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Record Breaking Win for Cinque Ports in opening league match
Eastbourne Sep 09 - Greg Stokes' Try
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Eastbourne IV 7 Cinque Ports Rugby 59 (HT 0-21)
Cinque Ports Rugby started off their Sussex Three East "The Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger" league 2009/10 campaign with a very good performance where the full XV put into practice all they had learnt on the training field.
This was the day that saw Cinque Ports highest ever score, biggest winning margin, most tries scored and their first ever hat trick started less auspiciously when injuries meant that the Grove School St Leonards based outfit had to start without a recognised front row and therefore handed Eastbourne an advantage with uncontested scrums which in league terms put Cinque Ports with a ten point disadvantage.
This seemed to be compounded as a missed kick off saw Eastbourne rumble near to the Cinque Ports try line, when only a clumsy knock on depriving them of a try within the first 30 seconds. Cinque Ports quickly regrouped; with a sensible kicking game by Paul Smart and his half back partner Chris Eastwood ensured Cinque Ports were playing their rugby in the Eastbourne half. The kicking game combined with a very effective line out jumping by Kevin Parker ensured the ball was in the possession of CPR for the majority of the opening exchanges. Paul Smart tried slotting a difficult penalty early on but saw the ball slide past the post.
Cinque Ports were not to be denied much longer though and around 15 minutes into the game CPR broke through the Eastbourne defence. The passage of play saw a ruck ball quickly shipped to centre Chris Perry who crashed into the defence and passed to Garry Surridge who danced from the tackle and sprinted home to score his first try near the posts, which Paul Smart converted. Garry Surridge quickly doubled his tally within the next seven minutes, when a set piece play saw the ball in the hands of the backs and at first it seemed an isolated Garry Surridge would be caught by the Eastbourne defence, but his quick feet left them floundering and again he slid home in the same place as his first try to put CPR in the lead by removing the advantage of the league ten point deficit. Paul Smart drilling the conversion over. CPR was leading 14-0.
This seemed to sting the Eastbourne squad and a period of deadlock saw both sides attacking but strong defence kept the score keeper underused. In the last quarter of the first half Chris Eastwood the CPR star scrum half tried to run round close to a ruck and met his opposite number head on. He was dazed by the experience of meeting the other scrum half at such close quarters. He was replaced by Greg Stokes who came on at fly half and with Captain Paul Smart taking on the role of scrum half. A series of attacks on the Eastbourne try line was rebuffed before Greg Stokes was released by Paul Smart from a 5 metre scrum and the strong Greg Stokes barrelled over to score near to the posts with several Eastbourne players trying to stop him. The ever reliable Paul Smart scored the conversion. The score remained 21-0 to CPR for the next five minutes up to half time.
The second half saw a raft of replacement changes for CPR Which included the bullish South African Che Donald on for his first game, as these seemed to give the XV even more confidence, and with their tails up Cinque Ports began to really apply the pressure with the influential Paul Smart as a true captain pulling the strings and directing the game play.
Within three minutes of the half time whistle saw CPR scrum rolling a maul and strong multi-phase ball saw the ball in the hands of Dale Whittington who went over in the corner. Carl Malthouse was unable to convert from the touch line. CPR was now 26-0 up. Dale Whittington's first try was deserved for the flanker who had shackled the Eastbourne fly half through out the match. The Eastbourne XV were hurting and good possession saw them score their first actual points of the game with a converted try.
With the score at 26-7 it seemed that CPR might be a little shaky, but pressure saw Eastbourne kick the ball away into the hands of the abrasive winger Mike Dangerfield near the half way line about half way through the second half. Mike Dangerfield had been a handful in defence for them in the first half, but with the ball in hand was mesmerising as he jinked and twisted away from the whole of the Eastbourne defence to score. Paul Smart converted again. CPR was now leading 33-0 and the way that Mike had carved up their defence appeared to dishearten the opposition.
From the kick off a short period of chaos ensued whilst the ball was skidding about on the floor, a bemused Eastbourne side looked on as Dale Whittington broke through and picked the ball up from behind their scrum half and ran some 65 metres (see photo) from a stationary defence who seemed memorized like the proverbial rabbits starring into car head lights. Paul Smart again converted. CPR 40 Eastbourne 7. CPR was well in charge of the game as the last quarter beckoned. CPR was wanting a win and kept on wanting to score.
Within the next five minutes CPR were able to wear down Eastbourne and ran in three final tries before the referee blew for full time. Eastbourne had little to offer in defensive terms against a determined CPR XV.
Paul Smart scrambled over in the corner with most of the Eastbourne pack trying to stop him. Paul's try was well worked and a great reward for the commanding position he played all afternoon. To cap his try he converted it from the touchline with his best taken conversion of the game.
Eastbourne then tried another cross field kick which saw Mike Dangerfield sprint past the watching defence for his second try behind the posts and in the dying moments three minutes later saw Dale Whittington seal his hat trick of tries as he roared past the chasing Eastbourne back division. Paul Smart converted both tries to make the final score 59-7.
Dale Whittington was named a well deserved "Cinque Ports Rugby Man of the Match", for his creative and destructive performance as well as for his three tries. Nick Giles also shone on his debut with a very aggressive performance in the pack. There were good performances from captain and scrum half Paul Smart; forceful running in attack and brave tackling in defence by Mike Dangerfield and Craig Barningham; thoughtful play from Chris Eastwood until he was injured at scrum half; Greg Stokes and Che Donald as replacements certainly were influential in the second half; and the three quarters of Lloyd Barthropp, Garry Surridge and Chris Perry matched their opposite numbers flawlessly all the match. Carl Malthouse at full back was reliable under the up and under.
Under the complications of the Sussex 3 East "Bishops Finger" league the result will appear as Eastbourne 17 CPR 40. But the final score when the whistle was blown was actually Eastbourne 7 Cinque Ports Rugby 59
Cinque Ports Manager Gavin Thomas and Head Coach Bill Langley were both overjoyed but wanted to focus the team for the rest of the campaign Gavin Thomas said "There are twenty Bishops Finger league games and we need to perform like that in each one, today was a great win and it would be great to have this feeling at the end of the season".
Whilst Bill Langley echoed this by saying '' This was a quality performance by the lads and a good start to the season. The hard work in training is paying off and it bodes well for the future. It's nice to see a ruthless edge coming into the team. We, as the coaching staff, still have some work to do but we are improving with every game''.
Club secretary Peter Silk went on to say, "This game was a fine performance by Cinque Ports Rugby, and I am sure the confidence the players gained in the opening match of the Bishops Finger league is a good sound start to the season. CPR is looking to recruit more players to strengthen the squad and will be putting out a second XV this month with a series of friendly fixtures. It's great to be associated with the winning XV that took so much pride in playing expansive rugby against a good side at Eastbourne. The XV took their chances and drove home the tries they have been training for all summer."
Please see the CPR website for detail of how to join a club that takes pride in winning, www.cinqueportsrugby.co.uk
CPR play their next Bishops Finger Sussex 3 East league game at home, the Grove School, next , Saturday 19th Kick Off 3.00pm against Uckfield III. CPR expect this to be a testing fixture as Uckfield RFC won the league last season with their Second XV, who remained unbeaten.
Team: Giles (Price), Thomas (Donald), Wright, Gough (Weale), Parker, Dedman, Whittington, Barningham, Eastwood (Stokes), Smart, Perry, Surridge, Barthropp (Beeching), Malthouse.
