OLD GRAVESENDIANS 18 HASTINGS & BEXHILL 21

H&B travelled to the side above them in Kent League One with some trepidation.

Though they had won the home leg, they had lost their last visit in a London Three fixture, and their hosts had undergone a revival this season, with six wins from their last seven games.

The visitors also had to clear their minds of the spectre of the previous week’s unforeseen collapse after 60 minutes of dominance. Without Rodd Luff and Tom Spatchurst in the pack, and with young backs Dillon Newell and Tom Waring carrying painful injuries, the team knew they needed to up their intensity and discipline to force a win.

Playing up the steep slope and into a gusting wind, H&B proceeded to show they had learnt from the previous week.

OGs’ gameplan was clear: probing kicks to the corners followed by dynamic rucking and mauling over the tryline.

By contrast, with the elements fiercely against them, H&B’s tactic was to keep ball in hand and drive their way through and past OGs’ defence, a ploy reliant on good handling, keeping possession at the breakdown, and not giving away penalties: a big ask after their previous 20 minutes performance.

H&B started well, winning the first lineout and scrum and a pair of penalties early on, but then conceding a penalty, kicked to the corner for an OGs’ lineout. A try-saving tackle by Ash Lewis kept the hosts out, but a subsequent high tackle in front of the posts after some determined defending allowed them to kick a 3-0 lead 15 minutes into the game.

H&B were competing dynamically upfront, winning and retaining far more ball than lately, and containing OGs’ powerful pack. The front row, with Joe Umpleby back hooking, were operating effectively in the set piece and round the field. Steve McManus, back at no 8, was providing much-missed go-forward ball with his battering runs up the middle, combining well with scrum half Piers Claughton, who had an outstanding game, killing off nascent OGs’ attacks round the scrum with his aggressive tackling and setting off numerous counterattacks.

H&B were playing the pick and drive, short passing, quick handling game that works so well for them when they are on form. But though H&B were playing most of the rugby, OGs were peppering their 22 with high bombs at every opportunity. It has proved a winning formula for them this season, but H&B’s back three were up to the task, fielding difficult kicks with confidence and launching inventive counter-attacks as well as working courageously in defence.

Try-saving heroics by Newell and Paul Sandeman on the quarter-way mark left OGs with only another penalty kick for their pains.

The game continued at high pace, both sides playing with focused passion, but H&B showing no little skill in preventing OGs building the lead the slope and wind were worth.

Three minutes from halftime, H&B won their lineout on OGs’ 10m line, and with quick hands across the pitch, powered through a determined defence for Jimmy Adams to score. Sandeman converted for an invaluable 6-7 lead. Committed, heads-up defence kept out OGs’ final moments’ desperate battery of H&B’s line, and a missed penalty kick left the hosts facing a tough second half task.

From the second half restart, Sandeman skilfully gathered a loose ball, slipped it to Newell, who gave it to the chasing Adams, who dived over for his second try, Sandeman converting for a 6-14 lead.

The half progressed with H&B dominant. The pack - responding to a beasting at training and their own disappointment at the previous week’s performance - continued their vastly improved mobility and aggression against physically fired-up opponents. At fly-half Kit Claughton’s forceful game-management and faultless handling kept the backline on the attack.

A great break by Newell ended 10 metres out. From a well-controlled scrum, a sublime set move by H&B’s threequarters opened up OGs’ defence, for Harbord to finish in the corner, Sandeman converting for a 6-21 lead with 25 minutes of the game left.

Then Sandeman was yellow carded for offside, Newell had to go off injured, and the backline was reshuffled. From their penalty, OGs attacked through the suddenly underpopulated middle, bursting through for a converted try under the posts, 13-21.

Was this to be a repeat of the capitulation against Shooters Hill?

For a few minutes it looked as if H&B’s attacking momentum had been regained, with Ash Diedericks charging down a clearance kick on OGs’ line. But OGs’ dander was up, and sniffing an opportunity, they countered powerfully with ball in hand, their strong centres carrying upfield. H&B’s backs’ defence was now suspect, and OGs took full advantage, their wing racing in at the corner for an unconverted try. 18-21 with 10 minutes remaining.

It was make or break time for H&B. And this time they were up to the challenge.

A tooth-and-nail final 10 minutes saw both teams tearing into each other, both desperate to rip the win from the other’s grasp. H&B’s pack, who had looked at times like Chelsea Pensioners the week before, were warriors again.

Twice OGs moved dangerously into H&B’s 22; twice substitute Percy Fitzgerald rifled kicks into his opponents’ half to take the pressure off. The second kick was enough. The final whistle went, and H&B had won a challenging game and won back their pride.

“It's amazing what difference a week makes,” said backs coach Kit Claughton. “There was a feeling of doom and gloom among some club members and a hundred different views why we didn't win against Shoots.

“This week we could quite easily have lost again, but didn't. We dug in and we made sure we plugged holes in defence.

“I think last week did us a favour, we were determined not to let a lead slip, and when OGs upped their game in the last 25 minutes, but we still held out.

“Kevin has done a great job, forming a team with improved skills, greater determination and more importantly team spirit - this was the kind of game in previous seasons we would have lost.

“We have a massive three weeks ahead of us, the top two teams in the league and a cup semi against ever-improving local rivals Rye - it's exciting times for the club.”

H&B: Roche (Dalton), Umpleby, Ward, Lewis, Adams, Piotrowski, Sandeman, S McManus, P Claughton, K Claughton, Harbord, Diedericks, Newell (Fitzgerald), Campbell, Waring. Sub not used: Redman.