Hastings & Bexhill 21 Becchamians 13

AGAINST the backdrop of a gusting gale and a rarely silent referee’s whistle, H&B battled hard for an untidy home win against a side that had beaten them in all previous meetings.

The visitors enjoyed most of the quality possession and dominated field position, thanks mainly to their more dynamic work around the breakdown, but in part to an unconfident referee who allowed Beccs’ excessively vocal touchline to influence his decisions, and penalise H&B’s pack out of the game.

H&B needs to cut out the early mistakes and clumsiness that set referees on their case throughout the game, as well as find ways of overcoming unsympathetic refereeing. As it was they started looking uncertain of how to avoid the whistle, consequently failing to provide good ball to the backline throughout the game.

From kick-off, playing against the gale, H&B found themselves trapped in their own half. Beccs scrapped well on the ground, and got slightly the better of the setpieces, and repeatedly ran at H&B’s defence, which proved up to containing the visitors’ two main weapons - a monster no 8 and a steppy fly half. Scrum half Piers Claughton repeatedly cut down the 8 and his opposite number, while skipper Paul Sandeman flew at the attack with venom.

It was H&B who scored against the run of play after 10 minutes, when a penalty and subsequent line-out drive saw Mark Piotrowski power over the line for a 5-0 lead.

More dogged defence of H&B’s line kept Beccs out for another 10 minutes, penalties ending every H&B attempt to escape. The backline were doing their best with slow ball, but play-making was uncertain and nothing quite clicked.

But it was again H&B who made the most of their few opportunities, when Sandeman took a quick tap penalty from outside the 22, made ground and off-loaded to Kit Claughton to run in the try, 10-0.

Just as H&B were enjoying a rare period of possession and attack, a series of penalties took Beccs close to the home tryline, where they turned over an H&B lineout, and broke quickly for a try in the corner, 10-5 with minutes to half-time. Their confidence lifted, they attacked H&B from kick-off, and kicked a penalty to narrow H&B’s half-time lead to 10-8.

With the wind behind them in the second half, H&B started kicking the ball downtown to good effect, while snuffing out Beccs’ main attacking threat down the middle. Kit Claughton, playing at centre this season to allow young Lewis Sealy to develop at flyhalf, made a number of big hits and turnovers, and with his talented young centre partner Dillon Newell, consistently made good ground with the ball in hand. Ben Campbell got close to creating a clear run to the line but was adjudged in touch.

Penalties were continuing to stop H&B playing, and now yellow cards added to their woes. Down to 13 men, both props binned, H&B conceded a try from a series of scrums on their line - despite holding the first attempt up over the line.

Trailing 10-13, a great kick by Ashley Diedericks saw Piers Claughton in under the posts from the consequent lineout, but the try was disallowed. Matt Harbord made up for it, though, with a quicksilver dance down the touchline to put H&B ahead again 15-13, with 15 minutes to go.

Beccs were still mounting limited attacks, but H&B’s defence was solid. A long kick from Sandeman, well chased and tackled by Diedericks, led to a penalty, converted by Sandeman. With the game petering out, Sandeman added a second penalty for a hard-earned, well-deserved win.

“It was a bit of a frustrating game to play in and watch,” conceded backs coach Kit Claughton. “Beccs caused us a lot of problems at the breakdown and we gave away a load of penalties - having said that, our defence was good and our handling and off-loading at times were very good.

“Every game this season is going to be physical and difficult, the level of opposition is far more competitive across this league. But we are an ambitious set-up now - it's an exciting time to be an H&B player.”

H&B: Spatchurst, Umpleby, Roche, Adams, Piotrowski, Sandeman (c), Hewitt (Holewell), S McManus, P Claughton, L Sealy, Harbord, K Claughton, Newell, Campbell, Steadman (Diedericks). Sub not used: R McManus.

Match Photos courtesy of Andy Wilding

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