All Blacks end season by lifting Sussex Plate
The Sussex All Blacks travelled to Hove for the final of the Sussex Plate against Hove’s second XV. And after an up and down season the All Blacks were delighted to claim the Sussex Plate.
Hove were first on the scoresheet – after a period of pressure in the Hill 22 the Hove winger squeezed into the left hand corner. The Hove 10 hit the post with the touchline conversion, 5-0.
The All Blacks came back at Hove with hooker Andy Mackay and the back row of Martyn Woodhead, James Brown and Dave Wattam all making inroads.
The ball was spun to the left where full-back Olly Lewis put in a deft kick through which was chased by centre Jim Waqanibau who touched down for the score. Lewis narrowly missed the extras, 5-5.
Hove came back at the All Blacks using their powerful forwards and pacy backline.
One break by Hove was held up by the men in black resulting in a scrum. At the scrum Hove put on a shove and confusion at the back saw a loose ball fall into the Hove scrum half ’s hands to score the converted try, 12-5.
The All Blacks once more came back at Hove with Lee Collingbourne carrying well.
At the ruck Wattam picked and went, showing his many years of experience, before offloading to scrum half Massimo Hiller who scored near the posts, 12-10. The All Blacks made some changes adding some sizeable bulk to the pack in the guise of Tim Daniel, Jake Mills and Ben Dronfield.
Hove gave away a penalty that Lewis struck sweetly from 40m to lead, 12-13.
At one scrum the black pack turned the screw and a penalty was converted by Lewis to make the lead 12-16.
The next try saw a great break up the right hand side from Mackay and Brown before the backs got the ball and fly half Archie Anscombe dissected the Hove backline with a perfect kick that Waqanibau sprinted on to core. Lewis converted, 12-23. Hove’s centre touched down for a converted try, 19-23.
Burgess Hill player coach Owain Jenkins (OJ) came on at scrum half. Anscombe stepped his opposite man in the Hove 22 and ran in for the converted score, 19-30.
The final All Blacks try was down to the power of the pack. No8 Wattam picked up and flicked the ball to OJ who dotted down for the unconverted score, 19-35.