H&B beginning to click into place

THINGS are beginning to click into place for Hastings & Bexhill as they waltzed through to the third round of the Powergen Vase with a 63-7 win over Pulborough.

Pulborough were originally eliminated by Crowborough but were re-instated after it was discovered that the latter had fielded an ineligible player. They failed to cash in on their good fortune though as an under-strength side were well and truly put to the sword by a rampant H&B.

Assistant coach Rob Hamilton toasted a routine success. He said: "It was a much-improved performance but I don't think we should get too carried away. I think Pulborough were quite weak.

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"We totally dominated but I would imagine that was not their best XV because it certainly didn't look anything like the sort of team we had lost to at Pulborough the last couple of years."

Second rower Martin Sheppard came in for his first start of the season after getting his fitness up to scratch and immediately stabilised a scrum that has been at the heart of the team's problems in some of their early season defeats.

Kit Claughton went over for a try in the opening 10 minutes and from then on scores followed at regular intervals. Paul Sandeman converted and then added a penalty which preceded a quartet of tries before the interval. Wings Tom Brampton and Ben Campbell crossed as did props Tony Roche and Paul Northen to open up a yawning 32-0 advantage at half time.

The second half produced more of the same as the visiting defence struggled to contain the advancing tide of H&B attackers.

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Roche again crossed the line for Neil Redman to convert and Brampton nabbed another which was embellished by the boot of Sandeman. Campbell completed his brace in between a pair from the impressive Nick Edmonds, the first of which was underlined by Redman's conversion.

With the game comfortably in the bag, concentration understandably wavered a fraction late on as Pulborough went in for their only points of the afternoon.

Paul Flood had a hand in many of the home side's scores in a performance which earned him the Morgan & Lamplugh man of the match award.

The teams clash again on Saturday October 25 - although this time in the Sussex League and at Pulborough.