Highly Competitive
8 October:
Hastings & Bexhill 26, Gillingham Anchorians 3
15 October:
Hastings & Bexhill 20,
Canterbury 2nd XV 29
By Peter Knight
Two successive home fixtures for Hastings & Bexhill in the Kent County League this month resulted in a convincing win over Gillingham Anchorians – their first of the season – but eventual defeat by Canterbury 2nd XV after a highly competitive encounter.
Against Anchorians, H&B dominated play in the first half, while making some excellent tackles when the visitors threatened to score. They opened the scoring with a well-taken try from Tom Hirst on the left wing; skipper Bruce Steadman converted with a good kick. Anchorians hit back with a penalty awarded for off side, but Joe Field playing at outside centre burst through a static defence to touch down near the posts. Steadman converted to make the half time score 14-3.
The second half continued in the same vein with two more tries from Hirst, giving him a hat trick and H&B the bonus point win. Steadman converted the last to make the final score 26-3. All round this was a good solid team performance with some great work from prop Jacob McDonagh, flanker Quinn McManus and full back Harry Walker.
Peter Knight makes presentation to Bruce Steadman in honour of David Sansbury
A week later H&B hosted rather tougher opposition. Canterbury 1st XV play in National Division 2 (East); their 2nd XV contains many players from that squad and others who aspire to be senior players. However, the Hastings side competed well again in every area of the game.
Mike Woodrow, six and a half feet tall and newly arrived in the town from Hull, made his 1st XV debut and will hopefully stay for a long time. He contributed well, especially in the lineout. The visitors’ team, though full of big, strong and very physical men, could not break through the resolute Hastings defence until McDonagh was yellow-carded in the 19th minute. They then capitalised on their one-man advantage to score a couple of tries. But Hastings hit back with two penalties from Steadman; the second sailed over the bar from over 40 metres out to make the half time score 6-12.
At the restart H&B were immediately in the ascendancy and put the Canterbury defence under pressure. Fly half James Gardner crashed over the line, and Steadman converted to put Hastings into a one-point lead. Although Canterbury retook the lead with a well-struck penalty, the home side lifted their game and pounded their visitors’ defence, Walker bursting through the back line to touch down a terrific team try under the posts. H&B were five points in the lead with only minutes to go.
They could not hold on. Canterbury’s flying winger – a former Englnd international at touch rugby and contestant on Love Island – scored a breakaway try (converted) and, as the final whistle neared, the visitors were also awarded a penalty try. It appeared a very harsh decision as viewed from the touch line, and robbed H&B of a losing bonus point which they had certainly deserved.
Tomorrow (Saturday) H&B travel to last season’s bogey side Park House. The Hastings side were runners up in the league and also losing cup finalists to the Bromley-based club.
Before the kick-off against Gillingham, Steadman was pre-sented with the match ball in memory of David Sansbury who died in February. Sansbury, former landlord of the Horse and Groom pub in St Leonards, had sponsored the club for over 25 years.
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