BECCEHAMIANS 17 HASTINGS & BEXHILL 23

IT was a typical post-Christmas-break game only in that it was strewn with penalties, and a few players who had viewed training over the holiday as an optional luxury were blowing out of their backsides before it was half-way through.

In all other ways H&B’s visit to the league’s bottom team was a thriller. End-to-end attacking ambition, remarkably strong defence from both sides, and a last-ditch comeback from the young hosts that belied their league position and tested the visitors’ resolve and ability to close out a game.

Last season H&B would probably have failed that final test of will - now they are a team which, despite some shortcomings, have the collective belief to conquer this wonderfully competitive Kent league; if not this season, then next.

Without a specialist hooker - a weakness that cost them possession in the set piece - H&B also gave a starting debut to 18-year-old flanker Elliot Simmons. Deceptively slight, Simmons showed why he skippered the county u18s team this season, with some mazy attacking runs, clattering tackles, dynamic work around the field, but above all a presence and confidence beyond his years. His first touch was characteristically a chargedown of the Becc scrumhalf’s box kick in the opening moments of the game.

Playing downhill, H&B started sharply, going through the phases effectively, for Kit Claughton to chip to the line, forcing the fullback to carry over for a five metre scrum. From this promising position, H&B collected their first of many penalties of the afternoon, for collapsing the scrum.

H&B kept the pressure on, a well-struck penalty by Paul Sandeman giving them a 0-3 lead.

A massive tackle by Dillon Newell on Becc’s fullback turned over ball, and a series of pick and drives led by H&B’s props took the ball to Becc’s five metre line again, only for a penalty for handling on the ground to overturn possession.

From the subsequent lineout, Beccs’ centre broke a tackle, and with excellent running lines ran in under the posts, converted for a 7-3 lead.

It became clear that though their scrum was vulnerable, Beccs’ lineout was good, they had a couple of strong ball carriers in the pack, individually talented halfbacks, strong centres and slight but speedy young wings - a decent armoury, bolstered by fierce defence.

The game swung back and forth. Sandeman ran a penalty from his own five metre line powerfully but riskily, a turnover on the 22 giving Beccs’ a kick at goal, which they missed. The back line were playing some good attacking rugby, Ash Diedericks continuing his improving form. From a breakdown in Beccs’ half, the ball moved quickly through the Claughton brothers’ hands to Diedericks, whose sinuous dummy broke the defence. A well-time pass to the supporting Matt Harbord saw the latter beat his man and race in under the posts, Sandeman converting to retake the lead, 7-10.

Simmons, supporting well in defence, took the ball through traffic from 22 to 22, where a penalty gave Sandeman another tricky kick in the windy conditions, which he converted, 7-13. A further Sandeman penalty on the 30 minute mark reflected H&B’s increasing dominance.

A probing box kick by Piers Claughton was chased well by the backline, Beccs’ short clearance kick offering H&B another scoring chance, squandered by a penalty offence.

A rare lineout win by H&B turned into a powerful maul towards the Beccs line, followed by a penalty to H&B five metres out. Sandeman tapped and dived over the line, converting to extend the lead to 7-23.

With Jimmy Adams and Mark Piotrowski gaining ground from drives up the middle, and the backs moving the ball well through hands and beginning to exploit the blindside, H&B looked poised to close out the game.

The referee then stepped in, interpreting a wheeled scrum as deliberate; then from the penalty, missing a huge knock-on by Beccs’ halfback which led to a pass to the unmarked wing, who scooted down the line for a well-converted try, closing the score to 14-23. Beccs missed a penalty, to keep the score that way at half-time.

Slow, untidy ball from the setpiece had been an unwelcome feature of H&B’s first half, and in the second half some of their forwards were beginning to struggle to get to breakdowns, and penalties started to mount. With the slope now against them, H&B’s lead looked vulnerable.

Beccs clearly felt this too, and five minutes in, pressure on H&B’s 22 led to a penalty, kicked to narrow the score to 17-23, less than a converted try.

And so the score remained. Within 10 minutes, Sandeman, who had kicked the hardest of penalties in the first half, missed two in front of the posts. H&B then had three penalties in Beccs five metre area, opted for the scrum, but were held out by dogged defence. Pick and drives took the visitors from halfway to within touching distance of the tryline, only for penalties to thwart them.

Ash Lewis was now making a promising debut off the bench at no 8.

H&B’s backline, who had looked so dangerous in the first half, were being starved of good ball, but were mounting a well-organised and impenetrable defence whenever Beccs attacked.

And then, with seven minutes of injury time played and H&B looking home and hosed, Beccs forced their way into H&B’s 22, and subjected them to a final five minutes of intense pressure. Against the odds, H&B’s weary pack dug deep into their reserves and held their younger opponents out for scrum after scrum, conceding penalties but not yielding.

When H&B finally broke out into Beccs’ 22, the referee blew up, 12 minutes of extra time played.

Flawed, but in its way a titanic battle, and an important one for H&B’s ambitions.

"We won against a dynamic and determined team", said backs coach Kit Claughton, "but we were pushed all the way.

"We did some good things and some bad things, and we were rusty.

"If we had turned up and put a huge score on them - it would have covered over the cracks that we're not fit enough as a team, our rucking needs work and some individuals are not putting in a defensive shift.

"We also know (according to league positions) that this will be our easiest game, so a lot of hard work is needed this week if we are going to continue play well and win."

H&B: Roche, Ward (Dalton), Spatchurst, Adams, Luff, Simmons, Sandeman (c), Piotrowski (Lewis), P Claughton, K Claughton, Harbord, Diedericks, Newell, Campbell, Waring (Fitzgerald).

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