Injuries fail to derail H&B

The rugby club triumphed 27-13 at home to Whitstable in Kent One despite using all three of its substitutes in the first-hour. Among the players to go off was captain Paul Sandeman.

A Matt Harbord penalty and Jimmy Adams try gave H&B an 8-0 half time lead. A Dillon Newell touchdown and a penalty try converted by Harbord either side of a Whitstable penalty made it 20-3.

Mark Piotrowski’s try and the subsequent conversion by Harbord gave H&B a bonus point victory even though Whitstable reduced their arrears with two tries as the hosts tired towards the end.

Elsewhere, Rye RFC were also plagued by injuries as they lost 44-22 away to Newick in their first Sussex One fixture for three weeks.

Two tries from Jamie Moore and one by Graham Nunn put Rye 22-18 ahead at half time, but the New Roaders struggled to cope with losing three players to injury during the second period and conceded 26 unanswered points.

Full reports on both matches will appear in Friday’s Observers.

Standings (played-points) - Kent One: 1 Gillingham Anchorians 9-37, 2 Vigo 9-37, 3 Dartfordians 8-32, 4 Shooters Hill 8-27, 5 Sittingbourne 8-22, 6 HASTINGS & BEXHILL 8-20, 7 Guys’ Kings’ & St Thomas’ Hospital 9-17, 8 HSBC 9-16, 9 Old Gravesendians 8-15, 10 Whitstable 10-15, 11 Cranbrook 8-12, 12 New Ash Green 8-7, 13 Beccehamian 8-6.

Sussex One: 1 Pulborough 6-26, 2 Burgess Hill 6-22, 3 Newick 6-19, 4 East Grinstead II 6-18, 5 Brighton II 5-18, 6 Holbrook 6-17, 7 Seaford 6-9, 8 RYE 5-8, 9 Eastbourne II 6-5, 10 Chichester III 6-1.