Men's 1st XV
Matches
Sat 26 Nov 2016  ·  London 2 South East
Hove Rugby Club
Men's 1st XV
Tries: S Whiting, G Patton (2), R Biggs, R Pavlides (2)Conversions: C Casanova (2)Penalties: C Casanova
37
22
Dartfordians
Hove vs. Darfordians (H)

Hove vs. Darfordians (H)

Cameron Robertson8 Dec 2016 - 08:31
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Hove upset 3rd place Dartfordians!

After an agonisingly close match that the boys in Blue and Maroon should have closed off the week before, there was some making up to do against a Dartfordians side sitting 3rd on the ladder. Having beaten them at their home ground at the back end of last season we certainly fancied our chances to make amends.

In true Hove fashion we scored first from a length of the field play with some fancy foot work courtesy of Ryan Morlen and slick hands from Guy (The killer) Patton that saw Captain Sam Whiting finish off near the posts. Carles Galindo adding the extras to make it 7-0.
Early points for Hove have become a habit, unfortunately conceding early points has also become a habit and after a poor restart from the home side Darts were able to square things up from the ensuing line out with some sharp lines run by their number 10. 7-7.

Back and forth in the middle of the park. Both sides looking to spread it wide. Darts with some sustained pressure on Hove's line pushed the hosts to the limit. However the home side was able to hold out and work the ball down the field. This was the pattern of the first half. Both sides going close a few times.

The pattern was finally broken when Darts failed to find touch with a clearance kick and the ball found its way to Guy (Silent Assassin) Patton who was playing in his last home game before embarking on a soul-searching trip to the other side of the world. He could be seen weaving through the defence like a Salmon swimming upstream to the mating grounds, dodging the jagged rocks and razor sharp jaws of the hungry bears. Finally crashing over the line and following the successful conversion Hove had taken a 14-7 lead.
Unable to clean up and exit after the restart Darts were once again peppering the Hove line. It looked like Darts had gone over in the corner however the referee had deemed the final pass forward and returning for a penalty advantage in front of the posts was a invitation for 3 points that couldn't be ignored. 14-10 at half time.

After some rousing words from Head Coach and Master Sailor, Sandy Robertson at half time, Hove came out firing, pinning Darts deep in their own half. Some sustained forward work at the line saw a gap open up close to the ruck. Anyone could have scored that try but it just so happened #9 Bob Smiggs was closest and stumbled over the line for what was really a team try. No extras this time, 19-10.

Straight back into them following the restart, Hove were again putting pressure on a resolute Dartfordian defence. A speedy line-out saw quick ball to the Hove back line. Strong hands trough the line and some typical elusive footwork from the talismanic Hove Captain Sam Whiting saw the ball find.....that man again.... Guy (Murder Eyes) Patton who raced down the sideline like Sonic the Hedgehog and went over in the corner. 24-10.

While some teams would drop heads and let a frustrating team get to them, Dartfordians instead rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Their dominant scrum yielding rewards as some slick hands saw their winger weave through a patchy Hove defensive line to score. 24-15.

Hove were fortunate to work the ball back down field and be awarded a penalty which they gladly took. 27-15.

Despite conceding the penalty, Darts raced back down the field on the back of a powerful display upfront, and enjoyed a period of dominance against a defiant yet tiring Hove side. Eventually being rewarded with a converted try taking the score to a nervy 27-22 for the home side.

Following a penalty 15m from the Hove line, Darts opted to go for a scrum. Sensing the pressure of the situation Hove were able to dig deep and were awarded a scrum penalty. Essentially halting the momentum from Darts and giving their defence a breather.
Back and forth, up and down the pitch from both sides gave a real show for the crowd. With both sides tiring, holes started to appear in the Defence for either team.

Pushed back into their 22m Hove had a scrum. First working one way then firing back the other the ball was flung wide to 2nd half replacement Rene Pavlides. Slick hands back and forth down the line saw another 80m try for Hove and Rene's first for the game. 32-22. However the young man was not done there. Again Hove with a scrum deep in their territory were able to clear their lines. The race was on for the Darts fullback and Rene Pavlides was able to beat him to the ball and score 39-22.

Another fantastic attacking display from Hove, however some strong questions were asked of their defence. Dartfordians, perhaps regretting some missed opportunities but taking plenty of positive away from the game, especially the performance of their scrum.

Hove need to look to the coming games throughout the winter period and continue to make a mark on teams who are perhaps not fully expecting much of a fight from Thai talented and unpredictable side. The next league game for Hove is Heathfield away and surely the boys will be looking to continue this winning form.

Match details

Match date

Sat 26 Nov 2016

Kickoff

14:30

Competition

London 2 South East

League position

3
Dartfordians
6
Hove
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Senior Mens Sponsor - Apex Group
Pitch & Training Kit Sponsor - Baxter & Hanks
Club Sponsor - Friends of Hove RFC
Club Sponsor - Galloways
Supplement Partner - HIGH5 Sports Nutrition
Gold Partner - T Reeve & Son LTD
Club Partner - Uncle Sams