Eighth placed Crowborough welcomed League leaders Old Colfeian’s to Steel Cross last Saturday for the final home game of the season. Earlier in the season when these two sides met Crowborough were on the receiving end of a 36-12 rugby lesson, out muscled by a gargantuan pack, and mesmerised by their two mercurial wingers who seemingly were able to score at will.
Having suffered at the hands of a similar fleet footed centre at Thanet Wanderers a fortnight earlier, the ‘Boro coaching staff were at pains to put plans in place to counter the visitor’s strengths.
On past evidence, with a pack the size of OC’s, winning copious amounts of quick clean ball, would not be an option, but winning the 50/50 balls and slowing down lost ball, would seriously deny them their previous advantage.
“Out” went the long aimless kicks down field that would play into the hands of the counter attacking OC’s back three, and “in” came a solid support running game that committed the visitors to defend in numbers.
In defence ‘Boro employed a very effective umbrella formation that prevented the ball from being moved wide, forcing OC’s to play the game through their pack, negating their two lethal weapons out wide.
With the tactics working from the opening whistle it was Crowborough , through Tom Simmonds who opened the score after five minutes with a well struck penalty. 3-0
‘Boro continued to apply pressure, and when Dave Bennett scooped up a loose pass and fed Tom Burgess the try looked on, until the right wing arrived from nowhere snagging Burgess just inches from the line, and having outstripped his support he was forced to hold on and give away the relieving penalty.
The game of attrition continued, and OC’s were next to get on the score board with bullying driving maul that crossed the line out wide on the left which went unconverted. 3-5
Tactically ‘Boro had got it right, and were playing some of their best rugby of the season, when, as the clock ran down towards half time, Richard Tasker was shown a yellow card for a high tackle. The penalty was put into touch on the five metre line and from the lineout the driving maul against the ‘Boro seven was only going to have one outcome. The try was converted as the half was brought to an end with the score line 3-12 HT
The deficit was narrowed soon after the re-start with another Tom Simmonds penalty 6-12, before the resumption of end to end festival rugby that surely delighted the few impartial spectators in the large crowd, but left those partisans on either side, on tender hooks to the eventual outcome.
Crowborough had several good chances to run the ball, with Ollie Clinch and Tom Simmonds orchestrating moves that would have opened up most defences, but OC’s are not league leaders for nothing, and as soon as gaps opened, they were just as quickly snapped shut.
With OC’s still unable to employ their backs it was once more left to the OC eight to create the next score with a series of pick and drives that took Crowborough out of losing bonus point territory with a converted try.6-19
On balance this would have been a fair result, but a bizarre ruling by the official with two minutes to go, gave a penalty to OC’s five metres out. From the resulting line out, another rolling maul saw OC’s record their fourth and bonus point try. 6-26 FT
This result leaves both sides as they were at the beginning of the day. This week both sides are once again on the road to the East Kent coast where Crowborough take on seventh place Deal , and OC’s take on Thanet in what promises to be a fascinating end to end dual.