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10 - 11 April match reports
13th April 2010
Men's 1st XV match report >>
Lewes Colts vs Haywards Heath - U18 >>
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Senior men
10 April 2010
Lewes 1st XV vs Tonbridge Juddians
Score: 12- 57
Match Report and images by Dereck Wade
Lewes outgunned by league champions
In their last League match of the season, Lewes travelled to Tonbridge to play against runaway Champions, Juddians, who have not lost a match for 2 seasons, totalling some 50 games, and are one step away from the Intermediate Cup Final at Twickenham. Lewes were thus always going to be underdogs, but nevertheless put up a spirited performance before tiring and going down 55 – 12 due to a spurt of late tries from the Kent outfit.
Juddians –the majority of whose team comprised overseas players – scored within seconds from the kick-off, when they received the ball before passing along the line to right-winger Logan Chandler who scored under the posts for an easy try before Lewes had time to settle down. The conversion by outside-half Shaun Cooper saw his side take an early lead at 7 – 0.
Ten minutes later, the combination of strong, and heavier, forwards, and speedy and elusive backs, proved too much for the Sussex side as they conceded a second try, this time from hooker Tom Murray who crashed through under the posts, the conversion by Cooper extending the advantage to 14 – 0. The next quarter of the match saw Lewes hold their own, putting Juddians under some pressure inside their own half, but on 26 minutes, the home side worked their way back upfield, resulting in Murray scoring his second try, converted by Cooper, to enable his side to pull away at 26 – 0.
But to Lewes’s credit, they continued to play attacking rugby and replied 2 minutes later, winning the ball on the left before switching it right for full-back Sam Hutchinson to create an overlap and put in-form winger James Halpin in for a fine, but unconverted, try in the corner to make it 26 – 5. Lewes continued to exert pressure on Juddians but the hosts’ disciplined defence and physical tackling kept them out until the dying seconds of the half when Halpin intercepted the ball from some 55 metres for a solo try under the posts, converted by outside-half Rocky Matatumua, to see the visitors in at the break 26 – 12 down .
As Lewes’s defence held firm, It took Juddians 17 minutes to add to add to their score, following a scrum near Lewes’s’s line which led to replacement full-back Henry Tanner bursting through for an unconverted try to make it 31 – 12. This became 36 – 12 three minutes later, Chandler scoring his second, but unconverted, try. This proved to be the end of Lewes’s challenge, as they began to tire after their sterling efforts of the first hour and the physical challenges of their opponents. An incident towards the end, when Lewes’s Man-of-the-Match, No. 8 Matt Ridley, had to leave the field with a head injury following a dubious tackle from a Juddians player, only added to their woes. Juddians now began to run at will into the Sussex side’s defence, adding a further 3 tries from outside-half Cooper, No. 8 Tom Wagstaff, and scrum-half Pete Jennings, Cooper converting all three, to make the final score 57 - 12.
Notwithstanding this heavy defeat, Lewes retained their creditable fifth position in this highly-competitive League, a distinct improvement on the past two seasons and which gives them hope for a promotion push themselves next season.
Lewes: Andre, Mason, Williams (Read 45 mins.), Gorbell, Brant, Tudor, Ridley, Blunt, Terry, Matatumua, Halpin (Mills 50 mins.), Hamer (Capt.), Sharp, Bell, Hutchinson.
Lewes Rugby Club rounds off the rugby year with an “End of Season” Social Event this Saturday (17 April), from 7.30pm onwards, to which all players, members and supporters are invited.
Under 18s
11 April 2010
Lewes Colts V Haywards Heath
Score: 19 - 15
Match report by Aidan Byrne
An exciting spectacle of rugby was played by Lewes and HH at the Stanley Turner Ground today. Lewes come out the victors with a try in the last two minutes and both sides should be complemented on the honest endeavor and effort. The two teams had players missing due to county selections and injuries however this did not seem to materially affect the quality of play.
Haywards Heath played with a strong win in the first half and most of the game was on the Lewes 22 however strong tackling meant they never looked like scoring a try. Apart from one converted penalty HH did not get any points for all the territorial advantage. Indeed Lewes were the side more likely to score a try. Great runs from both Ollie Callaghan, Charlie Savage, Billie Filmer and Josh Sheppard being stopped by try saving tackles on the part of the HH fullback and wingers.
Playing with the wind in the second half Lewes kicked off – up quick on the kickoff Hillman prevented the clean catch and Shep fell on the loose ball like a terrier chancing a rat. Two passages of play laterd Gunn passed to Kieran who passed to Staples who crossed the try line and Lewes converted to be 7-3 ahead. Within five minutes Gunn then crossing for a second converted try and the game should have been over with the score 14 – 3 to Lewes. Nobody told HH. They battled back to score an excellent try 14 – 8 and then with 10 minutes to go they scored another converted try to lead for the second time in the game 15 -14.
Kieran Martin was late tackled on the halfway line resulting in a HH player being yellow carded. His attempted penalty kick missed however Lewes kept HH in their 22. Harte came close to scoring in the corner with four minutes left but then with just two minutes remaining he managed to bash over to score a try and put Lewes ahead. Brilliant, exciting rugby!
Scorers for Lewes Ollie Stables (1 try), Raff Gunn (1 try), Kieran Martin (2 converstions), Lewes Harte (1 try)
Lewes Squad: Tom Pellett, Billie Filmer, Sam Rawson, Joshua Sheppard, Kieran Martin, Sam Peat, Ollie Callaghan, Lockie Diplock, Ollie Stables, Josh Hillman, Lewis Harte, Christian Vanezi, Charlie Savage, Ryan Byrne, Raff Gunn, Mathew Jones, Tom Howell.
Next challenge is Worthing RFC for Lewes to get into the playoffs of the Colts League.
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