HOVE FALL/DIVE SHORT AGAINST LEAGUE LEADERS

Disclaimer: Some of the following events in this report may be slightly exaggerated for comedic effect and for an enhanced reading experience. Salt pinching advised.

It was a fitting finish to the halfway point of the season, that 1st v 2nd in the league would meet in a Sussex derby match, with the top spot up for grabs. With Haywards Heath needing just 1 point from the game to keep them clear heading in the festive break, Hove knew pole position was going to be no easy feat.

The club was packed, with the rare sight of all 3 sides at home, with the 2’s also facing Haywards Heath, and the Beef (which used to be Hove 3’s…) also in a 1st v 2nd place league game vs Steyning.

Hove’s selection woes had picked the perfect opportunity to return, with Hove missing the likes of Dec Peake, who on Rene’s advice had taken a holiday during the season, Charlie Watts who was on his 6th annual cultural ‘sight-seeing’ trip to Amsterdam, the great Carl Buckland who was injured the week previous and now awaits a long overdue knee/hip replacement (or 8 weeks out with ligament damage), centre Ash ‘Bastareaud’ Parker after being insulted by being told to go to the social as a bauble, Carles Casanova who was busy gathering his 12 disciples for that evening (or a hamstring injury), and Ben Anderson uploading videos of himself in the gym on Instagram. This added to by changes having to be made to the bench 24 hours before kick-off, far from ideal preparation for the biggest game yet, but textbook Hove nonetheless.

Hove hadn’t faced Heath since the 17/18 season, having spent last year in London 1, and in that time Heath have adapted and enhanced their game, thanks in part to new and additional coaches, which was evident from the off. With the advantage of some rather large ball carriers, which much of Hove’s defence tried to stand-up hug rather than tackle, in addition to a new offloading game plan; meant the game started at some speed, with both sides finding quick but scrappy phases of play in the opening minutes. Neither side were finding a way in, with both sides defending hard and minimal breakthrough for either attack, until 20 minutes in Sam Whiting was shown a yellow card for channelling his inner Owen Farrell and deemed to have used no arms in the tackle.

It didn’t take long for Heath to capitalise on the numbers advantage in the backs, with a try out wide just before half time. Half-time 0-7.

The second half couldn’t have started better for Hove, near enough straight from the kick off following a poor clearance from Heath, the ball found Phil ‘the power’ Dugard, who in the spirit of the soon to come football approach to the game, fed a smart 1-2 with winger Pavlides, for Dugard to dive into the corner. Conversion missed. 5-7.

The following minutes of the game saw some resolute defending from Hove with Heath’s second row causing problems and offloads seeming to come together, with some big support runners. The game seemed to switch up a gear for both teams. Scrum Half and all round ‘little angry man’ Jerome Pye with his best performance this season, was winning turnover at rucks and causing problems for Heath in attack and defence, and Ian Saunders getting some good shots off the line, trying to impress his opposition ‘Sussex friends’ (oooo Sussex friends), whilst letting it known to the support via several hip thrusts/limps he was fighting through a long term, self-diagnosed hip injury. An injury he’s now self-diagnosed a 4-week recovery window, tactically missing the 4th January cup game. Not suspect at all though. The bi-weekly reliability of Hove backs was on show, with Al Parker dealing with the aerial threat and making good ground with ball in hand on the counter.

With the game neck and neck, following a break down the right channel Heath’s 10, approaching Pavlides, opted to swap the Black and Red of Haywards Heath, for the Blue and Red of PSG, and in the style of his Paris numbers-sake, opted just before the tackle to chip and chase, in doing so hurling himself into the Hove winger, and taking a tumble reminiscent of the JFK assassination. As stunned fans looked for the sniper in the trees, the ref deemed Rene to have obstructed, and sent Pavlides to the bin. The 10 gathered himself, accepted his Academy Award for Best Actor, thanked his family, friends and everyone who’d supported him along the way, and sent the Heath penalty to the corner. Shortly after from the lineout, Heath managed to dot down in the same corner, coined now as ‘the naughty corner’. 5-14.

It didn’t take long for Heath to capitalise on the advantage out wide, and a few minutes later scored in the very same ‘naughty’ corner. 5-19.

Seemingly spurred on by the oncoming Nativity Social, Hove turned it up a gear again, and with the Heath side starting to flag and gaps appearing in the defence, a useful backs move saw Pavlides take an inside ball from Dugard or Whiting (it was pretty far away, and several pints later) and run in under the posts. Parker slotted the extras. Has anyone seen his kicking tee by the way, it’s ‘green and spikey’. Score 12-19.

With the clock ticking Hove threw everything at the Heath defence, but as has proved a strength for them this season, found no way through. With the clock in the red a loose pass to Al Parker found the floor, and in apparently deciding he’d had quite enough of the cold heading to New Zealand the following morning, Parker opted to re-visit the footballing festivities of the day, and volley it in to touch, rather than dive on it, or pick it up. The final whistle blew.

Final Score 12-19.

This was as closely a top of the table clash as expected, and the better team on the day came away with the win. Hove struggled to shut down Heath’s big runners, namely their man mountain lock and very powerful 12/14 partnership and will have a look at their usually reliable defence ahead of the second half of the season. Hayward’s Heath have had a storming start to the 2019/2020 season, and fully deserve their league position, now 8 points clear at the top. Hove head into the Christmas break in second place, with Old Colfeians and Crowborough just 1 point behind, so it’s all tight up top.

Hove kick of 2020 proceedings with an absolutely rank 4th January fixture, heading away to Farnham in the RFU Intermediate Cup. League action resumes at The Rec on the 11th of Jan as we welcome 5th placed Deal & Betteshanger, looking to make amends for the early season slip up against the Kent side.

Happy Christmas from all at Hove, and congratulations to Haywards Heath, bring on the return fixture! A special mention also to Luke Torres for keeping us up to date on the Hove Twitter on the day.