U14s League Draw against Crowborough

A damp, somewhat dreich, day greeted supporters and players from Crowborough and Heathfield on this Sunday morning at Waldron. However, the home side were determined to make the start of the match a warm one for their opponents and started off, for once, with fire in their bellies. Rucks were cleared swiftly; decisive tackles were made, rocking the much-fancied Crows back on their heels. Dynamic forward play, with a back row of Sam, Sam W and Oli H much to the fore, won quick ball for Finn S-T to out-flank the covering defence and nip into the right corner for the game’s first try. Soon afterwards, a clearing kick from Angus P was just kept in play by the retreating Crowborough wing who had the misfortune to nudge it in-field to the chasing Finn who off-loaded in turn to Hector who in turn set off, head-down, for the distant try-line like a steam train through the mist. A neat conversion from Ben W made the score 12-0. Game on.
Crowborough, however, do not have the reputation of being a strong team for nothing and they thereafter set about playing themselves back into the match. Some strong running from their forwards and striding three-quarters saw the scores soon level at 12 apiece with their second try bringing in the half-time interval. A further unconverted try, following a neat grubber kick through from the Crowborough fly-half, Josh P, and difficulties for Heathfield in dealing with the subsequent sliding ball, gave the visitors a 17-12 lead. For the home side, the match now appeared to be heading in the wrong direction, but that would be to under-estimate the renewed spirit of this Heathfield side. Back they came with a series of driving runs and clean ruck ball which had the old stagers on the sidelines reminiscing about they themselves used to play – or at least thought they used to play. Jack F, Jasper and Oli T made metres gained by determination and heart and, following a period of sustained pressure, it was Oli who plunged over the line to level the scores up. In the final minutes, Crowborough pushed hard for a winning score, but the Heathfield defence held impressively firm. With the Heathfield reserves now on the pitch and all playing their part, Crowborough battered away but in particular Stanley, Ben and Finn continued the strong tackling they had shown all game. 17-17 was the score as the final whistle blew, and now it is down to calculators and intense peering at results and league tables to work out what happens in the next stage of the new waterfall tables after Christmas.