Lewes RFC

Sat 1 Mar 2025, 15:00

Lewes

34 - 21

(HT 24-0)

Seaford

Lewes

Seaford

It was a day of celebration for Lewes Rugby Club as there was a pre-match lunch for former players, which was made memorable by speeches from former coach, Terry Powell, and his first fifteen captain, John Edwards. If the club secretary hadn’t mislaid the programmes, it would have been a perfect day!

Then the current first team won for the first time since November with crushing victory over Seaford, while the magnificent second team, despite being a few players light, gave Eastbourne an excellent game as the 34-66 scoreline suggests.

Much credit should go to the Lewes coaching team, for there was a time in the week when it was doubtful whether we could raise enough players for both teams. The WhatsApp group chat was buzzing with messages all through Thursday from 5.45am right through to 10.15pm.

And in the end a team was selected that proved to be a whole lot better than a patched-up job. The core of the team were still in place, but the addition of some more recent former players turned out to be a winning formula. And Lewes started well, retaining possession from the kick off until they were held up in a maul.

It wasn’t long before a Gus Taylor penalty set the ball rolling, and this sparked off some delightful running rugby for which Lewes teams, past and present, are justly proud. A quick tap penalty by Tom Moore set Raff Green free on the left for a try which wasn’t converted. Seaford, as expected, came back strongly from this and Lewes were forced to put in some strong defending on their line.

One feature of the Lewes game plan was that their clearance kicks were always chased well, and this put the Seaford receivers under pressure. Thus, Lewes were able to relieve the pressure in their 22, and some good work from Tom Petty set Thomas Moore away for the second try that increased the lead to 13-0.

It was at this point that a Seaford yellow card reduced their ability to resist the Lewes challenge and when Taylor’s second penalty sailed over the posts, the home team were now two scores to the good. Lewes weren’t finished there, though, and skipper, Raff Green who had an outstanding game, made another great break to put Kellen Harvey through for he third try that took the score on to 21-0.

On the stroke of half time this became 24-0 as another Taylor penalty completed the first half. To their credit, Seaford came back in the second half as they tied to make a real game of it, but there opening salvo ended with a disallowed try. Lewes worked there way back to the Seaford line, where the visitors received another yellow card.

From the resultant penalty Louis Medhurst scored the bonus point try for Lewes, making the score 29-0. Seaford weren’t finished yet and won a five-metre scrum that led to their first try. With the conversion, the score was now 29-7, which Seaford narrowed to 29-14 with another converted try.

Lewes had to dig deep to resist further Seaford attacks, but their resilience is second to none although Seaford were able maintain their challenge with another converted try with some excellent place kicking. Then, right at the end of the game, Kellen Harvey scored his second try of the game with an interception which completed their empathic victory with a 34-21 scoreline that denied Seaford any bonus point opportunities.

There had been a feeling among the Lewes squad that they would be able to reverse the unfortunate loss in the earlier fixture at Seaford when a couple of key injuries had hampered their effectiveness. And so it was as Lewes proved their true worth in this game. The win keeps Lewes in 8^th place in the table, on 28 points, just one point behind Crawley.

Lewes are now due to play Shoreham on 8^th March, before the next game at the Stanley Turner will see the visit of Worthing on 22^nd March. Before the season is finished there may well be third game with Seaford as Lewes await the winners of a semi-final between Hastings or Seaford on Saturday 26^th April in the Sussex Junior Shield Final at Burgess Hill.

Lewes team Moore; Chumbley, Green (captain), Harvey, George-Coker; Taylor, Lacy; Dadswell, Martin, Simmonds, Norman; Petty, King; Strasman, Weston, Medhurst. Replacements: Dadswell, Bowie, Hutchings.