Hastings & Bexhill II 22  Eastbourne III 7  

Hasting and Bexhill IIs entertained Eastbourne IIIs in the Sussex Vase at William Parker school with a very strong team.  Players returning from injury and  other commitments ensured a top class team.

The weather was again perfect for a display of fast flowing rugby and both teams matched the conditions. 

The home team had the majority of the possession and were camped in the opposition 22 for large amounts of the game.  The pack, improving with every game, dominated the rucks and mauls.  "We have been working hard on our set piece play in the scrums and line-outs" said captain Dave Milham "and that was obvious by the way the boys won all their ball and disrupted much of the oppositions." 

With a front row of father and son combination Matt and Jon-Joe Dawes and the returning Paul Northern and dependable second row of Saunders and MacManus there was always plenty of power and control.

The home team opened the scoring with a penalty scored by Ben Lee in the opening few minutes, he quickly added a second soon after. A lovely flowing move through many sets of hands, both forwards and backs, resulted in Fly-half Christian Hollingsworth touching down.  Ben Lee added another penalty.

Eastbourne scored a try in the corner just before half time, but the home team went into the break with heads held high.

Paul Northern, after carrying the ball with such confidence all day, scored a wonderful forwards try early in the second half. Lee added yet another penalty to finish a fine kicking display.

"It was good to see the hard work paying of this week" said Milham "After the last couple of games it was fantastic to watch it all fall into place.  We showed that we are good enough when we put our minds to it.  Although it was a Sussex Vase game this Eastbourne team is also in our league so a result against them is doubly important."

Man of the match went to Berrick Smith who is really starting to dominate and boss the game at scrum-half. Hastings and Bexhill return to league action this weekend with a game at home to Hove Fusiliers.

Team: Dawes, Dawes, Northern, Saunders, Macmanus, Pearce, Mahoney, Magidan, Smith, Hollingsworth, Stinson, Rookyard, Stevens, Lee, Small, Hitch, Brewster.