Horsham RFC keep promotion hopes alive - just!

With a severely depleted side due to a combination of injury, illness and unavailability, Horsham had to dig deep into their resources to field a competitive team which was compounded by a lack of match sharpness with none of the players having played for a month due to waterlogged pitches.

Even then the usual 1st XV pitch was unfit because the recent heavy rain had not sufficiently drained away and a reserve pitch had to be used.

Coach Nick Stocker said: “It was clear that we had a lack of match fitness having been inactive for four weeks and we needed to get back with a win. The unavailabilities meant that we had to make eight changes to the starting line-up since our last game and therefore the lack of fluidity to our play was unsurprising.

“Having said that we showed heart and desire, and a real doggedness to grind out a win. It also shows that we have a strong squad capable of playing mid-table rugby notwithstanding having to bring colts and veterans in.” The result was in doubt until the final whistle in a repeat of the tight finish in October when Horsham sneaked another narrow win, and if Old Dunstonians had not missed two conversion attempts from in front of the posts, the result would surely have been different.

There was little to choose between the two teams from the outset and there was parity at the scrums. Nick Bell was required to make a crucial tackle on the Dunstonians winger which left him dazed, then moments later good handling along the three quarters saw winger Josh Chalk punt clear before Old Dunstonians counter attacked by kicking the ball into the corner.

A head injury to Will Johnson after 14 minutes meant that 43-year-old coach Stocker had to fill the breach and enter the fray for the first time in five years.

The deadlock was then broken on 17 minutes when a missed tackle in the centres saw Old Dunstonians open up the Horsham defence to score under the posts, the conversion was missed.

Horsham came back spinning the ball from left to right and a powerful run from Lee Taylor saw him stopped just short of the line and the ball turned over.

Jonny Whiting then made a strong break but was also stopped a yard short of the line but Matt Brown was first there in support to pick up and ground the ball under the posts, and then convert his own try, for Horsham to take a 7-5 lead.

Young 18-year-old prop Kyle Fairs, who was eventually named man of the match, then came on for his league debut after an interchange with Paul Talbot and made an immediate impression at his first scrum, shoving the Old Dunstonians backwards in disarray, but there was no further score until half time.

Old Dunstonians started the second half brightly and scored a well-worked try by outflanking the Green and White defence after it had become too narrow, but fortunately for Horsham the conversion attempt in front of the posts was missed and it was to prove decisive.

Horsham then started to take control with long periods of pressure but were unable to break down a resolute OD’s defence, not helped by a series of handling errors and by conceding too many penalties at the breakdown.

The Whiting brothers then came into their own as Jonny battered the defence with his surging runs from Number 8, and James - whom by this time had moved to full back - was safe under the high ball and forcefully counter attacked when the opportunity arose.

After a sustained period of being camped close to the Old Dunstonians line, and the award of three scrum penalties, the ball was moved smartly along the three quarter line to the right for James Whiting to score the winning try as Horsham retook the lead, and then shut the door on any Old Dunstonians come back for the last fifteen minutes.

Singling out several players for notable performances, Stocker said: “I thought 18 year old colts prop Kyle Fairs made an impact straight away, and Joe Green and Carl Harman played well coming up from the Lions.

“Mike Penfold played whilst being injured, Matt Brown played well at fly half in his first game for eleven weeks and James Whiting had a solid game at centre and full back, and scored a good try. Josh Chalk was lively and stepped in at scrum-half when Ben was trapped at the bottom of a ruck, Lee Taylor had a good all round game and put in some good defensive work and Nick Bell hit and carried well.

“In summary I was very happy with the performance considering the circumstances. With around ten players becoming available for the Folkestone game on Saturday, it will give the coaching team a good selection headache, and commitment to training this week will be important in picking next week’s side.”

Horsham’s next game, in a clash of two sides in the hunt for the second promotion place, is at home on Saturday March 1 against a to Folkestone side who are riding high on the back of an excellent away win against Gillingham Anchorians.

Horsham: Talbot (capt), Stone, Penfold (Fairs 40); Grover, Harman (Green 40); Pirt, Bell, Jonathan Whiting; Rush, Brown; Chalk, James Whiting, Taylor, O’Gorman; Johnson (Stocker 14).