Eastbourne negotiate Hill to close in on rugby title – Haywards Heaht produce stirring fightback

Burgess Hill 0 Eastbourne 57

Counties 2 Sussex

Eastbourne Rugby Club enjoyed another winning weekend – with the first team, second team and colts all recording fantastic scorelines.

The first team travelled to Burgess Hill focused on finishing the season in style, with three games to play and two wins away from securing the title.

The game started with five minutes of dominance from the home side before Eastbourne gained possession and spun the ball wide and attacked at real pace with excellent offloading.

This continued for the remainder of the first half. Dylan Viles scored a hat-trick, all from a long way out, Mason Dowle scored from full-back with another long-range attack, before some slick passing in the forwards saw Owen Davis score his first of two tries.

The highlight of the tries was one from hooker Joe Bettles, who has developed his game this year and added more ball carrying in the loose. Once again, he stormed 40m down the wing, flattening the poor Burgess Hill fly-half to score a superb try.

Captain Jake Howe kicked seven conversions.

During the second half Burgess were dead on their feet and had a number of injuries and were not able to continue. Both sides agreed to call the game off as Eastbourne had been so dominant and Burgess Hill ran out of substitutes.

This was a shame for Eastbourne but they finished the game injury-free and now look forward to a difficult challenge at Uckfield (3pm) this week where they can win the league.

Ronnie Dorrey-Palmer was named MoM as he played superbly out of position in the back row and has been out of action injured for several months.

Eastbourne's 2nd XV - the Nomads – continued their impressive form with a dominant 94-0 win over St Francis 1st XV.

The home team scored 14 tries, with Ollie Horley scoring four plus several assists. Konrad O'Neill made multiple line breaks resulting in a try and a lot of territory gained.

Kyle Hastilow proved too fast to be caught when receiving the ball in space, scoring two tries.

O’Neill scored the first try after just seven minutes, followed by a conversion from Stuart Sorrell. Horley then scored his first, with Sorrell again converting, to make it 14-0.

Cameron Burleigh and Horley scored two more before the half-hour, with Sorrell adding two more conversions to make it 28-0. Hastilow and Owen Jones also scored before the break, with Sorrell adding two more conversions to make it 42-0.

Horley scored two more tries, while Ben Saunders, Toby Slaughter, Louis Paal, Adam Blennerhassett, Hastilow and Tom Lester all added more.

Sorrell and Blennerhassett kicked all but two conversions.

Callum Gordon was MoM for his intelligent and fast game at scrum-half.

The win sees Eastbourne move third in the league.

Heath 31 Uckfield 29

Counties 2 Sussex

This rearranged fixture on a scheduled rest weekend meant both sides were showing changes – third-placed Uckfield visiting a Heath side who had dropped to fourth after successive defeats.

On a cold afternoon the visitors looked up for it as they quickly took a two-try advantage. With just five minutes gone Uckfield seemed to be going nowhere but found a try-scoring move as Heath slid off tackles allowing the winger over.

Heath’s ill discipline saw a penalty attempt from Uckfield hit the post and, despite riding their luck, Heath continued to struggle clearing from their own 22. When turned over, they conceded another penalty which was kicked wide by the Uckfield 10 for an easy catch and score out on the right wing. Ten minutes gone – Heath were 0-10 down.

Heath got some possession and were able to gain territory with a penalty kicked to the corner. Although the lineout was taken by Uckfield the ball was won back by Heath and another penalty saw a quick tap and the ball moved wide from where James Trinder cut back against the defence to score. Tom Wharton converted – 7-10.

Uckfield turned the screw again and when presented with a scrum in the Heath 22 took full advantage, running straight through a Heath defence that failed to drift for a try that made it 7-15.

Skipper Wilf Bridges drove in for his first try of the day to pull the score back to 12-15.

Although Heath seemed to be back in the game, their lack of accuracy with ball in hand and ill discipline in defence gave Uckfield a platform from which to play.

Heath's defensive press was nowhere to be seen as Uckfield powered through for two tries in quick succession before half-time. Both scores were converted meaning Heath were turning round with a 17-point deficit.

An honest team talk saw Heath come out a different team in the second half.From the kick off Heath were into the Uckfield 22 and after a couple of phases the ball was moved wide left for Trinder to crash over for his second try. Wharton slotted the extras from out wide – 19-29.

The Heath defence was tighter and anything Uckfield threw at them was repelled. It was now Uckfield’s ill-discipline that meant Heath could get field position and when another offence in the Uckfield 22 was pinged, a quick tap and go from Bridges saw him drive through the defence for another try and Heath's bonus point. Wharton slotted the kick - game on at 26-29.

The inevitable score came from an inevitable source. Another tapped penalty from Bridges was stopped short of the line but recycled until it again came to the captain who smashed his way through tired tacklers for a try and a 31-29 lead.

A kick to the corner was defended well by Heath and all the visitors’ efforts were held at bay .

Heath leapfrog back above Uckfield on points difference to sit third. This week Heath head to high flying East Grinstead.