For the first game this season winter weather came to the home of Hastings rugby, as did the joint leaders of the league Heathfield Boars. After the last game between the two clubs ended 43-12 to Heathfield H&B had to restore some personal pride. This was made harder as Heathfield turned up with a side with no front row giving H&B a 10-0
lead at the start, but allowing Heathfield to field a side lighter younger and ready for uncontested scrums.
H&B’s heavier and more powerful forwards were therefore unable to show their usual dominance in the scrums thus enabling the Heathfield side to take full advantage of tactics known well before kick-off. H&B playing into the wind and rain for the first half soon found that it was the team to make the least handling errors would come out on top.
With Brian McNeilly unavailable due to injury Ant Barber took the No8 shirt Phil Begg No 9 Peter Eames No10 in place of Mick Ellis (Dubai) and Kevin Kerr No12 it was a much-changed back line to resent weeks.
Dave (pit bull) Hirst and John Fisher took the wings and new to the game Ian Flook in at fullback.
The front five of Ollie, Bill Langley, Duncan Dobson, Matt Daws and Rodger Kingston were left to contest the line outs and with the wet and slippery ball maul and ruck the ball around the park. Leaving the flankers Gus Godden Andy Small to tackle and cover any loss ball. But it was Heathfield who were able to score first predictably from an uncontested scrum to score in the corner to bring the score to 10-5. Ten Mins later they were in front when another handling error gave Heathfield an uncontested scrum 5 meters form the Hastings line which ended in a try and conversion to make the score 10-12 at half time. Changes at half time saw Rodger make way to Alan Verity. With the wind in their backs it was H&B to score next, the forwards winning a line out on the 22 and mauling the ball to within 10 meters from the line.
Scrum half Phil Begg then taking on the challenge slipped out of the defensive tackling to score putting H&B back into the lead 15-12. But with 4 minuets left the Heathfield winger picked up a loose ball and blasted down the line H&B's full back and wing unable to catch to takedown crossing the H&B line to make the final score 15-17 to Heathfield.
