News & match reports
Lewes return to form against Deal & Betts
1st February 2010
Score: 15 - 28
Report by Dereck Wade
Photographs: Alan Page
Lewes made the long trip to Kent to play what has always been in the past a challenging fixture. In sunny but cold conditions, Lewes at last returned to the form they had shown earlier in the season, no doubt due to their increasing match-fitness after the long winter lay-off.
Lewes opened the match brightly, with their pack making early inroads into opposition territory, as they had done the previous week. After 10 minutes, a terrific drive by the forwards all the way from the half-way line to Deal`s try line was rewarded when prop-forward Rob Williams crashed over in the right corner for the opening try. The conversion by fly-half Rocky Matatumua saw the visitor`s take a 0 – 7 lead.
Deal then fought back to 5 - 7 after 14 minutes, chipping the ball over and behind the Lewes defence for a move which resulted in a line-out, then a scrum, from which their No 8 Joseph Hinkins touched down for his side`s first, but unconverted, try. On 20 minutes, this gap narrowed to 8 – 10, Deal`s inside centre Leighton Docherty kicking over a penalty after Lewes were adjudged offside. The next 10 minutes were uneventful, but just before the half-time whistle, Lewes won a line-out on their opponents 5 metre line, enabling the forwards to roll towards the try-line for prop Steve Andre to crash over for an unconverted try to make it 8 – 15.
The first 10 minutes of the second half saw Lewes continue to dominate the set pieces, and their controlled forward play confined the Kent side to within their own 22 metre area. This pressure paid off on 50 minutes with an inevitable penalty against the hosts on 18 metres which Matatumua – in his best game for Lewes since his arrival – slotted over to stretch the advantage to 8 – 18. Some five minutes later, Deal attempted to drive into Lewes`s half, but their attempted kick to deep was charged down on the half-way line by second –row Chris Brant, enabling skipper Ben Hamer to pick up the loose ball and run fully 50 metres before scoring under the posts. The conversion by Matatumua saw Lewes take a deserved lead at 8 – 25.
The next few minutes belonged to Deal, as Lewes no doubt began to relax, and they narrowed the differential to 15 – 25 on 69 minutes when a chipped ball behind the visitor`s defence was touched down by their fly-half, Anthony Hart, for an try, converted by Docherty. This did not appear to trouble Lewes who, at this point substituted prop Tim Mason for Williams, and winger Steve Mills for Will Bell. Just before the final whistle, Lewes were awarded a penalty on the 22 metre line for a Deal high tackle, which Matatumua slotted over to see the Sussex side run out impressive winners by 15 – 28.
This result sees Lewes climb up another place to fifth in the League, with two games in hand over several of their nearest rivals.
Lewes: Andre, Denslow, Williams (Mason), Brant, Gorbell, Tudor, Arbuthnot, Ridley, Blunt, Matatumua, Bell (Mills), Hamer (Capt.), Terry, Sharp, Hutchinson.
Next Saturday, Lewes have their first home match at the Stanley Turner Ground since 5th. December against bottom-of-the-table Eastbourne, kick-off 2.15pm .
After this match, Lewes will be showing the first-round match of the Six Nations Tournament on their big screen, England v Wales, from 5.00pm onwards.
Note: following County trials in early January, two Lewes players – flanker Tom Tudor and winger James Halpin – have been selected for the Sussex Under 20 squad.
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