Sussex Vase Semi Final

Hastings and Bexhill  13   Crowbrough 7

Having forced their way to the top of the Sussex two league table the William Parker based team set about ensuring a place in the Sussex Vase final.

The seconds were able to continue to pick from a very strong squad despite losing several players to internationals, injuries and others being cup tied.

The news that pack leader and vice captain Pete Mahoney was not available due to a nasty wheelie bin injury did however cause some problems.  Pete was due to pull on the number 8 shirt due to his son Aidy being away on Sussex under 20s duty on Sunday. However, the strength in depth of the squad was shown with George Cullingford stepping in and staking a claim for the shirt.

The rugby gods were smiling as the sun shone over the home pitch with no signs of the frozen patches despite the early kick off.

The corresponding league fixture had been a close, hard fought and "proper" game of rugby with H&B coming out on top.  The talk before the game was of control and discipline, which the team has become accustomed to over the past weeks.

From the off Hastings took control of the game and dominated possession and territory.  The tight five looked unhappy to give the opposition a single yard and with a back row of Simmons, Edmunds and Cullingford there was little space for Crowbrough to mount much of an attack.  Matt Harbord, playing at scrum half, was his annoying self causing the Crowbrough number 9 to ship poor ball out to the backs.

By mid way through the first half Kemp-Milham had happily taken two penalties to give the home side a 6 point lead.

The Hastings pack, unlike their opposition, controlled the ball, crossed the gain line and gave Harbord good quality ball.  This allowed the backs to attack the Crowbrough line and secure the ball.  After a period of good phase rugby Kemp-Milham skipped through a pack of players and scored under the posts, the conversion followed soon after.

Half time is normally a time to fine tune the style and points of the first half, but all it did was to allow the concentration of the home team to lower. 

Crowbrough came out for the second half with strong words from their coach ringing in their ears and finally took some control of the game. They scored and converted a good try, which had the effect of lifting the sprit of the Hastings team and from that point on it was one way traffic. 

On more than one occasion only a last ditch tackle stopped more Hastings points.  Two missed penalties by Kemp-Milham kept the game within a converted try until the final whistle.

Man of the match was Cullingford, although a special mention goes to Adam Williams who has had the nod two weeks in a row only to be denied at the last minute.  The seconds welcomed Luff for his first second grade game and Powell back from knee injury.

The game was followed by the news of Ben and Lous first baby, so a big congratulations goes out to them from all the squad.

Hastings and Bexhill 2nds return to league action away to Hove this weekend needing to win every game now to remain top.

Team; O'Connor, Williams, Dawes, Sewell, Sanders, Simmons, Edmunds, Cullingford, Harbord, Kemp-Milham, Stinson, Arnold, Woolcott, Hanny, Macmanus, Luff, Stevens, Mahoney, Powell