Rugby club scorch to magnificent victory

Roger Stanley's side have lost just one game out of 20 against Sussex League clubs during the calendar year, a sequence which includes their Sussex Shield triumph during March.

The lone sour note was missing out on promotion in a play-off against Old Elthamians on a scorching April afternoon.

But that may come in 2005 if they can continue to produce performances of this ilk as they completely dismissed one of the better sides in Sussex Division One.

"Brilliant," was the verdict of club spokesman Peter Knight, grappling with a heavy cold. "Things are going very, very well and it's just what the loyal supporters needed. Forty-four-nil against Heathfield is the best score we've had against them for a long, long time. And nil is important of course."

Results like this will do their points difference the power of good too. In the early part of the season they were scraping wins, now they're scorching to victories as they bid to close the deficit on leaders Horsham.

The main reason for that transformation has been the return of the Claughton brothers, Kit and Piers.

"The half-back partnership (between the brothers) is really promising," Knight added. "The ball comes out that much quicker and we've got a very, very strong back division."

And the main beneficiaries of this seem to be Danny Ralph, whose brace of tries last Saturday took his personal tally to five touchdowns in the last five league games, and David Northen, another man to cross twice making it five in two outings.

But it's not just the backs who are firing on all cylinders. The forwards too are recycling the ball and, perhaps most importantly, keeping their discipline, thus enabling the backs to go to work.

And Paul Sandeman seems to be revelling in his switch from scrum-half to full-back, missing just two shots at goal in a "really good" individual display.

He opened the scoring with a penalty after five minutes before Kit Claughton, who was set-up by Northen, Ralph and a Sandeman penalty made it 16-0 at half time. Ralph, Northen (two) and Sandeman made up the 44 point salvo in the second half.

H&B: P. Northen, Davies, Granville, Sheppard, Redman, Flood, McManus, Roberts, P. Claughton, K. Claughton, Brampton, Sparks, D. Northen, Ralph, Sandeman. Replacements: Cullingford, Woolcott, Adams.