Heathfield happy after entertaining home win

Heathfield 24 Old Alleynians 15

Heathfield secured their first league win of the season with a very heartening display chiefly through a dominant performance by their scrummage and some increasingly assertive play by a young back division.
As usual this season Heathfield fielded a much changed side with two young centres who had never played together before and a 19 year old full back making his first appearance at this level. Alleynians had their own issues with five changes from last week and then an extended coach journey resulting in their arrival just 45 minutes before the kick off.
The shortened warmup did not seem to affect them much as they recovered the ball from the kick off and very nearly scored in the top corner under the home balcony. This was probably one of the critical moments in the contest as home confidence was wobbling after two defeats in the first league games. Once Heathfield had cleared the immediate danger with some decent defence on their try line the picture changed dramatically. A penalty gave Heathfield good field position in the visitors’ half and then clean possession from a lineout was taken on, ending in a heap of bodies being driven over the visitors’ try line under the posts and Dylan Morris-Jones was adjudged to have collected his first try at this level. Harry Reilly duly converted (7-0).
As the game settled down after this frenetic opening, patterns began to emerge. Alleynians wanted to play a fast-paced and open game while the home side were looking to use their forward strength and then open the game up. From the first scrum Heathfield had an edge in that phase, often driving the visitors off their own ball and providing the sort of platform on which creative players can thrive. However it should be noted that the visitors back row did great work in sometimes somehow securing the ball at the base of a scrum in high reverse and then managing to make good yards.
Indeed Alleynians now charged into the home half and a penalty chance drifted wide. Although Heathfield then had a good attack down the left flank, the visitors surged back and a penalty gave them good position a few metres out under the home balcony. A secure lineout was moved wide and an Alleynians centre was able to step around the over-enthusiastic home rush defence to stroll in for the try (7-7).
The game was being played at a good pace with opportunities at each end. A chance for Heathfield in the bottom corner was just scrambled away by Alleynians who then charged back up the slope. One attack was just thwarted by an allegedly deliberate knock on which was duly penalised (7-10) although not with a yellow card which often follows in such circumstances. Heathfield again attacked down the left side with Fabian Rimmer finding debutant Marcus Hendry whose chip ahead was just secured by the cover. However as Alleynians again counter-attacked Morris-Jones was binned for a late tackle on the opposing fly half, thus giving Alleynians a good attacking position in the corner. However they were denied by a not straight call at the lineout and the half time whistle followed immediately.
While Heathfield dominated the scrummage, the lineout was a more evenly contested area with Alleynians several times stealing home ball.
The game was very much in the balance and Alleynians will probably look back at the start of the second half as a missed opportunity as they failed to take advantage of the extra man. There were some fierce exchanges at the breakdown with several turnovers as the play fluctuated across the pitch. Morris-Jones celebrated his return from the bin with a lovely break and this signalled the start of a period of increasing confidence by the home three quarters.
Finally the deadlock was broken by the best and probably decisive score with twenty minutes remaining as Alleynians just secured their ball from a scrum but the number 8 was turned over and good hands then saw Rimmer make a crucial break and Lars Thorkildsen was on hand to collect his first try at this level (14-10).
Rimmer has grown in confidence this season and became increasingly influential as the game went on. Alongside his fellow centre Morris-Jones and full back Hendry, he will be causing Heathfield some pleasingly difficult selection decisions in the weeks ahead as more experienced players return from injury.
Thorkildsen, along with his fellow flanker Tom Pritchard, both had decent games doing the hard but often unnoticed graft that allows others to flourish. Henry Ross made another fine contribution including a couple of important tackles back while Munch May also caught the eye in attack and defence.
Heathfield now had a period of dominance with all of the play in the visitors’ half. It was no surprise when another try came on the back of a 5 metre scrummage as Oli Robertshaw duly charged over (21-10).
Heathfield will have been looking for a try bonus point and this really should have been collected such was their superiority at this point. However dogged Alleynian defence and some poor options by Heathfield (white line fever?) meant that the point went begging.
In the dying minutes Heathfield chose to collect a penalty rather than go for the corner (24-10). This probably meant that Alleynians could not secure a losing bonus point – however it did not prevent the visitors from showing good heart in charging back and collecting a try in the last play of the game.
This was a game played in excellent spirit by both sides at a fast pace. Heathfield have benefited from excellent pre-season fitness training but even so a number of generally young men were noted with cramp in the latter stages. Reilly was picked as man of the match for his all round game with some solid work in defence and generally good control of the game from fly half.
Next week Heathfield make their first visit to Barking (30 September 3.00pm). Last season Heathfield won just one away game – and that was after the arduous journey to Crowborough - so the trip north of the river poses challenges to this generally young side.