Welcome to East Grinstead Rugby Round Up. If you are reading this on the website, or via Facebook, please sign up to receive this Newsletter via email, which contains loads of pictures and other content, please email m.marriott@btconnect.com and we will add you to the list.

SENIOR RUGBY
A huge cup Saturday began with our 1XV travelling to Essex for a last 32 encounter with Basildon. Could the boys keep the Twickenham dream alive? Read about it here: Match report

Meanwhile, our brave Vets were taking the road south to take on Hove in the Sussex Shield Semi Final. Could they triumph and make another final? Read on to find out:

Youth in Spirit, Vintage in Knees
Hove Vets 5 – 22 (Our Lot, Somehow)

Saturday saw a gathering of men whose bodies say “stretch first” but whose hearts say “one more season.” What followed was 80 minutes (plus 40 minutes of talking about old injuries) of glorious, creaking, occasionally brilliant rugby. The opening exchanges were a mixed bag of champagne moments and supermarket own-brand handling. Both teams threw themselves into defence like men who’d forgotten they have jobs on Monday, and it was clear this wasn’t going to be pretty, but it was going to be heroic.

Five minutes before kick-off, after initially opting for uncontested scrums (because self-preservation is a thing), we unearthed a prop in the form of Charlie Rummary from Uckfield. With the combined gravitational pull of Unsworth, Watkinson, Rummary and Halligey, our scrum went from “sensible” to “small moving tectonic plate,” and dominated for most of the match.

The Trys
Try 1 – Henry Jacobson
After multiple phases camped in their 22, Peter Spencer fed Henry at the back of a ruck. Instead of following traffic like a good boy, Henry ran against it, found a gap that clearly hadn’t been risk assessed, and slid through untouched.
Conversion missed by Ben G (right in front of the posts, obviously).

Try 2 – Dan Arnold
Some slick, 7s-esque switches in midfield completely bamboozled the defence, and Dan A steamed in from 30 metres like he’d stolen something. The cover defence tried. It really did.
Conversion missed by Ben G (Slightly further out this time with a different tee).

Half time score Hove 0 – 10 EG
The second half kicked off much like the first, both teams trying to remind their bodies how to run, pass, catch, tackle, breath etc. But neither side backing down from what was in front of them. It was to be EG once again who get onto the scoreboard first.

Try 3 – Pete Barlow
A patient build-up of phases, with strong running from Halligey and Watkinson, finally put us on the front foot. Ben shipped a lovely pass to Pete, who found a gap and ran in from about 40 metres, probably still accelerating now.
Conversion by James Adkin (who gallantly strolled up to take over the kicking from Ben, fortunately the kick was right in front of the posts).

Try 4 – Pete Barlow (again)
Turnover ball, Henry fly-hacks through, great chase, and a pop off the deck to Pete, who finished it off in style.
Conversion missed by Henry Jacobson (James kindly delegated this particular kick to anyone else, it so happened to be out on the touch line). Scoreline now read in favour of EG 0 – 22.

Hove weren’t done yet though. To their credit, they kept pushing and were rewarded with a try of their own.
Missed conversion. Scoreline now read 5 – 22.

With less than 5 minutes to play, anyone would have forgiven both teams if they slowed up and just saw the game out but Hove who had some wind in their sails all of a sudden were going all out attack and had us camped for the majority of the remainder of the game in our own half defending like our pensions depended on it.

Final Whistle
The game ended with a collective sigh of relief from all players still standing, realising they’d survived another match without being carried off, folded, or needing Google Maps to find their hamstrings (all except Ben, who I have good reason to believe is still looking for them).

Notable Mentions
• Rob – outstanding defence on the wing. Nothing got past him without a signed apology.
• Gwyn – powerful running, often requiring two or more humans to stop.
• Stan – commander of the backfield, fielding kicks and acting as the last line of defence like a calm, ageing lighthouse.
• Dan & Pete Barlow – running the centre like they owned it (which, judging by the game, they basically did).
• Peter Spencer – a Jack Russell around the fringes, constantly in the spokes of the rucks, always sniffing for the ball.

All in all, a classic vets performance: flashes of brilliance, moments of confusion, and a strong post-match focus on ice packs, beers, and telling everyone how “we’d have won by more if our knees worked properly (Halligey)”.

We now find ourselves going into the cup final on the 21st. This will be against Seaford and will be played at Worthing. Can’t wait!

Next weekend is a rest week for our seniors, as the 6 Nations kicks off. Please see the article below and join us at the club to watch England start their campaign.

JUNIOR RUGBY
Another week, another biblical amount of rain. By Sunday morning, there was a brief moment of optimism… quickly washed away as the rain came down again. Pitches resembled swimming pools, with the odd bit of grass bravely poking through like it was asking for help.

Despite the conditions, most sections turned out and braved it. There was mud. A lot of mud. Tricky underfoot conditions, slippery balls, soggy socks — the full winter rugby experience. And, of course, the kids absolutely loved it. The U10s were away to Brighton, taking the show on the road while the rest of the club battled the elements at home. Across the board it was one of those mornings where effort, smiles and enthusiasm mattered far more than clean kits (which, frankly, were never on the cards).

Cold, wet, muddy… but another great rugby morning chalked up.

U11s
With the pitch doing its best impression of a bog, the coaches sensibly adapted the session to keep players moving and out of the worst of the mud. A smart focus on rucking and breakdown work was adjusted to suit the conditions, followed by passing and support running drills.

Despite the rain and slippery ball, the handling was superb — plenty of sharp passes and great awareness, with players actively looking for support runners rather than heading off solo. It was excellent to see those support lines being run and heads up even when the weather said otherwise. The session finished with a game, giving everyone a chance to put the drills into practice, which they did brilliantly. Tackling still needs a bit of work — but given the weather and the fact everyone was basically covered in mud from head to toe, we’ll allow a bit of compensation this week.

Another tough but thoroughly enjoyable session, and one the players can be proud of.

U10
On Sunday, the Mighty U10s shrugged off the wet weather and got stuck in to a fast-paced session with our friends at Brighton RFC. After a quick warm up, we launched into a game of touch rugby, promoting support running with a no-pause pop pass after the second touch. These skills were then transferred to mixed-club games where we also concentrated on tackle technique, line speed and our awareness at the breakdown. A great morning was had by all. Next week we’re away at Uckfield with the pro Masterclass following the week after back at HQ.

As the kids headed home grinning from ear to ear, the real hard work was about to begin - parents staring at boots that no longer had a visible colour, shorts that may never be white again, and washing machines about to be pushed to their absolute limits. Mud in the hallway, mud in the car, mud in places no one can quite explain… all to be lovingly cleaned and ready to do it all again next Sunday. Rugby parenting at its finest!

INTERMEDIATE RUGBY
The EG U13 Reds faced a challenging home fixture against a strong Burgess Hill side in cold, wet and extremely muddy conditions, which made both ball handling and tackling difficult throughout the match. From the outset, the weather played a significant role, with the greasy ball and muddy surface disrupting any opportunity for free-flowing rugby. Burgess Hill made a strong start and built an early lead, but EG showed resilience and determination. A well-earned try towards the end of the first half kept the team in it, with the score standing at 5–1 to Burgess Hill at half time. Despite the testing conditions, EG showed plenty of positives, particularly up front. The forwards worked tirelessly in the scrums and at the breakdown, winning several turnovers and competing strongly in contact. Captain Daniel led from the front with a solid all-round performance, while Blake also impressed with his physicality and work rate.

Ozzy was a standout player, crossing the line for a couple of well-taken tries and providing a spark when the team needed it most. He very nearly added another, but in a great show of teamwork and awareness, chose to pass at the last moment to Jesse James, allowing him to score. Ozzy’s contribution was deservedly recognised with the East Grinstead player of the team award.

The backs found conditions challenging at times, with the slippery surface and strong Burgess Hill defence making it difficult to move the ball out wide. On occasions, EG were pushed backwards before space could be created, but these moments provided valuable experience that will help the group continue to develop. Despite the final scoreline, there were plenty of positives to take away from a match played in difficult conditions. With continued focus on confidence, tackling and support, the group will take important lessons into the next fixture.

A tough result, but a committed performance and another step forward for the team.

Score : 9 - 4

6 NATIONS AT THE CLUB
What a tournament this will be - such a tough call to predict a winner!
We will obviously be surporting England every step of the way, starting on Saturday for a 4.40 KO against Wales. If you havn’t experienced the Steve Cairns clubhouse yet, come on down and enjoy the fun.

Before all that, we will be showing France v Ireland on Thursday at 8.10pm. What a cracker to get the ball rolling!!

AGM
Get Friday 17th July in your diary.
We will meet at 7pm to vote in our officials and celebrate another season at our fantasic club.

OTHER NEWS
If you have any news about any aspect of our rugby family here at East Grinstead, get involved and email m.marriott@btconnect.com. See you next week!!