Arms win Actually

As ever this report will never be a minute by minute account of what happened at Hove, for two reasons:
1, its utterly dull reading
2, I consistently fail to remember who scored what and when.

Upon arrival at Hove, we were informed that despite one of their other teams (got to love club politics) having a full squad and 7 subs that refused to play for another team within their club, our opposition were numbering just 13 and lacked any front row totty! Thankfully Steve Brookwell arrived expecting to watch from the touchline only to be lured out of another retirement and he was joined by our youngest players (half each) Harry Pavis and Tyler White, without whom the game would not have been the same, fair play to you all!

We had hoped to have a hatful of subs, including our regular vice-captain, sadly he was MIA and has subsequently blamed 4 bottles of red!

The game kicked off with Norfolk electing to receive, without any real intervention from Hove, Richard Addy scored the first of 11 - Piper piping - tries finishing off some lovely interplay between the Lords a Leaping (forwards) and Ladies Dancing (backs) . The game was then to follow a simpler pattern, but it must be said that at no point did Hove give up the chase in what was a physical and tough game, all credit to them. Tries scored where like Geese a laying and Gold Rings, 6 in the first half and 5 in the second, sadly Tim and Boyo were a little awry with the conversions, French Hens in total, two turtle doves for Tim and a Partridge in a Pear Tree for Boyo...
Further tries were scored in the following order in the first half, Matthew Hodson, Nick Miller, Harry Pavis, Richard Addy for his second and Jeremy Stewart. 32-0 at halftime

Second half saw Harry switch with Tyler for their duties on the Dark-side and within moments Tyler White was scoring his first try for the Norfolk. This was then followed by 4 more tries at fairly regular intervals with Sam Frankland, Matthew Hodson (try number two) Paul Williams and finally Ben Midgeley adding to the scorers list. All of which came off the back of some super team work and in truth some of the best open play we have played this season. Very well played one and all, huge defence against a team that should have scored. 61-0 at Full time plus we get an extra 10 for the uncontested scrums, but when the league tables are published it will show up as 40-0 as there are win limits.

Very difficult to pick a man of the match, but I'd like to mention a couple of outstanding performances... Matt Harley was a man processed as were his other second row cohorts, the sight of Windy, Horse and Jorge Fokker running a-mock down both flanks was both pleasing and amusing. Tom Nors starting his first game at 12 was massive in defence and offered some great lines in attack.

Chichester at Home next Saturday will be another tough test and then of course its Barns Green in the Christmas Derby match!

Be good to get to 20+ at training in the next week? please make an effort, its clearly making the difference on match-days!