Sun 1 Dec 2024, 11:00
The Lewes Lions U15s played at home on Sunday, in their fourth League 2 match of the season against Hove Harriers. The Warriors were aiming to maintain a clean sheet after continued success in both leagues for the U15 Squad, but knew that this would be their most challenging match to date.
From the start Lewes were able to put Hove under pressure, numerous phases from the forwards and break away runs from the Warriors centres gradually pushed Hove back into their half.
After 7 minutes of pressure, Hove were able to kick to safety, only for the ball to be quickly returned into the corner next to the Hove try line. Lewes were not immediately able to convert possession into points, and Hove constantly looked dangerous, with the Lewes defence constantly watching for breakaways and turnovers.
After a huge amount of pressure Charlie Joe Green was awarded a penalty try for The Warriors when Hove illegally prevented him from crossing the line and grounding the ball, putting the scores at Lewes 7, Hove 0.
Over the next 10 minutes Lewes were able to keep Hove in their half, constantly mounting phases to push the gain line further, while maintaining a watchful defence. Over time The Warriors became more and more dominant in the rucks, quickly clearing out Hove players and forcing Hove to mount a number of kicks to regain territory.
After 20 minutes of the half, Lewes had not been able to convert the sustained pressure into points and Hove continued to look dangerous. After sustained pressure from Hove, they were able to gain a penalty after Lewes did not release, pushing The Warriors back into their own 22.
After a nail-biting 5 minutes The Warriors were able to regain their structure and came back at Hove, parking themselves on the Hove try line. With only a few minutes of the half remaining Hayden Bourne scored for The Warriors, after launching himself across the line. With a successful conversion this put the scores at Lewes Warriors 14, Hove 0.
At the restart Hove came back quickly, intent to close the gap before half time, running the ball down the wing into the Lewes 22, the Lewes defence were quick to close down space and forced the player into touch resulting in the final whistle of the half.
In the second half Hove made some changes from the bench which had an immediate impact. Lewes found themselves on the back foot for the first 5 minutes, gradually being pushed back into their 22 and having to mount a perfect defence and kick for territory to reduce the pressure from the Hove attack. After numerous phases Hove gained a scrum in the Lewes 22 and looked ready to run the ball over from a quick pick-up. The Warriors defence held and was able to prevent the try and gained their own scrum in their own 22.
After absorbing almost 10 minutes of pressure, The Warriors suddenly went up a gear, pushing Hove back with phase after phase. The Warriors looked absolutely solid in every ruck and Hove were not able to prevent the Lewes advance deep into their half. Hove were able to mount a number of breakaway runs from interceptions and also tried a few kicks to regain territory. However, each time Hove gained possession The Warriors were able to quickly regain the ball and take it back into the Hove half.
After 22 minutes of the half, all the pressure sustained by The Warriors paid off, with a great phase of quick ball up and down the line allowing Zac Melville to cross in the corner. With a successful conversion, putting the scores at Lewes Warriors 21, Hove 0.
With 8 minutes remaining on the clock, The Warriors knew that the score line was still vulnerable. At the restart, Hove came back with renewed momentum, determined to get a score on the board, pushing Lewes back into their 22.
Lewes were again able to absorb the Hove attack and again came back, mounting incredible attack phases and rucks that did not allow Hove to regain possession or territory. With only 1 minute to go, the sustained pressure across the Hove defensive line allowed Leon Hutson to find space and mount a fantastic run to put the ball next to the posts. With a successful conversion this put the final score in lights, on the new Lewes RFC Scoreboard, at Lewes Warriors 28, Hove 0.
The coaching staff were incredibly impressed with the players. The whole team played with absolute focus and determination, they made every tackle, ruck, run and pass count to enable them to beat a side of Hove’s experience. As a squad the U15 Lewes Lions are now looking forward to their next league match where the U15 Raiders play Hove Hawks at Hove RFC on Sunday 8th December. The whole squad are then looking forward to the U15 Mince Pie 10s at the Stanley Turner Ground on the 15th December where they will play a selection of U15 teams from across Sussex and other parts of the country.
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