Nick Page writes:- Lewes Colts played host to Hastings in a return friendly match from earlier in the season.Lewes started the more lively of the two teams. They were able to get some good movement through the backs with Tom Tudor playing at full back making some penetrating runs through the Hastings lines.
One of these culminated in Trystan Sanders receiving the ball out on the wing. His determined run took him past a number of Hastings players but was ended by a tackle in the Hastings 22. He was able to get a neat pop pass up to the supporting Myles Ball at centre to power over the line. Henry Lake duly converted for the extras.
A second try followed soon after. From a scrum close to their line Hastings got the ball to their fly half who attempted to clear the ball down the pitch. His kick was semi charged down by an alert James Dunnill and Sam Rawson, at flanker, dived on the ball which had never left the Hastings in goal area to score. Henry Lake converted.
Hastings, to their credit, tried to draw themselves back into the game. But another Tom Tudor run at the heart of the Hastings defence, again closely supported by Myles Ball and Trsytan Sanders, saw the ball end up just short of the line. Lewes retained the ball and drove it over for Sam Rawson’s second try of the day.
Lewes were able to score once more before the break. A rolling maul saw prop and captain Adam Woodman rip the ball out and find space down the blind side to cross over the line for another unconverted try.
Hastings came out for the second half with a point to prove. They put Lewes under a lot of pressure and were camped on the Lewes line for a good ten minutes. It was encouraging that Lewes were able to show their defence on the day was as good as their attack and they would not let Hastings cross the line.
Lewes did manage to get out of their 22. A ruck near the line saw Sam Rawson pick and go. Hastings expected a pass out to the back line but Sam saw space open up in front of him and was able to cut through the defence and cross the line for his hat trick of tries which Henry Lake was able to convert.
After a relatively bruising affair at their last meeting, Hastings were beginning to show some frustration at the difference in class between the two teams and a somewhat unorthodox tackle attempt found both sides slinging handbags which the Referee duly dealt with resulting in a sin binning for a Hastings player.
Lewes let their rugby do the talking and Jon Pitts who had come on at fly half was able to effect a neat chip over the Hastings defence. Pitts chased his kick and was able to gather the ball on a favourable bounce to cross the line and then converted for the extra two points to make the final score a very deserved 38 to nil win.
Filed under: Colts, Juniors, Match Reports
