Brave Holbrook lose final home game to Eastbourne

The signs were not good at the start as a dominant Eastbourne forward pack had the better of the earlier scrums and this resulted in their backs having a clear cut opportunity in the first three minutes.

However, inexplicably the Eastbourne player in going to score ran over the dead ball line before touching down, thus resulting in a Holbrook 22.

The home side were further let off a few minutes later when the Eastbourne centre missed an easy penalty attempt and 20 minutes into the game Holbrook had had no territory and yet it remained scoreline.

Eastbourne eventually managed to score a converted try after the Holbrook pack had stemmed the tide up front, but one too many missed tackles cost them. This was followed by another try out wide to give the visitors a 12-point advantage.

With a couple of minutes left Holbrook managed to get some decent possession and territory when they attacked the Eastbourne try line during a number of phases and turned down the opportunity of an easy three-point penalty to go for a try.

This proved most costly, as in their eagerness to score a mislaid pass was intercepted by the Eastbourne speedy full-back, who ran the length of the pitch to score under the Holbrook posts. What could have been a nine or five point game turned into a 19 point deficit at half time.

A quick unconverted try from Eastbourne straight after the break made the task insurmountable but credit to the home side who didn’t give up hope.

Poor handling from a kick off resulted in Eastbourne being deep in their half and Nick Holt poached an interception to score a try, which he duly converted. A couple of minutes later good work from Jamie Boon released skipper Paul Davey to burst through, sprinting 50 yards and evading the full-back but just being caught before the try line by a covering winger.

Davey was to take no further part sustaining an ankle injury but cracks were beginning to develop in the Eastbourne defence and surging runs from Greg Holt and Simon Ley made further inroads.

Eastbourne did come back and their overall strength told when the ball was spun out wide for their winger to score, but Holbrook once again got quickly on the scoresheet.

A sneaky little chip over the top by scrum half Jamie Boon bounced awkwardly, evading a number of Eastbourne defenders and back into Boon’s path, who gratefully ran into score an audacious try.

In the final minutes of the game Eastbourne scored two further tries out wide, which made for a rather flattering 41-12 final scoreline to the visitors, as the home side really fronted up in the second half.

Holbrook’s final league game is this Saturday away at Chichester III.