Crawley 5 Heathfield 38
This was an odd game. Heathfield duly collected the bonus point win that the respective league positions suggested but there was a massive difference between the first twenty two minutes and the rest of the match. Heathfield scored five tries in that time but just one thereafter.
Conditions were good with a hard pitch and a variable breeze diagonally across the pitch which had no particular impact on play.
The first few minutes were incident and try-packed. Crawley kicked for touch after securing possession from the kick off but were outside their 22. From the resulting lineout Heathfield quickly worked through several phases leading to Ed Koops charging over for the opening score. Koops went on to have a fine game with multiple strong carries and some good lineout work.
From the restart Crawley soon regained possession and worked the ball left but Sam Williams intercepted near his own 22 and had too much pace for the pursuers.
Gradually the game started to settle down but Heathfield were playing with clinical intensity and tempo so it was no surprise when good ball was worked wide right and Williams again outran his opponents to touch down in the right hand corner. 0-19 up after just 8 minutes!
The bonus point try arrived after 15 minutes as a home lineout was turned over and good hands across the pitch with a significant contribution by Toby Simpson to put Sean Crozier in for the try.
Williams then nearly collected his hat-trick on the day but his run down the touchline brushed the whitewash and thus avoided a jug. The next Heathfield try was the result of more good handling with a handy run by Liam Dunkley leading to Tom Pritchard finishing the move from some 20 yards out.
With 31 unanswered points and nearly three quarters of the game to come a cricket score appeared possible so it is remarkable that there was just one score by each side in the rest of the game. This may be partly down to Heathfield relaxing the intensity with the game obviously won but credit must also be given to Crawley who refused to buckle under this initial avalanche and went on to play some decent rugby of their own.
The rest of the half was evenly matched with no obvious scoring chances at either end.
Nonetheless at half time Heathfield’s coaches will have been looking to maintain the excellent tempo and thus build on the score line. The set piece was generally even – the home lineout wobbled a little initially but thereafter neither side had any particular advantage. Heathfield claimed one ball against the head in the scrum – a genuine strike by hooker Dan Bird or so he assured me – but again neither side had a useful edge.
As well as Koops, Sam Crichton and skipper Gus Taylor were making good yards ball in hand with Reece Webb also being picked out later by the coaches for his all-round contribution.
Replacements, Ollie Tooke, Jem MacVicker and Archie Adams joined the fray at this point and made decent contributions. However somehow the spark had gone out of Heathfield’s play and Crawley were increasingly starting to build some continuity in their game so neither side had control.
A score did finally come approaching the final quarter when good ball was worked left and Adams beat a couple of opponents in the left hand corner to jog behind the posts to touch down.
Tom Cornwall had been having a typically industrious and impactful game but he now attracted a yellow card for some poor tackle technique. This will have helped Crawley who had several productive periods of play with an especially good attack ending with their useful right wing running a fine line and just being held up. Soon afterwards their efforts were deservedly rewarded with a try from short range.
The rest of the game had a distinctly anti-climactic feel to it with errors, poor options and a yellow card for the home number 8 who had been one of their best performers until the whistle finally ended the league season.
The Heathfield coaches particularly appreciated the flexible play by the backs with Simpson and Adams both at times stepping in to scrum half when Jack Brown was tied up in a breakdown. Also fly half Bryn Jones and Sean Crozier at outside centre switched roles as the situation demanded. Crozier did some sterling defensive work along with his four conversions.
Crawley have clearly improved from the first game of the season when Heathfield put 80 points on them. They deserve much credit for the manner in which they have kept on throughout the season often taking heavy losses but they clearly lack nothing in team spirit and should have a happier season next year.
Heathfield thus finish in fourth place in the league, just behind Aylesford and Cranbrook. It should be noted that they beat Aylesford home and away and shared results with Cranbrook. Heathfield had a couple of poor games before Xmas when hit by Covid and injuries plus the strange recent away loss to Dunstonians which probably cost them at least third place in the league table.
We now await the outcome of the league restructure which could see Heathfield return to level 7. Bromley are guaranteed promotion but the number of other clubs to join them depends on movements higher up the league system which are impossible to pin down at present. This process has to wait until the entire league season is completed and we are several weeks away from any decision.