Littlehampton into quarter-finals of Sussex Plate

Both teams started strongly and worked end-to-end for the ball, but it was Littlehampton who got on the scoreboard first. They fought strongly in the scrum before the ball was passed out wide to Craig Walters, who went over in the corner.

Littlehampton got the better of the scrums, winning both theirs and Barns Green’s and, from a scrum, Dean Torode worked the chance to break forward before passing to Walters, who touched down his second try of the game, which Torode converted.

Barns Green then opened their account after winning a lineout and went over in the corner.

Littlehampton responded straight away and Scott Elliott got the next try, which Torode converted.

Littlehampton continued to dominate in the scrum to gain the advantage, and Ben Best passed to Walters, who went over for his hat-trick, with Torode again converting.

Barns Green then won a couple of penalties, and put the pressure on to pull a try back.

But Littlehampton restored their advantage before the break. They claimed the ball in the scrum, won a penalty and Bryan Newman eventually crossed the line to hand them a 31-10 half-time advantage.

Early defensive duties for Littlehampton in the second half were soon ended when Matt Eames intercepted and they pushed forward. A drive from a scrum then saw man-of-the-match Craig Boddington pop the ball up to Elliot for him to go over under the posts, and Torode converted.

Then came a Barns Green try, which was their only points of the half, before Elliot completed his hat-trick, and Best chipped over the defence for Bobby Matthews to add the final try.

Littlehampton will now travel to Cinque Ports in the last eight on November 7.

LITTLEHAMPTON: Simmons, Russell, Edmunds, Selwood, Merridue, Newman, Eames, Boddington, Elliott, Torode, Wood, Best, Matthews, Ritchie, Walters Subs: Kierle (Selwood), Morley (Edmunds), Vegrove.