Tough defeat for Haywards Heath at KCS Old Boys

Having beaten KCS at home earlier in the season, Heath needed an away win over their rivals if they had any chance of overhauling them in the league and moving away from potential relegation.

As has been the case in a number of games this season, Heath were punished for starting slowly. A couple of missed tackles and slow line speed saw the home side with early momentum crashing over for the score.

Although KCS looked the stronger side, Heath managed to carve out a couple of opportunities to score but a well organised defence from the home side kept them out. Eventually Heath did get on the board when, after some good work by the pack, the ball was swung wide for Cam Reed to outpace the defence and go over in the corner on the right wing for 7-5.

Heath now had a bit of confidence about them and following a kick through forced a scrum on the KCS 5 metre line - from a dominant scrum skipper Bridges broke right and fed scrum half Jamie Thurston who wriggled over for a try which Tom Wharton converted for a 7-12 lead.

KCS hit back quickly with a try and then compounded this for Heath with another just before half time for 21-12 scoreline at the break.

Heath repeated the slow start of the first half in the second with KCS exploiting some poor defence to score two more tries, securing a bonus point, and leaving Heath trailing 31-12.

Heath showed a lot of spirit to try and fight back. A kick through and chase for Reed saw him score his second of the day and then some agile handling through forwards and backs saw Takhy Ndiaye Marrero touch down in the opposite corner to score for 31- 24.

On the attack again Heath worked their way up into an increasingly nervy KCS 22 - a break from a ruck from Thurston followed by an outrageous no look reverse flick put centre Jack Lucas through a hole to touch down. Wharton converted for 31-31 with twelve minutes remaining.

KCS worked their way back up field and played with advantage after Heath conceded an innocuous penalty just inside their own 10m line - a daft yellow for not handing the ball back quickly to allow the penalty to be taken saw Heath down to 14. KCS kicked to the corner and drove over for what proved to be the decisive score. The last five minutes was all Heath but they could not find the field position to take advantage. So two losing bonus points for Heath means they stand third from bottom in Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex, awaiting results in the league above to determine whether they remain in this league next season. The final game of the season is at home to Eastbourne on the 5th April.

Back at Whitemans Green the Heath Rams faced promotion chasing Jersey Royals. In an entertaining and high quality game the visitors prevailed with a last play of the game try for a 22-26 victory.

1st XV Squad: Seb Broster; Will Purdy; Harry Edwards; Dan Jarman; Ellis Dubois; Connor Mullins; Kai Dolan; Wilf Bridges (capt); Jamie Thurston; Tom Wharton, Cam Reed; Jack Lucas; Jack Flower; Takhy Ndiaye Marrero, Evan Herbert, James Fleming; Harry Clarke; Tom Smith