Cinque Ports miss out on third straight win

East Grinstead III 29 Cinque Ports 15   (HT 17-10)

It's said that the only league table that counts is the one at the end of the season, but at this early stage in the season Cinque Ports travelled to West Sussex top of the Sussex Bishops Finger league with their opponents in 11th. Two heavy defeats had stung the G's and a strong team was fielded for the visit of St Leonard's finest. This certainly was evident when a strong 10/12 combination stretched the Cinque Ports defence with a variety of switches and dummy scissor moves testing an untried centre pairing of Chris Perry and Colin Whyte, but Cinque Ports will to win was exemplified by the first tackle of the game that saw Rob Tritton and Mark Wright power an East Grinstead player into touch. Initially any threat seemed to be dealt with and ePR line remained unbroken. An early foray into East Grinstead territory saw the ball handled on the floor with Captain Paul Smart converting the resulting penalty. CPR were in the lead after five minutes. East Grinstead responded strongly, using the scissors move to open up space and allow the backs some space. A succession of three tries in about twelve minutes seemed to kill the game, with East Grinstead 17-3up with half time beckoning and their experienced pack wen in control it seemed a big win was on the cards.

A back row of Craig Barningham, Dale Whittington and Dean Dedman quickly ensured this would not happen by raising their game and putting defensive pressure on the EG key men. A solid scrum and line out also meant that Cinque Ports were maintaining possession, and as the clock wound down to half time another score seemed remote.

Then from a scrum in the opposition's 22, Craig Barningham broke and released the ball when he was held up to Paul Smart. Paul Smart
saw the EG' three quarters were out of position running backwards, and was able to unleash a long miss pass to Colin Whyte who shifted a gear to find space he passed outside to winger Mike Dangerfield who opened up into acres of space. The powerful winger left the defence reeling before smashing through the opposition full back and scoring under the posts after an 85 metre run. Paul Smart converted on the stroke of half time.

East Grinstead seemed to start the second half determined to make even more of a game of it, the expansive game they were playing allowed Cinque Ports back into it- a loose kick falling into the hands of Carl Malthouse. The full back had space in which to work and his counter attack led him to the right flank, a clever pass finding the lethal Mike Dangerfield who outstripped the defence from 50 metres this time for his second try. He was prevented from running behind the posts. Paul Smart missed the conversion but at 17-15a CPR come back seemed possible. East Grinstead's tactics changed at this point and the ball seemed to disappear into the grizzled ranks of their very experienced forwards, and key substitutions saw them take full control the scrums for the first time in the game. Their new number 8 would not have been out of place in the First XV game on the next pitch. This new dominance of the set piece meant that CPR could not break through. Two tries, one from the new forwards and an excellent 10/12 loop saw them pull away from Cinque Ports. Cinque Ports kept looking to Mike Dangerfield who was unfortunate to spill a pass when in space with no opposition defence. The there was a great try saving tackle by Chris Eastwood illuminated the final 10 minutes. Good performances all round the field but Cinque Ports were not to be. Chris Eastwood and Mike Dangerfield were named as joint men of the match; scrum half Chris Eastwood for another controlling performance and Mike Dangerfield for his eye for the line and strong running. The back row of Dean Dedman, Craig Barningham and Dale Whittington was also strong, and Rob Tritton and front row partner Dave Butcher provided a strong base against the strongest front row we have met this season.

Manager Gavin Thomas placed the defeat in context "This is the strongest side we've ever played up here, and I've been on the end of 60 point defeats so to hold them the way we did shows how we've developed". Head Coach Bill Langley said "I always knew that this East Grinstead side is a hard team to play, they have played as a team for years and have that inner confidence that this brings. The way they congratulated the CPR players at the end of the game said it all for me. The team played very well and whilst I would have preferred to come away with a win, this performance was good. We'll look forward to the return match later in the season at the Grove."

Team: Butcher, Wright, Tritton, Gough (Earle), Parker, Dedman, Whittington, Bamingham, Eastwood, Smart, Dangerfield, Perry, Whyte, Price, Malthouse; Blood Replacement: Thomas Unused Replacement: Weale

The next match is a friendly against Horley RFC at the Grove on Saturday 3rd October, KO 3pm.