Pulborough maintain perfect start but it’s three defeats from three for Holbrook

It was a closer game then the result suggested, with the game scoreless at half-time, but home side Boro’s superior fitness told as they ran in five unanswered second half tries.

Skipper Richard Nicholls said: “I’d say it was our best performance so far. We defended really well as a team and squeezed the life out of them, built pressure in defence and attack and our fitness came through in the last 20 minutes.”

A physical Crawley side had the wind at their backs in the first half and reduced the hosts to few chances before the break.

Pulborough remained confident and with fly-half Simon Burfiend using the ball well and pinning the visitors back with some excellent kicks they got on top, and well-worked tries came from Will Truscott, Nicholls, two from Ollie Combe-Tennent and a fifth from Ewan Calloway all well converted by Frazer Oliphant-Hope.

Table-topping Pulborough go to second placed Hove III this Saturday and Nicholls added: “They’ve also won three out of three so we’re expecting our toughest game.”

Holbrook suffered their third straight defeat with a battling but fruitless display against a much slicker Hove III side, who ran out 44-13 winners.

With a depleted side due to injuries Holbrook had to call on a number of second team players and they began the first half brightly. Once Hove managed to get service to their backs their class showed and they ran in a number of tries to lead 29-0 at half-time.

Holbrook did stage a mini revival in the second half with a Glenn Westoby penalty and two tries from Greg Holt before Hove’s 13 unanswered points put paid to any comeback.

Longer reports from both matches are online at: www.wscountytimes.co.uk