Pulborough top the early Sussex 1 standings after perfect two from two

Boro followed up last week’s win with another bonus-point victory, this time over Chichester III to head the early Sussex 1 table.
Boro skipper Richard NichollsBoro skipper Richard Nicholls
Boro skipper Richard Nicholls

The Chichester III team put up a tough second half challenge, pushing visiting Boro to the last minute of the game. Pulborough’s defence though held firm and a game that was filled as much with excitement and thrilling tries as with errors came to an end 29-20 to the visitors.

Head coach Clay Saunders said: “To come away with a bonus point win, when you are not firing on all cylinders is not a bad day at the office, but there is much more work to put in next week.”

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With Pulborough choosing to rotate some key positions the game was slow to get up to tempo, but it wasn’t too long before Boro opened the scoring with a well deserved try. Wing Harry Perry chased the kick ahead and forcing the error on the try line, and No.8 Hamish Godman-Dorington gathered up the ball to score his first of three tries.

Pulborough dominated the early stages of the game, Will Boulton scored an impressive darting try after the Boro pack had driven into the Chi 22m, but after some sloppy clearance attempts they let Chichester in for two close range driving tries.

The Chi pack got the better of the visitors in the maul a number of times during the match, though in the lose the black and whites were rampant and after a strong break from wing Ewan Calloway, the ball was offloaded from forward to backs before a sweet pass from Godman-Dorington to Will Jordan saw him finish off a fine move in the corner.

Full Back Frazer Oliphant-Hope stepped up and kicked the touch-line conversion.

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Boro centres Will Truscot and Will Jordan worked hard all game in defence and in attack, the new pairing nearly seeing Jordan score only to be judged to be held up.

Chi picked up their game in the second half and piled on the pressure, scoring from a driving maul.

Oliphant-Hope kicked his second conversion of the day to increase Puborough’s lead to 29-15, but the gap was closed again when Chichester scored again in the corner.

With their fourth conversion missed Chichester were left with a nine-point deficit and in the final five minutes Boro had to defend doggedly to see out victory.

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Pulborough II lost to Chichester IV in a tight game at Freelands 22-27.

Elsewhere in Sussex 1, Holbrook were hammered 79-9 away at Crawley.

Captain Richard Nicholls said: “The boys were disappointed with the win, the performance was not up there for 80 minutes and we let Chichester back in the game when we should have closed it off. But a win is a win.”

Pulborough host Crawley next Saturday at Freelands, KO 3pm

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