Having played out a dour 0 - 0 draw with Burgess Hill last week in near blizzard conditions, our frustration had to be put aside as we faced the same team again at HQ, in what was undoubtedly the biggest game of the season so far. This match was not only important to keep us in the hunt for promotion, but was a league and cup double header with a place in the Sussex Shield Cup Final up for grabs for the winner.

Last week, a succession of disallowed tries and missed opportunities, meant we left the home of the self appointed ‘Sussex All Blacks’ very disappointed. We knew however, that we had had the better of the game and a similar performance, in near perfect conditions, should see us home. Our warm up had been crisp and the changing room confident, and so we took to the beautifully prepared pitch to raucous cheers from the Grinny faithful, eager to banish the demons of the last few weeks.

Hill however, had not read the script and won a quick fire penalty to earn an early lead - not the start we wanted! This stung the forwards into action and strong carries from Pentney, Andrews and Hulst started making yards and provided a solid platform for Cooke to get the backs into the game. Swift hands to the right saw the ball in JT’s control and he mesmerised the oppo before throwing a flat pass to Gray who went over unopposed in the corner. 5 - 3, game on!

The All Blacks threw themselves back into the fray straight from the restart, with big carries from the forwards, and dangerous running from the backs in the loose. Tight defence kept them out but eventually the pressure told, and another penalty was conceded in our 22 which was well converted to see the lead change hands again. When we were playing sensible rugby, going through the phases and playing our patterns, we looked great. This was giving the mercurial Cooke time and space to use his metronomic boot to peg the oppo back deep in their territory, and now the pressure was on Hill. When the inevitable penalty came, Cooke, gratefully stepped up to slot the three and give us a narrow 8 - 6 lead at the break!

Feeling refreshed by the half time Haribo, and the introduction of Lampkin and Dewing, the most important 40 minutes for the five ferns was underway. A swift attack from Hill saw a break down their left, a deft chip and chase saw the centre in behind. The cover was there, but an awkward bounce saw Ben and JT take each other out, and the ball bounce clear. The centre hacked on, and only great cover from Sammy off his wing saw disaster averted. The speedy back had no option but to dot down, which gave the All Blacks an attacking five yard scrum. The ref blew for a penalty from the set piece and a quick tap saw the excellent Hill 7 crash over for a converted score 8 - 13.

Calm was urged as we gathered under the sticks, now was not the time to panic. Huge carries from Bridges, Dewing and Crawley-Moore gained us momentum and field position, as Stokes fed his runners with precision. Cooke continued to orchestrate territory as he probed the corners. The set piece was working beautifully and real dominance in the scrum was being imposed, but we needed to score! Another penalty awarded and converted, to reduce the deficit to two, then another kicked with precision to the left. A series of lineout drives on the five meter line were thwarted by Hill infringements and the ref started to lose his patience with the All Blacks. Andrews powered down the left flank and was stopped just short, but the referee had his arm up again. With the vocal crowd, baying for yellow cards, the ball was moved right and a lovely long pass from JT ‘a la’ George Ford saw the ball in space - surely this was the moment - but no, a knock on at the last, caused groans from the enthralled spectators.

With time running out, and the feed to the set piece for the oppo, I think we all wondered if it was not going to be our day, but a huge drive at the scrum saw the oppo disintegrate backwards, the ball popping out, G’s powering through, the ref running under the sticks, the crowd going wild...

With just a few tense minutes left, the G’s held firm for a memorable win which very much keeps our season alive on both fronts. A break for Easter next weekend, then a good win over local rivals Uckfield will secure second in the league and a playoff chance, while the cup final is on April 28th at Hastings RFC where we will defend our trophy!

MotM went to Steven Cooke for an assured performance in attack and defence (A massive tackle in the first half was a real highlight), brilliantly controlled mate. DotD was awarded in error on the day (Although thanks for that really dirty pint - how much tabasco???) it actually went to Max Dewing who endeavoured and failed to carry off a pink shirt with his club tie.