Uckfield win Vase tie

EDF Junior Vase 3rd RoundUckfield 1st XV 18Old Blues 1st XV 5Uckfield moved a step closer to a dream Twickenham final as they saw off Surrey side Old Blues in a mud-spattered battle at Hempstead Fields on Saturday.

In the fourth round on January 20 they have been drawn at home to Essex Division One side Billericay who beat Old Actonians 29-20 on Saturday.

In a game littered with errors in difficult playing conditions Uckfield proved too strong for their Surrey opposition.

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The majority of the first half was spent in the Old Blues' half as Uckfield piled on the pressure. It was not long before the sodden pitch began to cut up, making for a tricky afternoon as both teams struggled to string more than a couple of phases together.

However, the game came to life after 15 minutes as Uckfield's young flanker Matt Logan broke free down the right after intercepting the pass off the back of the Old Blues line-out to open the scoring. Fly-half Phil Douse converted.

Although there were ample individual errors in attack Uckfield's defence was resolute with one massive hit from prop Ben Woods making the sizeable crowd gasp and keeping the Old Blues on the back foot.

Uckfield continued to pressure with quick rucking and good hands, sucking in the Old Blues defence and creating space out wide. It was not long before the good work paid off when Uckfield switched the play from wide left back to the right, where scrum half Rob Outen fed Douse, who drew the two-on-one before popping to Alex Harle to gallop over the line for 12-0 at half-time.

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The second half began with the pitch becoming heavier underfoot, and the Old Blues fitness proved the better as they started to consistently be first to the breakdown.

However, it was Uckfield who registered the first score of the half as Douse converted a penalty for 15-0.

Old Blues fought back well and after forcing Uckfield back into their own half broke the line in the centres to crash over under the posts after some sloppy defence. Uckfield were lucky to only concede five points as the relatively straightforward conversion struck the upright.

Uckfield then had a chance to make an immediate amends when they were awarded a penalty deep in the Old Blues half.

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Uckfield decided not to kick for goal and spread the ball wide, where a definite try was on the cards until a knock-on ended the play yards short of the line.

This could have proved costly as the game started to open up and the Old Blues back line shifted the ball well, creating an overlap on the left wing. This allowed the full back to speed around the outside of the Uckfield defence which left him with one man to beat on his way to the line. However, Uckfield's full back Cullingford covered across to make a try-saving tackle and the ball was knocked on.

The game closed with Douse slotting another Uckfield penalty in the last play of the match.

Uckfield: Whitmarsh, Bradley, Woods (Billings 65), Collins, Cooke, Logan (Gilkes 55), Harle, M Ridley, Outen, Douse, Chappell, Clark, Craine (Bowman 60), Damane, Cullingford.