Fast start by Lewes Colts decides entertaining match

Heathfield & Waldron RFC Colts v Lewes RFC Colts – 9th May 2021
Result: 27-37 (win for Lewes)
eport by Tim Dudgeon

With just a few specks of rain and glowering clouds threatening to dampen a warm spring afternoon, these two young sides – well-matched in many departments – started the game in attacking fashion, an approach that was to not let up all match. It was the home side, Heathfield, that landed the first blow with Tom Reilly knocking over a neat penalty after three minutes, after Cameron Reader had almost escaped down the left wing and Lewes infringed at one of the ensuing rucks in midfield. Lewes replied instantly – a couple of tackles were slipped for an impressive score in the clubhouse corner of the ground. Lewes’s fly-half now began to show his awareness of where space might be in the Heathfield backfield and, although there might have some fortune in the way the ball sat up for him as he chipped through to score, there was none of that with the skilful kick in the first place. The away side also manipulated well the occasional dog-leg in the Heathfield midfield defence and, although a couple of tries were chalked off for forward passes, one was finished and a re-taken penalty kick extended the score to 3-20 and a fine, striding run down the left flank with a pair of tackles brushed off widened the gap by a further seven.
At this point, and only 15 minutes into the game, Heathfield could well have collapsed: to their credit, they did not. Instead, a scowling coach Goatcher opted to bring on his entire set of replacements to bring some fresh life to the home side’s efforts. It was a strategy that worked. Tiley soon crashed over, untouched, at a 5 metre line-out; Reilly curled over a well-judged conversion from close to the right touchline, and then Heathfield produced what was probably their best move of the match. Wilson secured the ball well at another line-out, the diminutive Samuels did a much bigger player’s job by thundering straight in midfield, and from rapid ruck ball, George Hayter galloped away to touch down under the posts. Reilly’s conversion made it 17-27. Throughout all of this, the mobile lock Angus Paterson was having a fine game like a rangy Irish Setter in the loose, Tom Sayers was producing gutsy runs and tackles on the wing, and Dan Newman was reading the game in astute fashion in the Heathfield back row, timing his runs for hoisted kicks perfectly. Meanwhile, Lewes had clattered into rucks in determined and often successful fashion, but were now beginning to concede a string of offences in that area of the game. At half-time, it was still anyone’s game.
As the second period kicked off, Lewes’s big runners began to make notable dents in the Heathfield defence, often committing 2 or 3 tacklers to bring down a single man. A score tight to the ruck extended their lead, but a less successful defensive line-out saw Newman pounce on unsecured ball to touch down for the home side. Still Heathfield worked hard to close the gap: Flint and Tooke continued to make ground with good pod drives. To and fro the play went, and it was Lewes who were to make the decisive score with 10 minutes left: another powerful carry in midfield dragged several tacklers in and created a yawning overlap for a score in the left corner. There was, however, still time for Heathfield to notch one more of their own though, with a Reilly grubber threaded through for Hayter to gather and grab his second try of the match. A very good game of rugby saw the final score at 27-37.

Team: 1. Dan Morris; 2. George Hayter; 3. Jack Flint; 4. Angus Paterson; 5. Callum O’Reilly; 6. Dan Newman; 7. Zakk Dunn; 8. Ellis Wilson (c); 9. Bryn Watkins; 10. Tom Reilly; 11. Cam Reader; 12. Tom Samuel; 13. Regan Law; 14. Toby Anderson; 15. Finn Scott-Taggart
Replacements (all used): 16. Ethan Greenlees; 17. Ollie Tooke; 18. Sam Tiley; 19. Zac Renmant; 20. Kieran Dudgeon; 21. Tom Sayers

Scores:
3 mins: Heathfield – penalty kick (Reilly): 3-0
6 mins: Lewes – try: 3-5
10 mins: Lewes – try and conversion: 3-12
13 mins: Lewes – try: 3-17
15 minutes: Lewes – penalty kick: 3-20
17 mins: Lewes – try and conversion: 3-27
20 mins: Heathfield – try (Tiley) and conversion (Reilly): 10-27
27 mins: Heathfield – try (Hayter) and conversion (Reilly): 17-27
Half-time score: 17-27
42 mins: Lewes – try and conversion: 17-32
52 mins: Heathfield – try (Newman): 22-32
57 mins: Lewes – try: 22-37
65 mins: Heathfield – try (Hayter): 27-37
Full-time score: 27-37