Rumble points way up table

Lewes kicked off into a strong wind and the opening minutes saw both teams evenly matched, although Lewes were more adventurous in their attacking options, with fly-half Dave Tyrrell and winger Sean Taylor making impressive runs through the opposition defence. From one such move on seven minutes the ball found its way out wide for full-back Neil Rumble to come into the line to score the opening try, which he duly converted from wide out with a impressive kick.

Gosport's outside-half Jon Wood was using the wind to his advantage by kicking deep behind Lewes's line, but good defence and aggressive rucks and mauls, ensured that the Gosport possession was not turned into points.

After 35 minutes Gosport were penalised for not releasing the ball in a tackle, and Rumble slotted over the kick from 20 metres out to increase the lead to 10-0, but straight from the re-start Lewes mishandled the ball in midfield, which enabled Gosport's Wood to pick up before touching down for a gift to narrow the score to 10-5 at the break.

Gosport began the second half with more aggression than they had shown in the first, driving deep into Lewes's half. This period of pressure paid off on 44 minutes with a penalty against Lewes from 22 metres out which Gosport's No.14, Wayne Dugan, kicked over to reduce the deficit to 10-8. Lewes now began to panic and a series of unforced errors and miskicks did not help their cause, so it was no surprise when Gosport took the lead for the first time in the match some two minutes later when the referee awarded them a penalty try for obstruction near the line, Dugan converted to make it 15-10.

Lewes, stung by this reversal, hit back with a fine, controlled drive from a scrum near Gosport's try line against which the visitors could only respond by deliberately and illegally dropping the front row. The resultant penalty try was converted by Rumble to see Lewes regain the lead at 17-15.

This gave them more confidence, and their play improved, with good possession from line-outs and setpieces alike. It brought Lewes's superior backs more into the game, but they were unable to pull away for several minutes, not helped by a high penalty count against them. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before they were able to increase their score, and on the hour a fly-hack downfield by Rumble was fumbled by the Gosport defence, and Rumble followed up to collect the ball and gleefully touch down for an opportunist try to stretch the lead to 22-15.

A few minutes before the final whistle Gosport were awarded a penalty inside their own half, but one of their players gave some backchat to the referee, who immediately reversed his decision, enabling Rumble to complete his personal tally of 20 points and his record of being Lewes's only scorer on the day, by successfully kicking the resultant penalty from 28 metres out.

This was Lewes's second victory in succession, and their improvement in form, aided by the return to the forwards of Ben Wood, should put them in good stead for tomorrow's crunch match away to Maidstone.

Lewes: Lacy, D Hemsley (capt), Lundin, Turner (Nayler), Brant, Rust, Giles, Wood, M Sole, Tyrrell, Patto, Saunders (Jones), Griffiths, Taylor, Rumble. (Rep: J Gray)