After last weeks’ disappointing loss in the dying seconds and the long drive home from the Kent east coast, Crowborough relished the opportunity of a local Sussex fixture against League Leaders Haywards Heath; a fixture well remembered from several decades ago, but one that recent seasons has not thrown together.
The weeks’ rain had not been kind to the glutinous pitch which was to limit most of the afternoons’ rugby to the two thirds of the pitch furthest from the clubhouse. If this cramped the Crowborough plan, no such restrictions seemed to apply to the home side, who made light of the conditions and the space available, to record a comprehensive victory over the visitors more than justifying their league status.
The differences between the sides were palpable. ‘Boro appeared ponderous in attack as they waded through the mud driving into the defender and dying with the ball, whilst Heath seemed to take the conditions in their stride, off-loading in the tackle to supporting runners who arrived in numbers and crucially at speed.
These attacks were inadvertently assisted by the visitors, whose line speed to close down the space between the lines was hampered by the conditions, and with unsure footing, a simple shimmy was all that was needed to evade the flailing defender and create the overlap.
By contrast Heath’s defence played the off-side line to a “T”, getting man and ball even before it reached the 12 channel, with the Heath #6 in particular in devastating form around the flanks. As ‘Boro reverted to kicking away possession to gain ground, the precision of the kick became critical and sometimes a little wanting, providing free attacking ball to the home side.
With only five minutes of the game gone ‘Boro were 5 points adrift as the giant #5 Hugo McPherson was on hand to take the inside pass that wrong footed the defence to run fully 25 metres to score under the posts where the kick was amazingly pulled wide 5-0.
It was not all Heath however. ‘Boro had their chances, but lost possession too easily in the tackle when the pass was perhaps the better option. The back three also showed that they are developing an understanding when Tom Boddy and Bertie Boast snuffed out a clear Heath scoring opportunity out wide on the left with just 20 minutes gone.
But the writing was on the wall, as Heath’s #8 Gareth Ferguson broke through to feed the #9 with #14 Jamie Diggle arriving at pace, and seemingly finding firm footing in the mud, side stepped the cover to score between the sticks for a Reeves Perrin converted try.12-0
With half time approaching the #4 ,not to be outdone by his second row partner broke through a fragile defensive line to score another unconverted try. 17-0 HT
It would have been easy to surrender at this point, but Crowborough’s pride had been stung and they began, albeit a little late, to take the ball to the home side with the ‘Boro pack dominating the tight, releasing their backs but ‘Boro had real difficulty breaking through as the Heath defence were quickly in their faces, which saw ‘Boro reverting back to playing a nine man game that played into Heaths hands. From the lineouts, on ‘Boro’s ball, their ability to get the ball was thwarted, as the jumper was consistently impeded without apparent sanction.
With 65 minutes gone and with ‘Boro holding the home side to a scoreless half, ‘Boro cruised into the Heath 22, and as the maul developed the line was crossed only for the official to deem the ball to be held up. From the scrum, the ‘Boro pack put on the shove, and with the heath back row to forced to stay bound in, replacement #9 Lloyd Smith picked up at the base of the scrum breaking blind to score in the corner, which remarkably was the first score against Haywards Heath in over 240 minutes of rugby. The kick went unconverted. 17-5.
Crowborough have come back from worse positions this season, and with just 12 points in it, could there be yet another revival?
Five minutes later the answer was delivered by the Heath #13 Owain Mc Loughlin when he cut a sharp inside line taking a pop pass from #12 to score by the post for a bonus point converted try. 24-5
Crowborough managed to run the clock down without further haemorrhaging more points, and although soundly beaten the two sides remain in first and fourth place, with ‘Boro looking to re-group for next Saturdays home fixture, which will be for the first time against Gravesend.