Bognor rugby legend Burgess ends captaincy spell in style

Burgess led from the front from the word go and, aptly, commanded the final play of the match to secure a hard-fought victory.

In beautiful weather Bognor took two teams and a host of lively supporters to the Island for the last league matches of the season. After taking the lead in the first half the second team succumbed late on by 20-41 to a spirited Sandown, but the first team ended the season on a high, and thoroughly deserved their win to confirm their third-place finish in Hampshire Premier.

Bognor outpace Pumas.

Bognor played the first half with a very strong wind at their backs, enabling fly-half Jack Lysaght to pin back the home side deep inside their own 22 with some fine kicking. After ten minutes Bognor’s forwards drove over the line but the referee was unsighted and decided that the ball was held up over the line. Five minutes later there was no room for doubt as Russ Watmore crashed over to give Bognor the lead.

Despite their territorial advantage throughout the first half the visitors were unable to add to their score due to some good tackling by the home team combined with poor discipline and hesitant work at the breakdown by Bognor.

It's a rugby first for Sussex.

Sandown were delighted to reach half time just five points adrift and, with the benefit of the wind and slope to come in the second half, they would have been most people’s favourites to push on and cause an upset. However, Bognor stepped up the intensity and accuracy to begin running the ball from deep. Early in the half Burgess set off on one of his trademark runs and, after making 40 metres, he found Tyrone Makasi on his outside.

The speedy winger managed to pop the ball back inside before he was tackled into touch, but Burgess was taken out before the pass could reach him, resulting in a yellow card for the offending Sandown second row. From the ensuing lineout Bognor’s pack drove hard for the line and man-of-the-match Watmore grabbed his second try of the afternoon. Lysaght, who experienced a difficult afternoon from the tee, hit the post with the conversion, leaving the score at 10-0.

The home team hit back when Bognor lost their own lineout near the halfway and Sandown’s outside centre broke clean through the middle to touch down under the posts. The conversion meant that visitors’ lead was reduced to just three points. Direct from the re-start Bognor tapped the ball back to regain possession and the ball was moved quickly along the line to allow replacement Freddie Hayes to fly over in the corner, increasing his side’s lead to eight points.

Back came Sandown once again, pressurising Bognor into conceding a penalty for offside.

The resulting lineout seemed to be too far out for a serious attempt on Bognor’s line but the home forwards, sensing some complacency, drove over from a full twenty metres.

Another successful conversion meant that Bognor’s lead was now down to a single point.

Bognor’s big strike runners, with Chris Webb and Jamie Foote to the fore, were now making huge inroads into the tiring defence. Foote almost made the line himself but the visitors missed two opportunities to put Masaki away. Finally, just nine minutes from time, Bognor gave themselves some breathing space when Sean Bailey finished off yet another driving lineout by touching down out wide.

In the closing minutes Burgess his experience to see the game out and ensure his four-year reign finished in style with a seventh straight bonus-point win.