17/11/09 v Horsham Draw 17 - 17

WITHOUT a point from their previous league games, H&B hardly knew how to feel at the end of this thrilling roller-coaster of a match - delight at having held fourth-placed Horsham to a draw, or chagrin at the extra-time penalties and sin-binning wrenched a first win from their grasp.

What was clear to the warriors on the pitch and the travelling supporters who had cheered themselves hoarse was that for the first time this season they had played like a team with a common purpose.

H&B took their customary reshuffled line-up with them to a foe they have fared well against in recent years, but who this season had won five of their six league games. Ryan Madigan was drafted into the back row and played with great maturity, Anthony Roche stood in effectively at prop and young Benjamin Lee had his first team debut at full back - earning Morgan & Lamplugh man-of-the-match for his booming boot and last-ditch tackles.

From the whistle it was clear that something had finally fallen into place in H&B’s collective mindset. The pack not only scrummaged powerfully and showed brilliant form at the line-out, but they carried with conviction, and provided some quick ball for the backline. And the backs were a revelation in attack. Their share of possession allowed them to show what they had been hinting at for some time - incisive running lines, power in contact and neat handling.

While it was a brutal encounter upfront, Horsham’s backs ran the ball confidently at every opportunity, and found some weaknesses in the visitors’ defences. But fine individual scramble tackling caused panicky passing, and it was not until a series of penalties took Horsham from their own 22 into H&B’s, that the hosts scored a well-worked try in the corner to lead 5-0 with 20 minutes gone.

Though Horsham looked dangerous, H&B’s aggressive pressure was disrupting their game, while H&B were winning turn-over ball in the tackle, and moving it well through hands. One such fierce turnover by Ben Davies and Paul Sandeman led to a fine box-kick from Piers Claughton, and a lineout close to Horsham’s line. When the referee gave a bizarre penalty against skipper Claughton for asking a question, Horsham hammered the ball downfield, won their lineout, and overran the defence for a 12-0 lead.

It could have been a turning point, but H&B’s heads stayed high, and close to half-time an aggressive tackle by Kit Claughton behind the Horsham scrum turned over the ball for Davies, Jimmy Adams and scorer Ben Campbell to combine with style for a try in the corner.

Seven minutes into the second half, one of Kit Claughton’s trademark inch-perfect long passes set off Campbell on a scintillating run past, and through, the defence. A pass back inside to Kit, and on to his brother, saw Piers Claughton touch down under the posts for H&B’s best-crafted try this season. Lee converted to tie the scores 12-12.

The last quarter was nail-biting for both sides, as each in turn attacked with ambition and defended desperately. H&B had the influential Adams sin-binned, but they held Horsham out until, with normal time over, another great move involving Ashley Diedericks and Bruce Steadman ended with flanker Paul Sandeman diving in at the corner. A first win for H&B surely?

But there turned out to be 10 minutes of injury time to play, and with the referee sin-binning Sandeman, and awarding another penalty, Horsham made no mistake, shifting the ball along the backline for the equaliser.

H&B will be hoping this 15-man performance was not a blind alley, but a corner turned. Defensive frailties and discipline at the breakdown are still issues, but only the most mean-spirited curmudgeon could have found reason to complain about this great step-up.

H&B: Roche (O’Connor), Davies, Spatchurst, Clifford, Adams, Madigan (Edmunds), Sandeman, Piotrowski, P Claughton (c), K Claughton, Diedericks, Brooks, Steadman, Lee. Sub not used (but manfully repaired a puncture en route to arrive late but available) Pearce.