Gray hat-trick and three Johnsons are too strong for Crowborough

The game in hand proved to be a comfortable victory by the Green and Whites who claimed bragging rights over Sussex rivals Crowborough. The fixture was postponed from November, when Crowborough’s pitches were waterlogged, which again proved to be the case following the heavy rain over Christmas and the New Year, so the game was switched to Horsham.

Even then large parts of Horsham’s 1st XV pitch were under water so that play was changed to the sloping roadside pitch, and then moved again to a further pitch when a Crowborough player suffered a serious injury with what looked to be a broken ankle and the thoughts of everyone at Horsham go out to him for a speedy recovery.

With what is certainly a first in Horsham’s playing history, five of the starting line-up came from two sets of brothers with Richard and Michael Tredgett playing as well as Will, James and Tom Johnson, son’s of Andy Johnson who lead Horsham to historic league and cup success in the early 1990’s when Horsham were briefly the top side in Sussex.

The watching Sussex President, Dewi Vaughan, who faced this Horsham line-up in their pomp when playing for Lewes said “If I could watch Horsham every week I would.”

“This is the performance we have been waiting for”, said Horsham head coach Nick Stocker. “It has been eluding us for the last few games and I asked for increased focus and intensity. We put the effort in by training over Christmas and the New Year and by taking ownership the players delivered the result.”

Despite making six changes to their starting line-up either tactically or due to injury, Horsham looked the more fluid of the two teams. The Green and Whites opened the scoring after 10 minutes when after a period of good intensity over several phases involving breaks by Liam Brady, Will Johnson and Michael Tredgett the ball was spun out wide for Declan Nwachukwu to cross the line.

Horsham kept up the pressure only for the final pass to go down in the wet and sticky conditions and then the Green and Whites scored a fine try from a first phase scrum on the half-way line and following excellent handling by the backs, good ground was made by Will Johnson and Will Bell and then finished by inter-passing between Andy Gray and James Johnson before Johnson scored.

The half was finished when Gray scored following a strong run and fine multiple phase play, and Horsham entered the break with a 19-0 lead following two conversions from Bell. Play then switched to another pitch following the injury to the Crowborough hooker.

There was no let up from Horsham as they scored their bonus point fourth try after 45 minutes when after a fine set piece and multiple pick and go plays, space was created for James Johnson to put Gray into space to dummy his man and power through to score his second try.

Good power play at close quarters then saw Gray dive for the line for his hat-trick which was converted by Bell after a wave of attacks involving Jonny Whiting, Bell and James Johnson.

Despite having their scrum-half yellow carded towards the end of the game Crowborough never gave up and prevented Horsham from adding to their tally.

Stocker concluded, “I was most impressed with the set piece which was good throughout and we were also excellent at the breakdown. We hit the rucks and cleared players out providing our scrum-half with go forward ball which got our back line moving.

I’m very happy with this performance which has seen us reach the half-way mark in third place. We now need to maintain this level of intensity for the rest of the season.

It was great to have Will Johnson back. Johnny Ordidge made an impact at half-time and Giles Barber added momentum. Ollie Harcus made some big carries on his debut at six, and Andy Gray looked a natural seven with a pick and go and then he drove the player back for one of his tries and then a show and go for another. The potency of our back row was there for all to see.

Rich Tredgett was excellent at hitting the rucks and Bot is showing his destructive power now he is getting back to full fitness.

JJ is looking effective at outside centre and it was a welcome back for TJ. Matt McCabe had a good game and Liam Brady got man of the match for his all round play in the scrums as well as hitting rucks and making tackles around the field.”

Horsham’s next fixture is away to Lewisham based Old Colfeians on 9 January.

Horsham: Bell; W Johnson, J Johnson, McCabe, Nwachukwu, T Johnson (Ordidge), Mills; Talbot (Barber), Grantham-Hill (Fisher), Brady; R Tredgett, Whiting; Harcus, Gray, M Tredgett