East Grinstead made the trip to Hove Rugby Club last Saturday for a highly competitive match that saw both teams battle it out in a tense encounter. In the end, Hove managed to claim victory with an 18-11 scoreline, but East Grinstead can be proud of their commitment and execution throughout the game.

Hove opened the scoring with an early penalty, making it 3-0, but East Grinstead quickly responded with some excellent rugby. Following their game plan of kicking to the corners and applying pressure up the field, they kept Hove pinned back. The strategy paid off when Will Roberts dotted down for a try, giving East Grinstead a 5-3 lead, followed by a penalty kicked by Noah Roberts.

Just before halftime, East Grinstead's Rhys Skinner was shown a yellow card. During his time in the sin bin, Hove capitalized on the numerical advantage, scoring a try to level the score at 8-8 as the teams went into the break.

The second half continued with both sides looking to take control. East Grinstead stuck to their game plan, kicking to the corners and working hard to apply pressure in the right areas of the field. Noah Roberts, who took all of East Grinstead's penalty kicks, was accurate with his attempts, and both teams exchanged penalties to bring the score to 11-11, setting up an exciting back end of the game.

With just a minute remaining, East Grinstead found themselves defending on their try line. Despite their best efforts, Hove managed to break through and score a try around the edge, sealing the game at 18-11.

While disappointed with the result, East Grinstead will take heart from their disciplined performance and adherence to their game plan. Hove were clinical when it counted, but East Grinstead pushed them all the way. The losing bonus point hugely important as G’s leapfrog Old Haileyburians in the table.

Final Score: Hove Rugby Club 18 - 11 East Grinstead.