H&B facing five-week lay-off

Hastings & Bexhill Rugby Club is facing a five-week lay-off at a key stage in the season.
Hastings & Bexhill Rugby Club is set to go five weeks without a game at a key point in its league campaign. Picture by Simon NewsteadHastings & Bexhill Rugby Club is set to go five weeks without a game at a key point in its league campaign. Picture by Simon Newstead
Hastings & Bexhill Rugby Club is set to go five weeks without a game at a key point in its league campaign. Picture by Simon Newstead

H&B suffered their second successive postponement last weekend when their scheduled visit from Foots Cray succumbed to a waterlogged pitch at William Parker.

And with no fixture scheduled for this weekend, H&B will head to Old Williamsonians next Saturday (March 1) not having played since the 15-6 win at home to Park House on January 25.

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H&B head coach Kevin Smith said: “That’s not good, but we’ve been training in the sand pit (at an equestrian facility the club uses) on Thursday nights and we’ve got a training session on Saturday morning.”

While H&B have been left kicking their heels for the last two weekends, Kent One leaders Park House have managed to get their games played and back-to-back wins have given them clear daylight at the top of the table.

Park House now hold a 15-point lead over second-placed H&B having played two more matches and Smith admits the leaders are now firm favourites for the title.

“It’s in Park House’s hands,” Smith continued. “I don’t think they will slip up to be honest. They’ve got to play Cranbrook and that will be a hard game, but I suspect they’ve done enough to go up.”

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The likelihood is that H&B will be battling it out with Cranbrook for the runners-up spot and with it a promotion play-off clash. H&B are currently a point above Cranbrook having played an extra match and the two sides will meet at William Parker in a potentially pivotal game on Saturday March 8.

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