Crowborough travelled to second placed Dartfordians, following their confidence boosting win over league leaders Gravesend the previous week. The question many were asking, was, did their league positions fairly represent the relative strengths of these two sides, who earlier in the season lost at Steel Cross 15-34, and could the visitors produce another table topping shock result?
Crowborough fielded a side showing three enforced changes to the line-up of the previous week, although these changes would have made little difference to the match up of the two packs. Like most of the Sussex side’s opponents in this league, the Dartfordian’s pack was made up of all shapes and sizes, but what they all had in common were that they were big. Very big ! Crowborough could be forgiven for believing that they would quickly tire if run around the ground, but they were to be sadly mistaken.
It was the visitors who got onto the scoreboard first with a third minute 40 metre penalty by Tom Simmonds, but unfortunately it was to be another 77 minutes before ‘Boro added to that score.0-3
For the next ten minutes both sets of backs tested each other, with Tom Boddy creating consternation in attack and delivering bone crunching tackles in defence. But neither side was able to impose dominance over the other, so the home side appeared to revert to what was their fall back strategy of tempting their opponents into transgressions, then kicking for position.
Shortly after the Kick the first stoppage of the afternoon was for Callum Main who sadly had to leave the field due to another shoulder Injury. The team had to reshuffle and introduced Young, Sam Goodwin one of last years Colts, for his first taste of 1st XV Senior rugby.

With 10 minutes gone, from a penalty for not rolling away, the #10 placed the kick deftly onto the 5 metre line. The catch and drive was only going to go one way and the inevitable try was superbly converted from the touchline to take the score to 7-3.
Crowborough were now aware of how Dartfordians would play the game, and thwarted two further catch and drive attempts, but with the clock clicking into the red, and knowing that a four point lead was not sufficient reward for the effort that they had put in, they managed to repeat their earlier catch and drive success, to take the half time score to 12-3.
‘Boro were still in with a shout, but just when they felt that they were containing the home side’s forward based strategy, Dartfordians showed that they were not just a one trick pony, as they switched to winning quick ball for their backs, who demonstrated that they were able ball handlers and runners. With eight minutes of the half played the excellent #10 received the ball on his own 10 metre line. Shaping to kick for position, he dummied, and as the yawning gap opened he sprinted through the hole with no-one getting within touching distance, scoring out wide on the left. In the swirling wind the kick was missed .17-3
There was now a momentum within the home side, who sensed that, following reorganizational changes to the ‘Boro back division, that further scoring opportunities were available.
However it was not all one way, and ‘Boro still continued to make a decent fist of it ,attacking what was in front of them , but it lacked conviction and inventiveness and the forays fizzled out.
With 20 minutes gone, the home side #10 once more initiated an excellent try, making the initial break before feeding inside to fast arriving support, and with a two man overlap, although forced out wide, the try was scored which again went unconverted. 22-3
Both side continued to attack, although it was the home side that did it with more determination, and as the game moved into the final ten minutes, a bizarre period of play transpired, when the left wing and outside centre interchanged passes down the left hand tram lines, where the final pass was juggled for some ten metres leaving the defence transfixed seemingly expecting the referee to intervene. He didn’t, and the winger went on to score for the unconverted bonus point try. 27-3
To Crowborough’s credit, the side never gave up, in spite of the scoreline, and with the clock showing four minutes of injury time, ‘Boro took a leaf out of the Dartfordians play book with a driving maul that saw Andy Orchard cross the line for a final unconverted score. 27-8
To answer the question posed at the beginning, Dartfordians remain in 2nd place a point behind new league leaders Old Colfeians, but Gravesend slipped to 4th place following their defeat by 3rd placed Beckenham. Crowborough cling on to 7th.
This weekend Crowborough host Beccahamians to whom they narrowly lost away earlier in the season. KO 2:30