Old rivals prove to be a much tougher foe
HAVANT MAIDSTONE
Havant proved too powerful and well organised as Maidstone slipped to their third London 1 South away defeat of the season last Saturday.
Having clinched the double over the Hampshire side last season, they travelled in confident mood, despite making several changes.
The visitors were 7- 0 up after five minutes thanks to Craig Webb’s try and Ross Cooke’s conversion, but problems began following the restart.
A tapped penalty started the move which led to the home side’s first score in the corner, and they then added a second from the base of a ruck to go 10-7 up, a lead they never looked like relinquishing.
Missed tackles and good off-loading led to another converted home try, with a penalty on the half-hour easing them further in front.
Maidstone’s errors continued to gift Havant possession, and another penalty presented them with the bonus point try, again from a ruck, before Rory Beech’s interception saw him race over the line unopposed from 35 metres out. Cooke added the conversion to reduce the arrears to 25-14 at half-time.
Havant took control again soon after the restart, sucking in the Maidstone defence before scoring in the left corner.
Brendan Trudgen was then unlucky not to reclaim a chip over the Havant defence, the bounce favouring the home side.
The hosts scored again to move 37-14 ahead but Maidstone continued to look to get something out of the game, getting themselves more in the match at the end of the third quarter.
A poor clearance penned Havant in their own 22m, continuous drives at the heart of their defence eventually creating an extra man as Webb sent Adam Knight down the right to score, Cooke adding the extras.
Maidstone dominated much of the rest of the game, but spurned their only chance of a bonus point following a wayward pass, with Sam Pearson free on the left and the line beckoning.
Maidstone need to regroup after this second consecutive defeat.
The injury list is improving and they have the talent to compete, but restoring confidence is the first requirement.
Maidstone host Gravesend tomorrow (Saturday). Maidstone: Simpson, Pankhurst, O’Connell, A Knight, Massey, B Knight, Lamb, Brill, Moore, Trudgen, Olson, Beech, Webb, Smith, Cooke. Replacements all used: Baker, Williams, Pearson. Former Fijian fly-half Nicky Little and ex-England Sevens player and coach Mike Friday are set to appear in Aylesford Bulls’ annual Poppy Appeal match next month. They and former Harlequins star Mel Dean will line-up in the President’s XV to meet the Army Masters in the fixture – now in its 10th year – at the Jack Williams Ground on Friday, November 4 (kick-off 7.45pm). Admission is by donation. The Great War poem For the Fallen will be read and a bugler will play the Last Post and Reveille, with the winning captain presented with an engraved shell casing. Bulls president Andy Smith said: “As a community club we are pleased to be able to support our neighbours, the Royal British Legion.”
PW D L F A Ps Tun Wells........ 5 5 0 0 96 58 21 Sidcup ............ 5 4 1 0 150 70 21 CS Rugby ........ 5 4 0 1 164 67 19 Tottonians....... 5 4 0 1 162 80 19 Havant ............ 5 3 1 1 178 77 16 Cobham .......... 5 3 0 2 136 102 15 Gravesend ...... 5 3 0 2 108 100 14 Sevenoaks ...... 5 2 0 3 139 80 12 Maidstone....... 5 2 0 3 128 119 11 Chobham ........ 5 2 0 3 84 74 10 Chiswick ......... 5 2 0 3 91 148 10 Brighton.......... 5 0 0 5 63 162 2 Dover.............. 5 0 0 5 63 202 1 Gosport & F..... 5 0 0 5 36 259 0 Results: Chiswick 48 Gosport & Fareham 7, Cobham 17 Sidcup 33, CS Rugby 1863 61 Brighton 12, Dover 6 Chobham 22, Gravesend 13 Tunbridge Wells 17, Havant 37 Maidstone 21, Tottonians 29 Sevenoaks 14. Fixtures: Brighton v Cobham, Gosport & Fareham v CS Rugby 1863, Maidstone v Gravesend, Sevenoaks v Havant, Sidcup v Chobham, Tottonians v Dover, Tunbridge Wells v Chiswick. Thanet Wndrs . 4 4 0 0 161 50 20 Pulborough ..... 4 4 0 0 130 55 19 Haywards Hth . 4 3 0 1 86 48 14 Eastbourne ..... 4 2 0 2 80 56 11 Folkestone ...... 4 2 0 2 117 106 11 Lewes............. 4 2 0 2 92 82 11 G’ham Anchs .. 4 2 0 2 82 100 10 Sheppey ......... 4 2 0 2 91 128 10 Park House ..... 4 1 0 3 64 82 6 O Dunstonian .. 4 1 0 3 83 144 6 Aylesfrd Bulls .. 4 0 0 4 50 114 1 Ashford ........... 4 1 0 3 53 124 -5 Results: Ashford 31 Lewes 26, Eastbourne 36 Aylesford Bulls 7, Folkestone 30 Sheppey 36, Old Dunstonians 10 Haywards Heath 22, Pulborough 44 Gillingham Anchorians 19, Thanet Wanderers 31 Park House 5. Fixtures: Aylesford Bulls v Old Dunstonians, Gillingham Anchorians v Eastbourne, Haywards Heath v Ashford, Lewes v Thanet Wanderers, Park House v Folkestone, Sheppey v Pulborough. Hastings ......... 4 4 0 0 142 17 19 Cranbrook ....... 4 3 1 0 123 67 16 Sittingbourne .. 4 3 0 1 77 41 14 Old W’sonians . 4 3 0 1 92 73 14 Kings Hospital . 4 2 0 2 93 83 11 Snowdown. Snowdown...... 4 2 0 2 91 52 10 New Ash Grn Grn... 4 2 0 2 82 65 9 Vigo ................ 4 1 0 3 57 96 6 Brockleians ..... 4 1 0 3 37 114 5 HSBC .............. 4 0 1 3 77 134 5 Southwark L ... 4 1 0 3 59 122 4 Beccehamian .. 4 1 0 3 33 99 4 Results: Cranbrook 26 Beccehamian 5, New Ash Green 22 Old Williamsonians 23, Sittingbourne 12 King’s College Hospital 10, Snowdown CW 49 Brockleians 0, Southwark Lancers 22 HSBC 21, Vigo 0 Hastings & Bexhill 30. Fixtures: Beccehamian v Southwark Lancers, Brockleians v Vigo, Hastings & Bexhill v Cranbrook, HSBC v New Ash Green, King’s College Hospital v Snowdown CW, Old Williamsonians v Sittingbourne.
Women’s Premiership Fixtures: Saturday: Darlington Mowden Park v Bristol, Lichfield v Aylesford Bulls. Sunday: Richmond v Wasps, Saracens v Worcester Valkyries.