Mark Wright CPR v Heathfield IV Jan 10

Cinque Ports 12    Heathfield IV 17
(HT 5-17)

Cinque Ports take honours in close defeat with league leaders at the Grove

Some statistics are to be taken with a pinch of salt, others should always be taken at face value- the fact that Heathfield & Waldron RFC stood unbeaten in ten, with all games won by a comfortable margin suggested that the worthy league leaders were making the journey to THE Grove, St Leonards to win again. This became obvious very early on; a well organised Heathfield Back row shunted their side up field and drove over on a blind side charge to score a try in the opening moments. CPR were rocked by this, and Heathfield's rampant back row were causing problems. Outside half Carl Malthouse employed a sensible kicking game to relieve pressure, and Cinque Ports back row of Craig Barningham, Dean Dedman and Dale Whittington began to shackle their opposite numbers. Heathfield began to look for open space and a second try came from an overlap. At 12-0 it looked as if another comfortable win beckoned for the league leaders. Again Carl Malthouse unleashed his powerful boot, and CPR started to control territory more. A lineout on the Heathfield 22 was lost, but good pressure from the pack meant Heathfield had to resort to kicking and a desperate punt was charged down by Dale Whittington who ran in the try. Malthouse couldn't convert from a tight angle. CPR began to sparkle, the pack led by Tony Lawlor's cornerstone performance at prop sought parity with a tough Heathfield pack, grizzled veteran Bob Earle also performing well despite finding himself in the unfamiliar props role. Heathfield always remained savvy and another break saw a third try just before half time. Heathfield were in the lead by 17 points to 5.

The second half was a very different affair, scrum half and Captain Chris Eastwood was replaced by Greg Stokes. Chris Eastwood's darting style replaced by Greg Stokes' sleight of hand and quick feet. This seemed to make a different, Stokes ran at the Heathfield defence unlocking centres Chris Perry and Luke Price (both of whom had come close in the first half), Greg Stokes also looked to free danger man Michael Dangerfield. The aggressive winger at one point being denied by an unfortunate trip as he sidestepped his tackler, when his pace would have seen him home. Heathfield continued to attack but their back row seemed subdued, Dedman and Barningham locking down the blind side and Whittington's replacement Gary Swift bringing his aggressive style to bear. CPR set up phases of play, off Dangerfield's jinking runs and powerful work in the loose by Lawlor, Swift and Dedman. One of these phases saw Swift held up inches from the line, a big shunt saw them over but the ref couldn't allow a try as a mass of 12 bodies crashed over. Moments later CPR were in an attacking position again- Greg Stokes had found gaps which left the Heathfield defence reeling, support from the pack saw another big drive and the unstoppable Gary Swift crashed over. Carl Malthouse converted. Heathfield could see their unbeaten record slipping away and really raised the effort, the pack was once again dominant but Barningham was immense in picking the ball up from a retreating scrum. CPR looked to Dangerfield, Malthouse and Stokes but they could not find the gaps. Heathfield also realised they had a game on their hands and elected to kick two penalties that earlier they might have run. Both penalties were missed, and there was no mistaking the relief in the cheer that went up from the visitors on the final whistle. Team manager Gavin Thomas recognised this in saying "We are the first team to gain a bonus point in defeat against Heathfield this season and they knew the longer the game went on the more it was ours to win, the moment we played our game and stopped them playing theirs this was always a very tight clash- and a truly heroic performance". Head Coach Bill Langley was also effusive in his praise he described it as the "best defensive performance this season" and named Craig Barningham as man of the match for his display of top quality back row play. Langley also picked out performances by Bob Earle, Tony Lawlor and Carl Malthouse. 

Saturday sees another home game at the Grove School against second placed Bognor, KO 2.15.


Team: Lawlor, Wright, Earle, Parker, Gough (Rumble), Dedman, Whittington (Swift), Barningham, Eastwood (Stokes), Malthouse (Giles) Barthropp, Perry (Fink), Price, Dangerfield, Waughman (Brown) Unused Replacement: Thomas

16th January 2010