following the stag night of Boars Captain Kenny Lewis and paid the penalty early. Burdett threw a pass that resembled a wounded pigeon and while trying to deal with this mess Hesketh passed to a grateful opponent who ran in to score between the posts for a converted try. The boars also had to sort out a misfiring scrum which contained four who were sweating pure alcohol from the night before.

A bit of normal service was resumed as the Boars forwards began to win the ball at the breakdowns and grind forward. From this platform the backs began to string passes together and Hesketh made hard yards up the middle, offloaded to Julian Wates who rode the last two tackles to score between the posts and allow Rhodes to convert. Hellingly were then unlucky to have a man sin-binned for persistent infringement and even they were surprised when they went over for a converted try during this period.

The next score looked critical and the Boars got it as the controlled a maul near the halfway line scrumhalf Rhodes sensed that the Hellingly defence had overcommitted and made a blindside break and as he was tackled found Tony Wates on his shoulder for a try. This seemed to settle the team and a more stable platform was found from which to pressure the Hellingly defence into mistakes. Good work on the left led to a penalty 10 yards out. Rhodes took the quick tap and spun the ball right where it went quickly through hands to allow Hollingdale to beat a stretched defence to score in the corner. So this brought up half time with the score at 17-12 to the Boars.

The second half saw fresh legs added in the form of a number of Colts who added vim and vigour to the advantage of playing downhill and Hellingly were made to defend for most of the half. The Boars pack had by now sorted out their issues (sweated out the alcohol?) and were winning ball cleanly and from this platform the backs swept into action. Julian Wates and Burdett scored good tries before the colts took over with Dorrill and Neil ? both scoring before Julian wates scored his third and final try. This rounded of a fine match for the Boars and kept the pressure on East Grinstead at the top of the league.

The funniest moment of the match was when big Julian Wates was ‘interacting’ with an opponent after a ruck and a voice piped up “Oi! That’s my little brother so leave him alone”. Julian and opponent were left helpless with laughter at such a show brotherly love.

Man of the Match was Duncan Hesketh who often broke the defensive line to allow others to score and put in the big tackles to halt the opposition attacks.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, T. Wates, A. Sutton, P. Hookway, T. Rose, N. Wood (S. Dorrill – 40), Ian Schleider, J. Parsons (D. Bird – 60), D. Rhodes, B. Burdett (L. Keylock), J. Wates, D. Hesketh, S. Hollingdale (J. Donnebaer – 40), N. Huxter (K. Davies – 60), M. Barber

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Baby Boars beat Hastings

The Boars went to Hastings for a top of the table clash full of apprehension and doubt yet returned elated and victorious. Much of the credit must go to the 6 young men from the Colts team who stepped up and out fought their much larger opponents. You know what to expect from a Hasting & Bexhill team. You get a committed hard working pack of large forwards with limited flair in the back division. This means you have to match them upfront or endure a match with very little possession.

The Boars arrived unable to field a legal front row so the scrums were uncontested from the start and a 10 point penalty ensued. Hastings opted to play into the wind and rain in the first half which added to the Boars need to score points. In very poor conditions there were plenty of mistakes and unforced errors from both sides but most of the play was taking place in the Hastings half as Burdett pinned the Blues down with some good kicking and some tricky runs. The Boars forwards were working well and Hastings found that their only effective weapon was the rolling maul. The Boars forwards worked to deny them that weapon by putting the runners down quickly.

Halfway through the first period a Burdett break created space on the right and a well timed pass put debutant Jake Donnebaer away for a score in the corner. This heartened the Boars and belief seemed to spread throughout the team. The only real drama in the rest of the half came when Hastings battered their way over the line and the referee awarded a try. This was overturned when it was politely pointed out that the line in question was the 5 metre line.  Unfortunately Burdett went off at this point to be replaced by Woods.

The second half began much as the first ended with the wind providing an advantage and Hastings pounding at the Boars defensive line. The arrival of Robertshaw at number 8 added a new vigour to the Boars as he put in crunching tackles and chased kicks.

Veteran scrum half Dave Rhodes began to run the show when the Boars were in possession and Hollingdale almost scored off a quickly taken tap penalty. Then from another Hollingdale burst up the right the Boars forwards retained the ball and Rhodes spun it into the path of Woods who timed his run beautifully to score between the posts. Woods converted the try to take the Boars to 12-0 on the pitch but only a slender 2 point lead after the uncontested penalty was added.

Hastings rumbled back and 10 minutes later had produced a 25 metre rolling maul to score near the posts. Crucially the kick was pushed wide but the Boars were still 3 points behind.

With 15 minutes to go a ball was won on the halfway line and spun left where Donnebaer and Huxter were up against a single defender. Huxter drew the defender before passing to Donnebaer who backed himself for pace and went on to score in the corner. The Boars were back in front with 15 minutes to go.

Hastings threw all they had at the Boars (and this seemed to include several 2nd team players who were available after their game had been called off) but this largely consisted of crash balls around the fringes and these were dealt with by some brave Boars defence plus some big clearances from Woods. The rain turned to sleet as the light faded but it was the Hastings hopes of winning the game that were ended when the referees whistle went and the Boars and their band of supporters who celebrated.

This was one of the sweetest victories ever tasted by the Boars and doing so with 6 youngsters (Bird, Cannella, Dorrill, Robertshaw, Donnebaer and Salmon) shows the strength in depth of the Heathfield & Waldron club and gives great hope for the future.

Every Boars player can hold their heads high but Man of the Match was Joe Cannella for a gutsy and dynamic performance in his first senior match.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, D. Bird, P. Hookway (S. Walker -60), J. Cannella, T. Rose, S. Dorrill (O. Robertshaw – 40), K. Lewis, T. Wates, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett (R. Woods – 35), S. Hollingdale (J. Henry – 75), L. Willis, K. Davies (Nick Huxter – 40), J. Donnebaer, J. Salmon

Match report by Mike MacLeod

Boars beat local rivals

The Boars went to local rivals Eastbourne aware that anything but a win would badly dent their title hopes. They were greeted by a cold bright day and a strong wind that would play a large part in the outcome of the game.

The Boars were to face the wind in the first half and it was hoped that the game could be kept tight until half time. The main duty fell to the forwards as the kicking game was no a great option in the wind and they did well without dominating. Much of the game was played between the 22 metre lines as few line breaks were achieved against solid defences.
After about 20 minutes the Boars broke through when a penalty was taken quickly and the ball spun right for Hollingdale to break the last tackler and score in the corner. Eastbourne were stung by this and started to kick for field position more. This pressure told when Heathfield tried to force a backs move, the ball went to ground and a Eastbourne centre was on hand to pick up and sprint 30 metres for the score. Eastbourne tails went up at this point and they had 15 minutes were they almost won the game. Only stout defence and their own poor decision making kept them out.

So the Boars turn around level and now get the advantage of the strengthening wind. The second half saw most of the action in the Eastbourne half with good kicks from Burdett and Woods pinning the Eastbourne forwards back. The good field position allowed the Boars backs to play a more adventurous game and this paid dividends when Burdett started and finished a blindside move that saw him link well with Woods to score in the left hand corner.
Burdett might have had a second try shortly afterwards but an unsighted ref had to give a 5 metre scrum instead. The Boars were well on top but it was clear that another score was needed to close out the game. This duly came from Hesketh with a trademark crash ball move through the centre (and through 3 tackles) to score to the right of the posts.
The game started to get scrappy (in both senses) and there was little good play before the ref blew the final whistle on a very good Boars performance.

Man of the Match was Kiwi Nick for non stop foraging and support play.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod (P. De Bruin – 55), T. Wates, A. Sutton, S. Walker (P. Hookway -45), T. Rose, K. Nick, K. Lewis, Jim Cumming, D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, J. Wates, A. Foster (D. Hesketh – 50), S. Hollingdale, SA (J. Henry – 65), R. Woods

Match report by Mike MacLeod