Eastbourne 17 Tonbridge Juddians 10
Report from Geoff Pettitt
Now the only way is up…
This was a bottom of the table match for both sides languish at the foot of London Three South-East with just two points each from their eight previous league matches. It was vital, therefore, for both teams to record a second win - the proverbial four-pointer - and thereby condemn the other to the unenviable title of sole holder, for the time being at least, of bottom place.
It was an all-too familiar start to the match for TJs. Eastbourne went onto the attack and TJs covered and defended. This they did well enough but it was nearly twenty minutes before they ventured into the home side's half having charged down an Eastbourne kick-ahead.
Eastbourne had failed with a penalty attempt and TJs duly followed suit by missing a penalty some ten minutes later. At this stage it may have been just reward for TJs because they had managed to string together a good attack and obliged Eastbourne to go offside. However, it was perhaps typical of a game between two teams each struggling to find some sort of form and low on self-confidence that neither was able to convert a fairly straightforward kick at goal and take the lead.
The game see-sawed back and forth, mainly in TJ's half, and the small crowd wondered who would crack first. Regrettably for TJs, it was not Eastbourne. TJ's defender with ball safely in hand was running out of defence and decided to chip ahead over the oncoming opponents. The chip, like a number of other kicks from both sides throughout the game, was charged down. It was gathered by Eastbourne's centre Bremer who ran through to touch down under the posts so that the conversion kick by fly-half Coulthard was a formality. Eastbourne now seven points up and had taken a grip on the game and gained more than a little belief that they could win the game.
TJs rose to this early challenge. They had gradually worked themselves into the match and produced two strong attacks. The first ended when winger Connolly was forced into touch just yards from the try-line. The second, developing from a line-out close to the left-hand corner, ended with a try for wing-forward Bartlett after a strong driving maul took TJ's pack over the line. The conversion failed but TJs were now back in the game.
The first half concluded with Eastbourne mounting a prolonged attack on TJ's line with the visitors desperate not to concede a further score just before half-time. This they managed with no little relief so that after a half where Eastbourne had had more of the possession and territory and TJs had had to defend for all they were worth, the score stood at a fairly even 7 - 5 in the home side's favour. As in previous weeks the game was there for TJs to win. There was evidently not a lot to choose between the two teams and in the second half TJs could benefit from the slight slope and a gentle breeze in their favour.
TJs could have started the second half more convincingly. Eastbourne knocked on at the kick-off but TJs lost the scrum against the head and with it all the ground that they had just won. Under pressure now, TJs were regularly conceding penalties and from one such, which was kicked into the corner, Eastbourne won the ball from the line-out and spun it wide to the left. With great relief TJs saw Eastbourne's winger fail to score when he dropped the ball over the line. Further penalties against them were making it very difficult for TJs to progress out of their half.
Eastbourne had seemed to be the more threatening behind the scrum and it had been left to some hard tackling, particularly by Wesley in TJ's centre, to stem the tide. But it was not through the centre that the next Eastbourne score came. TJs lost the ball in attack and Eastbourme's No 8 Stafford pounced on the loose ball nearly half way out and pounded through TJ's now-disorganised defence with great drive, speed and determination. His try was not converted but Eastbourne had restored their earlier dominance and with it one could discern a growing degree of self-belief.
But in this rather topsy-turvy match it was TJs who scored next thus keeping their hopes alive. Goldsworthy had put in a good run down the right wing and TJs had established a good attacking position on Eastbourne's 22. Winning the ball and recycling well it was No 8 Ure who provided the final pass in the move to put Ravilious over in the right hand corner. The kick at goal was short but TJs had closed the gap to 12 - 10. With a quarter of an hour to go it was, once again, anybody's match.
The final heart-breaking score came some ten minutes from the end. For the third time in the match TJs turned the ball over to the opposition whilst on the attack. In such a situation a counter-breakthrough has the advantage with the defence not properly aligned properly and having to turn round and chase. So it was in this case. Eastbourne's centre Bremer was the scorer having picked up the loose ball some 40 yards out. The kick at goal failed but the score now stood at Eastbourne 17 TJs 10 requiring the visitors to score a converted try to draw level and share the spoils. It did not happen although Wallace and Pemble came close. TJs continued to press their attacks to the final whistle and players and their ever optimistic supporters became increasingly anxious to make that necessary score but try as they might they could not find their way over the line.
This was a game between two sides searching for success. Both made many mistakes but Eastbourne, with home advantage made less and, more importantly, their mistakes did not lead on directly to scores for the opposition. Despite the disappointment of the defeat in a match for which TJs must have had optimistic expectations there were at last the seeds of improvement in the team's performance. TJs were always in touch with the opposition, there was no catastrophic collapse at the end of the game and they did manage to score two tries. If they can only improve their handling and cut out the errors, which in this match proved so decisive, there have just got to be wins in the very near future.
It is to be hoped that the injuries to stalwart prop Stevenson and to wing-forward Phillips, which caused them both to leave the field, will not prove to be long-term. Phillips has made a good start to the season and his lively presence will be missed.
Tonbridge Juddians 1st XV: Pemble; Connolly, Wesley, Buckley (Goldsworthy 65), Dawson; Ravilious, Mitchell; Allen, Stevenson (Wallace 65), Parrott, Carroll, Fitzpatrick, Phillips (Murphy 65), Bartlett, Ure.
Next Saturday, TJs entertain Gravesend at The Slade kick-off 2.30 pm in the next round of the EDF Vase. This will be something of a relief from the pressures of the league and an opportunity to reverse the result of the league match against Gravesend which took place in early September. It will not be easy, Gravesend have recently had some good results.
