The Boars start 2007 with a narrow victory over close league rivals Newick 2’s. The game was played at Waldron and the famous slope played a big part in the shape of play. The Boars enjoyed the advantage in the first half and ran up a 22 points to 3 advantage at half time before struggling to keep a increasingly confident Newick side at bay in the second half.

Heathfield scored after 10 minutes when full back Rob Woods, on his first match since returning from a knee operation, cut into the line at pace to make 20 metres and score between the posts. Woods then went on to convert this try. The game continued to ebb and flow despite the wind and rain then the Boars gained a second score when Woods again cut into the line and unselfishly drew the last defender before passing to Matt McDonald to score in the left hand corner. Even though the conversion was missed the Boars began to look in control at 12-0.

This was challenged when the Newick forwards drove up hill and chose to kick a penalty from the 22 metre line to take the score to 12-3. The Boars showed their determination to win by responding from the kick off. The Heathfield forwards took the ball off their opposite numbers and it was spun left at pace to Matt McDonald who wrong footed two defenders in one move and sped over for his second try of the day. The conversion attempt was once again missed.

The final score of the half was a solo effort by Brady Burdett when he deluded his opposite number then ducked under a Newick centres attempted tackle and sprinted to the line. Burdett missed the conversion attempt. The Boars were pressing even as the half time whistle went but must have felt confident about the second half.

Newick had other ideas as they came out fast and hard putting the Heathfield line under pressure early on and keeping it on. The Boars forwards suddenly seemed unable to live with the aggressive Newick maul and this showed when Newick caught and drove from a lineout on the Boars 5 metre line and prop Neil Morgan went over to score. The difficult conversion attempt was narrowly missed.

The pressure continued with Heathfield only rarely making it into the Newick half. Strong defence was needed and led by Bailey and Hesketh the Boars kept working to provide it. After a sustained spell of pressure Newick got their second try when scrum half James Waylett picked up and drove over from a ruck. Crucially the conversion attempt was missed.

There then came the turning point in the game when Newick lost their discipline and had a player sin binned for persistent offside and then a player sent of for violent conduct. This did not stop Newick pressing and when Burdett attempted a clearance kick in his own gaol area it was charged down and Waylett had the simple job of tapping the ball down and John Cook converted to take the score to 22-20 with 6 minutes to go. Heathfield survived this last period and captain and birthday boy Kenny Lewis jumped for joy at the final whistle safe in the knowledge that the Boars were back to winning ways and were up to 3^rd in the league.

Man of the match went to Duncan Hesketh for his whole hearted performance which held the side together during the tough times.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod, J. La Roche (J. Sharp - 65), J. Geesin (A. Sutton – 40), P. Hookway (J. Parsons - 40), T. Rose, Ben Taylor (S. Walker – 60), K. Lewis, S. Bayley , D. Rhodes, B. Burdett, D. Hesketh, A. Farrell, M. McDonald, S. Hollingdale, R. Woods (M. Barber – 40)

Report by Mike MacLeod

1/6/2007 5:50:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

This home win was every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests.On a day when many matches were postponed because of waterlogged pitches, Heathfield`s   superbly drained ground  and an outstanding performance from one of Sussex`s best and most experienced referees allowed both teams to overcome dreadful conditions and  the home side to give a remarkable display of fast and skilful rugby to the delight of a large and enthusiastic crowd.

Although they defended bravely in the first half, Seaford failed to get into their opponents 22 for much of the game. The Heathfield forwards, for whom Tom Pritchard had a fine game on his return to the side, dominated in all phases often pushing Seaford off the ball in the tight and frequently winning turnovers on the ground. The whole pack played superbly and supplied their backs with a monopoly of possession. For much of the first half Heathfield attempted to score tries through their superior forward strength but Seaford, to their credit kept the score sheet clean. However as soon as The Greenies decided to attack from deep and use the skill of their outsides the flood gates opened. With ten minutes of the break Bryn Jones received good ball from second phase and set up Damien Pestell for a powerful run into the Seaford 22. Pestell delivered a beautifully timed pass to Sam Thewlis playing at outside centre who completed the move to open the scoring. Within minutes the same players set up Mike Hole to score his first try which was converted to put Heathfield ahead 12-0 at half time.

The second half began with Joe Reilly off the field with a knee injury and with Seaford reduced to 14 men as a result of a red card given to one of their forwards after an indiscretion in full view of the referee. Aided by the loss of a Seaford player the home team stepped up a gear and exposed their opponents weaknesses with clinical efficiency. Coach Dave Jones moved Will Drinkwater, who is equally capable in either half back position or at full back, to no 15 which allowed him to bring on debutant Nick Cherry at no 9. Nick settled in well and quickly, linking well with his backs and snapping at the heels of his forwards. He chose his options well and impressed with his speed of thought and distribution. He capped a most promising debut with a well taken try.

Heath field played quite superbly against the elements in the second half keeping the ball in hand and running excellent lines. The try scorers were Sam Thewlis with his second, the ebullient Rob Lawrence who continues to be an inspiring player for Heath field, and Mike Hole who rounded off a splendid afternoon by running in from the 10 metre line.

Heathfield`s was a performance to delight their coach and their supporters. The pack was at its most commanding thus far and the talented backs played with great panache, clearly enjoying the possession they received throughout the game.

Report by Mike de St Croix

1/6/2007 5:47:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

This key Sussex division 1 league game was, as expected, a fiercely contested affair with the Home side running out unconvincing winners by a goal and two penalty goals to an unconverted try. The Hastings pitch was a mud bath and neither side nor the referee ever came to terms with the dreadful conditions. As is often the case with Heathfields young and fit team they struggled in the first half against Hastings powerful pack but played far the better rugby in the second half and should have overhauled the home team.

The rugby played by Hastings was based on crash ball running by the forwards and by the backs who invariably cut back inside to face a wall of rock solid defence by the visitors. Hastings had a monopoly of possession and should have scored many more than six points from two penalties in the first half. Hastings one dimensional tactics prevented Heathfield from gaining good possession but the rugby they played was ineffective. On one of the very few occasions the Greenies won second phase ball Bryn Jones spread the ball wide for full back Sam Thewlis to side step the defence and score a fine try. At half time Hastings were just in front by 6 points to 5.

The second half saw the fitter Heathfield pack winning more possession and in fact they created enough opportunities to win the game. But it was now the home team’s turn to defend heroically to ensure their win and some valuable league points. When they eventually passed the ball down the line they scored a good try to clinch victory. Hastings players and officials were mightily relieved to have won while Heathfield were left wondering about what might have been and looking forward to the return fixture in March.

The whole Heathfield side defended quite magnificently in this game, none more so than their captain Bryn Jones and their pack leader Paul Flood. Both these players have made a huge contribution to the success of the team in the pre Christmas matches and coach Dave Jones is building a fine and happy squad. They will feature near the top of the table by the end of the season and will continue to give great pleasure to the army of faithful supporters who watch all their games.

Report by Mike de St Croix

12/16/2006 8:36:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

Having narrowly defeated Hove 3rds in the cup last week, Heath entertained them again in the league this week.  Again there was a problem with them turning out a full team and the game started 14 for Heath against 13 (with a borrowed Heathfield player).  However Heathfield were soon left under no illusion that this would be a pushover as the extremely competitive and robust Hove pack took the game to Heathfield.

However Heathfield were able to make their extra man tell and early on Barry Slay scored in the corner after the forwards stretched Hove from one side of the pitch to the other and slick passing in the backs put Barry in.  Shortly after this Hove’s extra players arrived and it was then 15 for Heath against 14.  Some good work in the forwards, especially in the line out by hooker Luke Sanders provided ample ball, however the Heathfield players were trying to do to much and possession was either lost or broken down not least by gritty defence by Hove.

A good try by Ben Wood put Heath 10-0 up at half time, not nearly as much as expected.

In the second half as would be expected Heath got the lions share of the ball and despite some excellent breaks and good lines of running from Dave Groom in the centres Hove were able to hold out.  Eventually though the veteran back row of Jenkins, Streeter and Brown were able to start creating good phased play, and Jack Bayley standing in at scrum half got to the pace of the game and began providing quick release ball.  There followed an excellent sweeping move which resulted in Barry Slay running half the length of the pitch, beating the full back with a lovely body swerve and scoring under the posts, Chris English duly converted.

For the final quarter of the game there was intense pressure by Heath, however it didn’t turn in to the big score we expected, mainly due to the dogged determination of Hove, but Heath were able to add to more scores, Ben Wood getting his second and Matt Skinner popping up in the corner to make it 27-0.

This was a fine result going into the Xmas break, played 8,L 1, W 7 is an indication of how the 2nds have developed this year, finally despite being run close by Luke Sanders the man of the match award went to Dave Groom, one of his best performances in a Heath shirt, not however replicated in the bar afterwards apparently.

Report by Shaun Hipgrave

12/16/2006 10:19:58 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

In a warm up match for the league game next weekend Heath faced a very strong and determined Hove 3rds in the Sussex Vase (neither Hove 1^sts or 2nds had a game).   Heathfield soon found out they had a real game on their hands with some tough tackling and strong forward play by the visitors.

The Heathfield pack worked hard to provide good ball for the enterprising backs and they just weren’t able to get the final pass away.  However mid way through the first half on his re-appearance in the 2nds after being unavailable for a month Barry Slay cut a clean line through the Hove backs from the full back position, he made an incisive 30 yard break all the way to the visitors try line and just as we thought he’d been tackled short he put us all out of our misery and plonked the ball down for a try, Chris English was unable to convert the score.

A further series of Heath pressure valiantly lead by the skipper and 2^nd row Jenks maintained pressure on Hove who gave away a penalty under the posts, Chris English duly converted it into 3 points.

As the halftime approached only determined last gasp tackling by the Heath backs and a defend at all costs on the Heathfield try line effort kept the score at 8-3.

Going into the second half 3 changes were made in the pack and a revitalised Heathfield took the game to Hove.  Appearing on his debut in the 2nds at scrumhalf was Ed Youngson a former mini and junior who had a storming game.  His quick release of the ball and sniping breaks always kept the Hove forwards guessing.  Other mentions for Dave Groom and Ben Woods who both had good breaks from the wing, one of which set up a try in the corner for Heathfields’ no 8, the unstoppable and greatly experienced Mikey Brown.

This just about broke the back of Hove and the rest of the game was played in their half with Heathfield dominating.

The 2nds go through to the quarterfinals against Horsham 3rds; revenge is required as they beat the Boars to qualify.

Report by Shaun Hipgrave 

12/9/2006 6:06:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

After a wet & windy night the teams took to the heavy pitch at Waldron under welcome patches of blue sky.

Heathfield started strongly with a try by prop Ben Smith within the first three minutes. A sound kick by fly half Matthew Barber secured the 2 points for the conversion. After some fine play throughout the team flanker George Wardle managed to fight his way through some strong Hastings defending for his first try of the day. Within another five minutes he had his second and before the end of the first half George had added a third to complete his hat trick, his last two being sandwiched by a typically strong try scoring run from a set play by centre Toby Warren. Unfortunately the strong & blustery winds were too much for Matthew Barber to add to the scores with further conversions but still the hosts went in to half time leading by 27 – 0.

The second half started much the same way as the first with another try from the forward contingent, this time prop Bruno Halit was the scorer. No 8, David Bayly was the next player to add his name to the score sheet with some play which typified his performance all match. Toby Warren ran another try in soon after & this time Matthew Barber got the measure of the wind again with a good conversion kick. David Bayly added his second of the match capping a display that drew high praise from the referee during the post match chat with the coach. The frenetic pace of the match did not let up and to Hastings’ credit they were straight back on the attack from the re-start to set up some good driving rugby towards the Heathfield line. From the Heathfield perspective it was good to see that they were not only about running in tries. They defended well against the Hastings push, well enough in fact to turn the tables once again and take the play back up to the other end where Toby Warren scored his third & final try following a flowing backs move. Matthew Barber completed the game with his third successful kick of the day.

There were fine displays throughout the squad, all eighteen players working hard in what were heavy conditions by the end of the match. Some players were in new positions, Joseph Hastings played well at full back, Harry Smith is taking well to his new position as scrum half. Oliver Kent played well out on the wing before coming back in to take over in his usual role as scrum half in the second half & openside flanker James Wardle is back to his battling best only four weeks after losing the plaster cast from his leg.

George Wardle was named man of the match not only for his hat trick of tries, but also his general dedication to the cause, never missing a tackle.

To complete the full line up, as well as those already mentioned, were: Andrew Horsfall-Turner, Sam Keylock, Ben Maltman, Reece Webb, Jack Fellows, Daniel Halls, Gregory Johnson & Spencer Heath.      

Match Report by Richard Smith

12/3/2006 6:24:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

This local Derby was keenly anticipated by a large crowd. Both sides are featuring near the top of the Sussex 1 league total and both clubs always regard this fixture as one of their key games of the season. The match did not disappoint. It was very much a game of two halves but in the end Heathfield scored four tries to Uckfield’s one and thoroughly deserved to win. Coach Dave Jones was delighted with his team and stated that the performance was the best all round effort of the season to date.

The game started with Heathfield losing prop Chris Watton in the first few minutes with a rib injury. The Heath forwards started strongly and only excellent defence by Uckfield prevented them from opening the scoring.Uckfield recovered from a shaky start to play some solid rugby and they were rewarded with the opening score, a well taken try from their influential No 8. This try was converted but well as Uckfield played in the first half, they could not subdue the powerful Heathfield pack especially in the rucks and mauls. The strong men of the Greenies back row Simon Wilson and Paul Flood had outstanding games and props Rory Burchett, who looked more mobile than in past seasons and Andre Douglas did a fine job in the tight often wheeling the Uckfield scrum to regain the put in. Young Mark Walker was majestic in the line out and as always made a telling contribution in the loose. Bruce Pestell continued his splendid run of form and Kobe Tonkin had his best game of the season. With another quality performance by Rob Lawrence and a vigorous cameo from Tom Pritchard when he came on for Bruce Pestell the Heathfield forwards were magnificent especially in the second half when they took the game by the scruff of the neck and set up Heathfield`s best win so far this season.

Shortly before half time Heathfield penetrated the Uckfield defence and good handling and passing by the backs saw Sam Thewlis scoring near the posts for Bryn Jones to make the conversion. At half time the scores were level at 7 points each.

The second half speaks for itself.Heathfield dominated all phases and in spite of some brave defending by Uckfield and good performances from their fly half and No 8 outscored their opponents by three tries to none. The tries by Bryn Jones, Sebastian Jones and Mike Hole were all scored as a result of good ball from the forwards and excellent finishing by a speedy and talented three-quarter line in which Sam Thewlis at full back showed what a huge asset he is to his side. He caught every kick put up to him; he handled a wet ball beautifully, scored a try and crossed the gain line with every run he made. It would be easy to heap further praise on the Heathfield players. The simple truth is they played well from 1 to 15, they played for each other and they followed the plan and instructions of a first class coach. With further improvements they could give the top two sides in the league a shock.

Report by Mike de St Croix

12/2/2006 9:02:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

Having seen the rain tip down all week, and with the stories from the Boars of a less than firm pitch at Newick the previous week, the 2nds turned up worried that conditions would inhibit their open running style of play.  Their fears were confirmed; the pitch was a heap of mud that went from bad to worse.   However despite some late changes the 2nds put out a strong side.

Initially Newick pressed the Heath line and were awarded a simple penalty under the posts which they converted.  From then on skipper Jenks lead his heavier (and more mature) pack onto dominate the home side.  It wasn’t a day for fancy dan rugby and after a clean break by Chris English at fly half and a good mix of forward and backs ball retention Jim Cummings rolled forced himself over the try line for the first score.  Will Drinkwater ably covering at scrumhalf converted from wide out.

The second half turned into a war of attrition with the wet muddy conditions prevailing.  Some good breaks in the backs by Ben Woods and Dave Groom were never able to be finished off at one point as Brady Burdett burst through into the line we all thought the second try was on the cards, unfortunately his pass didn’t go to hand.

Ultimately it was Heathfields ability to adapt to the conditions, keeping possession, with the forwards, especially Chris Ambrosino, Bob Togher and the ever-youthful Rolo providing some tackle breaking runs that paid off.   After continuous pressure on the Newick line in the last quarter of the game Man of the Match Jim Cummings flopped over for his second try.  With 7 games played, 6 wins and one loss in the League the 2nds continue to bring home some impressive results.  Later in the evening Jenks also went on to lead a mainly 2^nd team to Gold Medal at the Beer Olympics, well done all round.

Report by Shaun Hipgrave

12/2/2006 9:41:11 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

The Boars ended their winning streak of 8 games when they came up against a resolute Newick side. The game was played on a rain sodden pitch in blustery conditions that suggested the forward battle was to come.

Heathfield had a disrupted warm up with several players arriving late and this showed in the early stages of the game as the forwards were not supporting each other with the commitment seen in previous games. Early territorial advantage was lost as Newick kicked for position. From a lineout on their own 22 metre line the Boars lost their own ball, then failed to tackle the ball carriers and Newick deservedly took the lead with a converted try. The Boars looked at each other and then went back to work with more passion. This passion saw Newick under considerable pressure in many phases of the game but always brave enough to tackle hard and intelligent enough to kick for position. The Boars forwards began to dominate in the scrums and the mauls while Newick had the edge in the rucking game.

The Boars came close to scoring on two occasions. First when the drove a maul 25 metres only to be brought down 5 metres short. Many referees would have given a penalty try for this. The second was the last action of the first half when Adam Farrell was just unable to ground the ball when held up over the line.

The decisive score of the game came just after half time when Heathfield were guilty of more sloppy tackling and a Newick back went over in the corner for an unconverted try.

Again Heathfield rallied and took the game to Newick. Again this involved domination by the Boars forwards who made plenty of hard yards only to be turned back by a good clearing kick or a penalty awarded against them. After 20 minutes of the second half this pressure paid off as Tony Rose made a half break close to the line and good support work saw Jason La Roche go over for a try. Kenny Lewis converted a difficult kick and it was game on.

Heathfield huffed and puffed in the Newick 22 metre line for most of the rest of the game but found the Newick defence to be very determined and well organised. As the clock ran down Heathfield captain Lewis was in the middle of a maul and grounded the ball over the try line only to be denied by the referee being in the wrong position and opting for a scrum 5 metres out. This was to be as close as the Boars got to levelling the scores.

This was an annoying game for the Boars as they dominated the game for large passages but Plan A did not pay enough dividends and there did not appear to be a Plan B.

Man of the match went to Tony Wates for his whole hearted performance.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod (C. Ambrosino – 60), J. La Roche, A. Sutton (B. Togher – 50), P. Hookway, T. Rose, S. Walker (J. Sharp - 65), K. Lewis, Tony Wates ,B. Taylor, D. Hesketh, M. McDonald (K. Davies – 70), A. Farrrell, R. Such, S. Hollingdale, M. Barber

Report by Mike MacLeod

11/25/2006 9:07:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

On a day when the rest of the UK is enjoying a day of still calm, you can still expect a steady breeze on the front at Seaford.  So a forecast of near-gale force winds made Heathfield regard their visit to Seaford for a Sussex Division 1 match with some trepidation.

Playing into the 30 mph wind for the first half, Heathfield pleased coach Dave Jones by played according to plan.  The forwards rucked and mauled effectively with only rare wider movements.  Seaford are normally known for their strong pack but on this occasion the younger and lighter Heathfield eight took the game to their opponents and frequently made many yards.  Given the conditions the lineout was always going to be difficult and the Seaford ball was often disrupted.  However Mark Walker had a complete monopoly of the ball at the front on the Heathfield throw-in to the extent that Seaford gave up trying to oppose him.  Heathfield were thus able to set up their driving maul to great effect.

Additionally the green scrummage was the most solid so far this season and achieved three strikes against the head so for a change first phase possession was secure.  In spite of the conditions most of the first half was spent in the Seaford half.

Nonetheless the first score came from Seaford after several penalties against the visitors at the breakdown, to the considerable irritation of the Heathfield coach who had wanted his team to reduce their errors in this area.  The Seaford kicker showed his familiarity with using the wind and made no mistake from the ten metre line. (3-0)

Heathfield drove back upfield and after a period of pressure were just denied in the right hand corner.  Strangely Seaford, instead of using the wind, tried a short 22 drop-out which did not work, Heathfield regained possession and some good handling saw Jo Reilly finish well in the left-hand corner. Bryn Jones’ conversion into the gale was only just wide. (3-5)

Seaford replied with another excellent long-range penalty from just inside their own half (6-5) but this just spurred the visiting pack to even greater efforts and they finally worked Bruce Pestell over for another unconverted try. (6-10) 

Seaford missed another penalty opportunity shortly before half-time at which point it seemed that Heathfield had done the hard work and that, using the conditions, they could control the game and build a good score.   However a combination of handling errors by Heathfield and the fighting determination of the home team meant that this did not happen.   On two occasions, kicks by Heathfield from their own half ended up over the opposition dead-ball line resulting in a scrum back.

Simon Wilson made any number of good breaks and gained many yards throughout the game so he deserved his try that followed another good lineout catch and drive. (6-15)

The game became scrappier as the Seaford pack became more effective and their fly-half made several good breaks.  However the green line was not seriously threatened apart from one occasion when the referee erroneously blew his whistle just as Seaford looked likely to score in the corner following a Heathfield fumble.  The referee, who otherwise had a decent game, was unfortunately unsighted in respect of one regrettable incident that could have seen the home side reduced to 14 men for at least ten minutes.

In the last few minutes a period of sustained pressure near the Seaford line resulted in a drop-goal for Bryn Jones (6-18) and although the home team kept trying throughout considerable stoppage time the result was no longer in doubt.

Next Saturday (2^nd December 2.15pm) Heathfield entertain Uckfield in what is always a keenly contested game irrespective of the relative league positions.  However this year the game could have a major impact on the top half of the table so ‘viewing is strongly recommended.’

Report by Phil Bell

Heathfield:Drinkwater, Reilly, Hole (sub Matt Walker), Damien Pestell, Willis, Jones, Vockins, Burchett, Lawrence, Douglas, Mark Walker, Tonkin, Flood (sub Pritchard), Bruce Pestell, Wilson.  

11/25/2006 11:33:19 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Boars reached the final of the Sussex salver competition by overpowering a speedy Crowborough 2’s side in an excellent game of rugby. It was a game of two styles and each team had the opportunity to win but it seemed as if the Boars had more belief and desire.

The teams came out on a cold bright afternoon with very little wind and were welcomed by a sizable crowd. From the Heathfield kick off Crowborough suffered the first of several injuries when their number 3 took a blow to the head and had to be replaced. At the scrum that followed it was clear that the Boars could dominate this phase of the game.

Another key psychological moment in a match is the first contact with your opposite number and Julian Wates ensured that his opponent (and all his team mates) knew what lay ahead when he cut dead the first Crowborough attack with a thunderous tackle on his opposite centre. The crunching impact was audible and the Heathfield supporters loved it.

So the game began to take shape with the Boars making use of their forwards and Crowborough trying to play an expansive game. The Boars tactics were working better and this paid off after 20 minutes when Jim Cumming broke from the Crowborough 10 metre line and reach the 22 before being brought down. The Boars reached the ball quickly and drove to the 5 metre line before being stopped again. Tony Rose grasped the ball and twisted right which drew the last defenders to him before the ball was popped to Brady Burdett to score between the posts for a try converted by Kenny Lewis.

MacLeod caught the restart kick and popped a lovely ball to Cook who carried for 20 metres to put the pressure back on Crowborough. Within 5 minutes Heathfield gained their second score when La Roche gained a crucial hook against the head on the Crowborough 5 metre line. The Boars scrum made forward progress and the Boars number 8, Dave Cook, timed his pick up and drive perfectly to score. Lewis missed the difficult conversion attempt.

The Boars had most of the territorial advantage but could not add to their score so it remained 12-0 at half time.

Crowborough must have had a positive half time team talk as they came out a much more determined and organised side. For the best part of 30 minutes Crowborough camped in the boars half and tried to prise open the Boars defence. They tried left then right and through the middle without making a serious breach thanks to excellent work by every single Boar. Several of the older Boars were starting to show signs of fatigue and were substituted.

The game was still in the balance but time was running out when the Boars killed the game with a breakaway try. Heathfield had reached the halfway line and were trying to stay there when Adam Farrell spotted the Crowborough winger had pushed up too far and put a grubber kick through to the 22 for Boars winger Simon "twinkle toes" Hollingdale to chase and show why he is the Boars top scorer. Hollingdale chose to kick on and won the race to ground the ball before it went dead. This proved to be the last meaningful action of the game and the Boars began to celebrate.

Man of the match went to the oldest Boar, Mike MacLeod, for his all round performance.

Boars Team – M. MacLeod (B. Togher – 70), J. La Roche, J. Geesin (R. Burchett – 50), J. Cumming, T. Rose, J. Parsons (M. Brown - 50), K. Lewis (B. Taylor – 60), D. Cook, J. Bayley, B. Burdett, J. Wates, D. Hesketh (M. McDonald – 60), A. Farrrell, S. Hollingdale, D. Rhodes (R. Such – 70) sub not used M. Barber

Report by Mike MacLeod

11/18/2006 10:20:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)