Hastings and Bexhill fall just short in historic trip to Bristol

On a day that began to simmer from 5am, when the coach embarked on its journey, it came to boil at 11am when the Bristol ground was covered in blue and white, cheering the team out of the tunnel. A cup run that united all sections of the club had meant the support was rife, despite the long journey.

From the kick-off, the game was evenly matched physically, with both teams priding themselves on their solid defence. However, after some basic errors in the midfield ADOB went up the pitch and scored first out wide, with the opposition kicker adding the extras. The riposte was sharp though as Captain Harry Walker scored not long after, thanks to a Kaleb Wiggan turnover with a lung bursting kick chase.

With this, came more uncharacteristic errors from Hastings meaning ADOB managed to take control of the first half, stretching out to 5-24 lead. Their place kicker compiling the damage by hitting every conversion and a penalty across the day.

Hastings showcased their class in spells with two quick-fire tries. The first came through Hudson Wales, who pounced on a deft grubber kick from Joe Field, displaying sharp anticipation and finishing ability. Moments later, Quinn McManus powered through to score under the posts, capping off a dominant spell of play and leaving people wondering how they hadn't shown this throughout the whole game. It was 17-27 at half-time.

The second half was a slog and Hastings and Bexhill were banging on the door, wanting to appease the fans that had travelled. Camped in the oppositions half for large parts of the second stanza, the door would just not unlock for them. ADOB showed class and composure as they defended well and closed out the game only conceding three more points from the 40 minutes.

With the final whistle almost being blown, the team from Bristol managed one more try as they pushed over a driving maul. Final score 20-34.

Although things did not quite go to plan on the pitch, the Hastings XV fought to the very end in typically dogged fashion which regular spectators have grown accustom too this season. After the whistle, the support remained full of voice. This was a tribute to the hard work and heart that had carried the team to this stage, and the fans made sure that achievement didn’t go unnoticed.

The heart and fight that this youthful squad have built into their DNA, gives a lasting feeling that Saturday will not be the last final this group of players get to.

Watch the game at https://app.veo.co/matches/20250517-17th-may-2025-papa-johns-final-633d7af5/