RUGBY: No Cup finale for H&B
Hastings & Bexhill 63,
Burgess Hill 32
Vigo 45, Hastings & Bexhill 22
In a cup double-header on 22 April covering quarterfinal ties in both the Papa Johns Community Cup and the Bob Rogers Cup, H&B resoundingly beat Burgess Hill (the Sussex All Blacks). A week later, in the semi-final of the former competition, they played a storming first half against Vigo – twice winners over them in league competition earlier in the season – and shortly before halftime held a ten-point lead, 22-12. They could not maintain their form, however, and in the end were well beaten, playing 20 minutes with only 14 men after two successive yellow cards were administered for disciplinary offences.
Against Burgess Hill, playing in ideal conditions, H&B fielded a strong squad and never looked like losing. In the opening exchanges the visitors presented some difficulties with tough tackles and a solid defence, but the Hastings pack dominated the scrum and lineout: Jacob McDonagh, Mike Woodrow and Quin McManus all put in great performances.
Hat trick of tries
Man of the Match Calvin Crosby-Clark opened the scoring with a fine driving try from a 5m lineout; captain Steadman converted with a good kick. By half time Maynard had scored a hat trick of tries, the third coming as the result of a tremendous break from Harry Walker who put the flanker clear. Crosby-Clark added another try and Steadman was successful with another conversion and a penalty, making the score 32-10 at the interval.
The second half was almost a carbon copy of the first, H&B totally outclassing the West Sussex side and scoring five more tries. Joe Field capitalised on some great backs play to score two; Louis Sealy, Dan Suggitt and Crosby Clark all added to the total, and Steadman completed the rout with two more conversions.
The visitors did score four tries of their own in reply, these all coming during a period when H&B had two players off the pitch for yellow card offences. The home team might have learnt the cost of indiscipline from this – but seemed to forget it a week later.
Vigo defeat
Last Saturday Steadman opened the scoring with a beautifully struck penalty from 40m out. Vigo hit back with two quick tries to make the score 12-3. H&B lifted their game and from a 5m penalty Ben Davies charged the line to touch down. Steadman converted. Then Maynard made a terrific break to burst through the home defence and whipped the ball outside to Matt Sheppard, who scored a fantastic try. Immediately from the restart the ball was fed out through the backs to Charlie Glasper. He crossed the line under the posts to give Steadman another straightforward conversion. Thus after 36 minutes the score was 22-12, though Vigo added a converted try of their own to reduce the half time deficit to three points.
Unfortunately, the second half was a different story, Vigo scoring four more tries with three conversions. But it has to be said H&B eased their task by conceding far too many penalties as well as two consecutive yellow cards. For 20 minutes of the game Hastings were playing one man down, during which Vigo scored 19 points without reply. At this level an extra player is a big advantage.
So there’ll be no cup finale this season. Vigo will go on to contest the Papa Johns final at the Saracens’ Stonex Stadium in Barnet. The semi-finals and final of the Bob Rogers Cup will be held over until the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
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