Heath are closing in on title glory
Haywards Heath won 27-15 at Uckfield to maintain their lead at the top of the Counties 2 Sussex table.
Heath had to make a number of changes and included two of this year’s colts. Knocking on from the kick-off Heath were under pressure and conceded a penalty, kicked for 3-0 after a minute.
Soon a long Uckfield clearance kick was fielded in their own half and run back by Heath with inter-passing between backs and forwards seeing the ball moved wide right for fullback Tom Wharton to score a try.
Heath were regularly conceding penalties and Uckfield missed a shot at goal, as did Heath, before more good work from the visiting backs saw winger Matt Cains go over in the corner. Wharton clipped over the conversion taking Heath to a 3-12 lead.
Forcing a penalty in the Uckfield 22 when the tackler failed to roll away, Heath elected to take the scrum and, after recycling the ball in midfield, colt Tom Bishop ran a diagonal line through defenders to crash over for a converted score increasing the lead to 3-19.
The second half saw the Uckfield pack up the ante and when a scrum in the Heath 22 was defended, the power of the home forwards saw them over the line.
Eventually Jack Lucas burst his way through and rounded three defenders to dot down for the bonuspoint try.
Uckfield applied pressure with their pack to force another score this time with the extras added.
A bit of Uckfield indiscipline saw a yellow for the home side and a penalty for Wharton which he gratefully accepted to make it 15-27, which remained the score until the final whistle.
The game will be particularly remembered for the contest between teacher and former students.
Warden Park sports master Martin Chappell came off the Uckfield bench early to face nine of his ex-pupils playing in the Heath team.
Chappell, who has put a lot into rugby at Warden Park and across Sussex schools, held up well to the challenge.
This Saturday, Heath host Crawley for the last home league game (3pm), which could secure the league.