H&B aiming to hit the heights

HASTINGS & Bexhill spokesman Peter Knight believes "it is realistic" for the club to secure its third successive runners-up finish ahead of the Sussex Division One rugby season.

The club has been hit with the loss of half-back pairing Craig Burgess and Kit Claughton but the pre-season form of a crop of promising youngsters has given them cause for encouragement.

Coach Roger Stanley was pleased with the effort and commitment of the players during the 14-0 friendly defeat away to London South East Four outfit Betteshanger in stifling conditions on Saturday.

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"We're not over-confident but we're hopeful," Knight said. "Our ambition is to be as close to the top as we can and it (a top two finish) is realistic. If they play up to their full potential we could do very well.

"But it is going to be a building season. We are struggling to replace Craig Burgess and Kit Claughton. That's a major loss but we've found two new younger players (fly-half David Northen and scrum-half Matt Harboard) who can play there and we're hoping they can get a partnership together. That's going to be key: if that works as well as we hope it will be very good.

"I think it's going to be less of a one horse race than it was last year (when Hove topped the table throughout the season) and there's a good difference between the lower teams and the top teams."

H&B open their campaign with "a good marker" at Seaford on Saturday September 11 "very keen" to avoid the nightmare start (they lost their first three league games) which scuppered their championship quest in 2003-04. Sprightly winger Tom Brampton (RAF posting) and Paul Sandeman, who is expected to be sidelined by personal commitments until late October, are unavailable but Roger Roberts should play through the pain brought on by a thumb injury.

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