Heathfield collected a gutsy bonus point home win in the last play of the game against Beccehamians in increasingly difficult conditions. The forecast predicted heavy rain and gale force winds gradually arrived so the game ended in murky conditions.
This report is a piece of creative writing since a) most of my notes are a sodden mess, b) visibility was increasingly limited and c) most of those taking part couldn’t say what happened. The not inexperienced referee commented that these were probably the most difficult conditions that he had ever dealt with so there is credit to all involved that the game was completed.
The pitch was softish and claggy (i.e. Sussex clay). A dryish morning gradually gave way to increasing periods of rain that at times in the second half were heavy. The forecast gusts of wind did not seem to materialise as much as predicted but it was still a dominant influence on the game blowing straight down the pitch away from the clubhouse.
Beccs played down the slight slope in the first half with the wind in their favour and duly had some periods of pressure on the home try line. Heathfield broke out a couple of times and had one promising sally into the top corner under the balcony but this was repelled. A couple of home penalties allowed Beccs to keep the pressure on and were looking dangerous into the left hand corner. They duly collected a penalty in midfield to open the scoring 0-3 just before the end of the first quarter.
Thus encouraged the visitors soon resumed pressure into the bottom corner and Jo Lewis was now binned allegedly for hands in the ruck. The penalty count was generally against Heathfield in this half so this was fair enough.
Although most of the game was now in the home half, critically Beccs were unable to add to their score even with the extra man so the home defensive organisation takes much credit as this could have been a decisive period.
At half time the set piece had been a mixed bag for Heathfield thus far. Initially the home scrum was well on top although a change in personnel by the visitors stabilised matters to some extent. However the home lineout was poor in the first half and only slightly better thereafter.
With the slope and elements in their favour for the second period Heathfield will have been optimistic of the final outcome. Most of the game was in the visitors’ half and Lewis now collected two tries in quick succession on both occasions with his dynamic arrival in midfield following solid set piece work. Both were converted by Toby Simpson for a 14-3 lead.
To their credit Beccs surged back inito the left hand corner and after a couple of phases from an attacking lineout claimed a worthy try. The outcome could have been in the balance and another score by the visitors would have been worrying but at the end of the third quarter a Simpson penalty edged Heathfield further ahead and left the visitors needing two scores for an increasingly unlikely result (17-8).
Most of the rest of the game was in the visitors’ half as a grey miasma and a burst of heavy rain descended on the afternoon so I am unsure about much else. Conditions underfoot were deteriorating making positive play difficult.
Heathfield collected their third try from a very solid scrum near the Beccs line allowing Ben Irwin to dart over for a try.
In the last moments a hopeful kick to touch by Beccs to end the game was however snaffled by Heathfield and Tom Reilly was the delighted recipient of the bonus point try in the right hand corner, well converted by Simpson.
The final score line is slightly unkind to Beccs. Their side is even younger than Heathfield’s. Their back row and scrum half are all 21 or less so they will have learnt much from playing against a relatively mature unit led by Heathfield flanker and skipper Gus Taylor who was generally acknowledged to have been the most influential player on the day.
Conditions were never going to favour back play and while Simpson, Harry Slinnhawkins and Irwin often threatened in reality the game was won up front by the home eight with Lewis, Aiden Plumley and Taylor being especially effective.
After a week off Heathfield next face two difficult away games at Canterbury (7 Dec 2.00) and then Dover so today’s bonus point could be very handy before Heathfield ‘entertain’ Crowborough for the Christmas game and bragging rights as the top club in these parts.