Lewes RFC

Sat 23 Nov 2024, 14:00

Lewes

24 - 20

(HT 7-15)

Shoreham

Lewes

Shoreham

Both teams had to deal with a strong wind as well as wet and muddy conditions during this game. It was Shoreham who played with the gale in their backs during the first half, and took a 15-7 lead into half time. The question during the break was "Would a eight point lead be enough," and as the seciond half unfolded, it was answered with a definite "No," as Lewes scored 17 points to Shoreham's 5, winning the game be 24 points to 20. As the match began the spectators, huddling into the grandstand, might not have had high expectatations of the encounter about to unfold, but ,in the event, a most enthralling contest ensued and, along with both teams, great credit must also go to the referee who managed a diificult game with exemplary poise.

Lewes came into a game with a young team, having eight under 25s in the line up. This bodes well for the future, as does the fact the two thirds of this squad came up through the junior ranks at the club. As the game got going, the conditions produced quite a few handling errors, but Shoreham were able to take advantage of the wind to press on the Lewes line. The home team responded by defending for their lives and eventually won a penalty on their line. However it was difficult to gain any ground with penalties under these conditions and when Shoreham, straight away, got a penalty of their own, they were able to score a goal to take the lead at 3-0. 

There was no much opportunity for displays of individual brilliance, but the Shoreham scrum-half completely confused the Lewes defence with a sniping run that took him straight to the line with the defenders still waiting for him to pass. The try was converted and took the away team's lead to 10-0. Such were the conditions that it took 25 minutes for Lewes to lauch a sustained attack in the Shoreham 22. A pile of Lewes bodies converged over the try line, and it was Louis Medhurst who emerged as the scorer of the first home side's points. These were soon added to by Tom Moore's conversion and the score stood at 7-10. Lewes were now getting back into the game and were helped by a Shoreham yellow card for too many high tackles.

However Shoreham still had the wind at their backs and, needing to take a bigger margin into half time, put the Lewes defence under great pressure, eventually scoring a try in the right hand corner. This was unforunate for Lewes, as they were hoping they could hold out before half time, but as the players grouped together for their team talks, the coaches sprang into action and encouraged the players to intensify their efforts. Whatever they said, it certainly worked, for it wasn't long into the second half when Raff Green went over for try that brought Lewes to within three points of Shoreham at 12-15. Lewes traditionally enjoy playing towards the clubhouse in the second half on these dark windy days when the lights are beckoning them home.

And so it was as they raised their game, gaining a succession of penalties in the loose, and scoring through Raff Green again. Tom Moore's conversion confirmed the Lewes lead at 19-15, but Shoreham came back strongly themselves at this point. Lewes responded with a try from Kane Dadswell to stretch their lead to 24-15, but faced a set back when George Gribble received a yellow card. Shoreham, inevitably, piled on the pressure, and engineered another try in the corner, and it was during this last period of the game, with the score at 24-20, that the match really came to life as both teams were still really up for the contest. And what a great spectacle it was to see both teams battle away, in increasingly difficilt conditions. Shoreham knew that a try would not only win the game for them, but also gain a bonus point. However Lewes had the wind behind them, and this was the decisive factor as the game drew to a close.

The Lewes players want to dedicate their victory to their departing coach, Brandon Palmer, who is, sadly, returning to South Africa next month. There have been many ups and downs since he joined the club four years ago, but it is to his eternal cresdit that he leaves the club in a much better state than he found it. Relegation was swiftly followed by an instant promotion, and now the senior team has been able to consolidate at this level while bringing lots of encouraging youngsters into the fold. We will miss him, with much gratitude, and wish him all the best for his future in the RSA.

Lewes team: Moore; Rourke, Green (captain), Henshaw, M. Evans-Freke; Taylor, Durrant; Dadswell, Gribble, Gage; B. Evans-Freke, Shiell; Weston, Coe, Medhurst. Replacements: Sayers, Carr, Bowie.