Men’s 1st XV v Deal & Betteshanger 27/09/2008

Home – London 3 South East

Report by Andy Ward

Won 34-5

Looking out of the window in the AM and saw bright sunshine and so your correspondent selected a fine pair of shorts as his attire for the day. A wise choice – not made by everyone, as several people were regretting donning overcoats. Maybe I should set up a spectators’ help line for the less fashion conscious? I could make a killing in winter with my millinery selections.

Arriving at HQ after a stop off at the photographers to pick up all the shots from last week’s team photo session (if anyone wants any team pictures – check out the announcement banner at the top of the page) I successfully negotiated a pint of chilled Carling and a snout whilst standing outside in the glorious sunshine. Could life get any better – well, a few more pints, a decent lunch and a win should help!

And, so it was, but not necessarily in that order. Lunch was first and that was mighty fine – especially as they came round offering seconds which your correspondent (and Statto) accepted with the glee normally reserved for Billy Bunter and cream cakes. Look out Quelchie’s coming! All this was made even more satisfying when I found out that Baxter should have been at lunch and it was his helpings that I was scoffing! Lovely Jubbly!

So, after lunch and after President Basley’s weekly fight with the microphone it was time to sharpen the pencil, forage for another Carling and take up position on the grassy knoll for the afternoon’s entertainment. With a team showing 4 personnel changes in the starting line up and 3 fresh replacements – not to mention the positional changes everywhere, it was a very different team to last week’s victors. I’ve been trying to work out the number of permutations that had been made, but its Sunday morning and Fibonacci is not at my side.

Anyway, enough of this diversionary tarradiddle and on with my report! Kick off was to Deal & Betteshanger and the ball was in the Hove 22 when referee Bowers adjudged some offence to have occurred and the reward was a scrum to the visitors. Well, the visitors were a lot bigger than Hove and they clearly expected to win the forward battle (not least evidenced by the complaints of the number 8 as he waltzed around dizzy recovering from the Hove shove!). An excellent shove by Hove saw the visitors wheeled as though they had boarded a merry-go-round, spinning like a tossed coin in the air. Scrum to Hove correctly given by the SSRFUR Chairman. A scrum which Hove won with relative ease and the ball was picked up by skipper Glen Rankin and the first attacking move of the game for Hove commenced. A move which culminated in Hove’s first try – but I get ahead of myself here.

The ball was kept in hand by the forwards as yards were gained up the pitch. At the right moment the ball was released by Matt Sole to the backs and down the line it went as Hove advanced inexorably up the pitch – an avalanche rumbling down the mountain side, sweeping all in its way (as your correspondent lapses into metaphors…). Nonetheless, the advance was unstoppable and the visitors had to transgress the laws to prevent the inevitable. Such was the belief of the Hove team that such transgression merely caused a delay. But the delay was to have a high cost. The delay manifested itself in a scrum for Hove which they won and the ball was driven by the forwards and Clay went over the line for the five points – converted by Sam for the extra two – but poor wee Dom was lying on the ground with what turned out to be a dislocated shoulder. No choice but to call for a replacement a mere five minutes into the game and young Robin Ward came on the pitch to hook with Rory switching from hooker to prop and Paul Hasib switching sides as the solitaire of the front row changes were made. Clearly the scrum was affected somewhat and Hove were not as dominant but were in no way second best in that (or any other) department.

A mere five minutes later saw Hove awarded a penalty and the unerring boot of young Sam gave another spectacular curling hoof for the ball to fly and soar above and in between the posts coming to land somewhere near Shoreham. Then his Mum arrived and the kicks seemed to dry up somewhat. Jo – STAY AWAY!! (joking…)

Nine minutes later, Hove won the ball again and a series of good moves resulted in Ryan Morlen getting a try – but the kick was missed. That was to be the last score in the first half for Hove as they then seemed to enter an uncertain period with sloppy hands and poor passing being the order of the day. Still, despite the pressure they were putting themselves under, the defensive duties were being undertaken with due diligence until the 25th minute when a good move by the visitors saw them create an overlap on their left and to get through for a score. Conversion missed and so the score remained at 15-5 to Hove until referee Bowers blew for half time. At this point the crazy neon that informs the Hove public of the state of the union was showing in excess of 48 minutes to allow for the injuries – especially to Dom. During this last 8 minutes, the Hove side showed several touches and indeed had a very kickable penalty which young Sam steadied to take. As the ball appeared to soar true, referee Bowers blew his whistle for “in front of the kicker”. I didn’t see who it was, but no doubt the coaches did and will have had words with the lad! Penalty to Deal & Betteshanger was the result of that lack of discipline and Hove had to defend again.

The second half started and still Hove were a tad in the Doldrums. The usual unerring boot of young Sam was being unsteadied by the presence of his Mum and two penalties were missed in the second and fifteenth minute of the half and so the score remained at 15-5 as Deal & Betteshanger were having their best portion of the game. Your correspondent’s mind turned to the nine points not gained and wondered if we would regret the missed opportunities. After 29 minutes of the second half and a bit of confusion around the visitor’s goal, the ball popped along the line to Jack Maybanks for him to score his third try in as many games. Despite your correspondent suggesting to his father that such an act was the equivalent of a hat trick and that he should therefore bring out the Maybanks wallet – old Father Ted was not impressed. Well, if you don’t try…

The spectre of Mum Jo was still affecting young Sam’s boot and so the extra two points on offer were not accepted. But, the Hove team were driven by that score and the game turned round for Hove to enter a purple patch. Flanker Ben Sole was the next in on the act and went over in the last few minutes of the game for a well deserved try and young Sam put Mum’s presence behind him to pop the ball over. Right at the death, Ryan Morlen went over for his second score of the game and again Sam converted for an excellent final score – and some serious eradication of the points difference column in the league table.

That result moved Hove up to fifth in the table on the same points as Sevenoaks and three places above next week’s opponents Aylesford who were thumped 56-0 away at Warlingham. Such a result (for Aylesford) should not fool anyone at Hove into false security. They are a pretty good team and very strong – especially at home. We will need to be on top of our game when we visit them.But, that is looking forward. Looking back it was an excellent game and an even better result. Did it flatter us? Well, the churlish may say so but I always felt we had that game in us and although we left it late to score our final 14 points we were never really threatened and we were always on the look out for points. And, don’t forget, the fat lady (in the shape of referee Bowers) had most definitely not sung and so the show was not over. Keep on going until the final whistle and games can be won and lost in those final few seconds.