As the season moves towards it’s close, so the physio table starts to fill up. Recent results have added valuable points to the Crowborough tally, but that has come at a cost, with several players suffering season ending injuries.
But, one man’s misery is another man’s opportunity, and this encounter with Gillingham opened up three opportunities for recent academy graduates, with Mason Rosier debuting at outside centre, with Tommy Dinnis and Tomos Norman coming on later from the bench.
Inevitably positional changes had to be made, which can often affect the team dynamic, but Joel Forward, the ‘Boro backs coach, has had a dramatic effect on the squad who are now playing for and with each other, with the shirt number almost an irrelevance.
From the KO, Harry Marchesi slotted into his brother Sam’s vacated #9 slot and made an immediate impact with several long fizzing lateral passes to Jared Hermann at #10 who in turn added his heft to the ball seeing the two passes travel fully 35 metres out flanking the visitors defence. ‘Boro made ground down the left with Josh Jarvis who set up a ruck on the Gillingham 10mtr line. Once more Marchesi whipped a wicked pass to the left for Mason Rosier to latch onto and as he entered the 15mtr channel he fractionally held up the ball up, drawing the defence before releasing Will Pitman who just had to round the full back to score to the left of the post for Hermann to convert. 7-0 .
Within minutes Will Pitman crossed again, following a strong run by Joe Chapman brushing off three attempted tackles before popping the pass to Adam King. As King continued to attract defensive attention, Will Pitman cruised around from his wing took the off-load before dancing around three defenders and swallow diving over the line, whilst remembering to hold onto the ball!! The kick was converted again by Hermann.14-0.
With 20 minutes gone ‘Boro were controlling the game, and the next score would significantly point to the eventual outcome of the game.
This was when Gillingham came alive with their excellent centre challenging the ‘Boro defence, and as he spied a gap he failed to see Andrew Kidd, who thundered into him , dislodging the ball and setting up the counter attack. Kidd released Mason Rosier ,who with Josh Jarvis in support took on the two defenders with Jarvis taking the final pass and rounding his man to score out wide. Jared Herman with Ramos like precision slotted the kick from the touchline.21-0
Gillingham showed in their last losing encounter with ‘Boro (20-26)that they cannot be taken for granted, and cannot be allowed any space. Clearly Crowborough had forgotten that lesson, as Gillingham engineered a fine score to the left of the posts that saw the visitors go through seven phases of play that committed the defence whilst keeping the ball alive. The kick was successful 21-7.
Frustration was brewing, and an initial handbags confrontation escalated, with Jared Hermann appearing where he was not wanted, and together with the Gillingham wing, received ten minute yellows for their trouble.
A period of total rugby by the home side took the ball towards the Gillinghan 22, when a pass from Will Creasey was intercepted. The relieving kick was fielded by Will Pitman who with Mason Rosier and Josh Jarvis in close attendance counter attacked, switching play to the left.
Harry Marchesi joined the line and released Pitman who had two defenders in close proximity. With little option he put in a speculative kick towards the Gills line. It appeared to be too weighty, but bounced towards the first defender in retreat, before bouncing back towards Pitman, and with the other defender in attendance he managed to get a toe to the ball and win the race to touch down his third, and ‘Boro’s bonus point try. With Hermann still serving time, Connor Hand stepped up to slot the kick 28-7. With Hermann back on he added three points before the half time whistle. 31-7
Tommy Dinnis came on at #9 with Harry Marchesi reverting to #15 and the rest of the backs seamlessly stotting into place as needed. Dinnis made an immediate impact being in the right place at the right time to take the off-load and score down the left. With unerring accuracy Hermann once more added the two points.38-7
This was the time to grind out the final result, but Gillingham had other ideas, and using their pack ,proceeded to pick and drive over ten phases of play ,before the frustrated scrum half decided that the pack were getting nowhere with their tactics, so took matters into his own hands and simply dummied to cross over and score an converted try . 38-14
To show that this was no piece of luck, Gillingham then proceeded to repeat the process and after five clever pieces of interplay crossed over again to the right of the post for another converted try 38-21.
As recent international results have shown, it’s not over until it’s over, and with a resurgent Gills, Crowborough needed urgently to regroup. Fittingly this came from a well worked try set up by Jared Hermann and finished by Mason Rosier, who was watched by his proud dad (Mark), who had just come on to replace the excellent Errol Munoz. Even Ramos misses occasionally! 43-21
This was probably just too much for the visitors whose increasingly loose defence, was first breached by Andrew Kidd, who fed Mason Rosier before passing to the supporting Tommy Dinnis , scoring the final Hermann converted try 50-21.
This result keeps Crowborough in 7th place 5 points clear of 8th placed Beccahamians whom ‘Boro play 11/4/26. Next week Crowborough welcome league leaders Old Elthamians to Steel Cross KO 15:00pm.