Horsham RFC maintain perfect start

A much-changed Horsham side saw six changes to the back line and the game was played in front of a large crowd of 130, who also enjoyed a fundraising party to help the club launch it’s Kick Cancer Into Touch initiative.

It was however a disappointing performance against a side propping up the table, despite scoring five tries and securing their third successive bonus point win.

Aled Price slotted a couple of early penalties as the Horsham front row exerted pressure on the Beccehamians scrum, but the Green and Whites were pegged back after 14 minutes by a controversial try when the opposition winger appeared to have stepped into touch.

Ryan Grover then scored from a well executed driving maul, and minutes later the backs showed that they too could threaten the scoreboard when Price fired out a long pass to Gibbs, who pierced the Beccehamians three quarter line and found Lee Taylor, but he just ran out of space before reaching the try line.

Still Number 8 Ben Pirt then scored a classic pushover try from a five yard scrum before half time.

With Horsham well set for a big score, the side then went off the boil for the middle third of the game, exacerbated by a succession of injuries, notably to captain Paul Talbot.

The Green and Whites lacked control of possession and protection at the base of the scrum and weren’t clinical enough, seemingly believing the game was already won.

They woke up when Matt Goodsir’s perfectly weighted grubber kick saw Gibbs win the chase to score, and Gibbs added another before Rob Grantham-Hill crossed the line in the final minute to seal victory.

Horsham’s next league game is away to Ashford on Saturday October 5.

Horsham: Talbot (Stone 35), Grantham-Hill, Barber; Grover, Whiting; N Bell, Smith, Pirt (Clegg 40); W Bell, Price; Taylor, Ordidge, Gibbs, Brooker (Rice 60); Goodsir.