Horsham are Ty and mighty

Understandably coach Nick Stocker was delighted. “This performance has been long overdue. It has been frustrating to have to wait this long, but I am happy with the quality and intensity of our play, in particular the improvement in our handling. If we can repeat the quality of execution week after week, we can be a threat to all of the sides above us in the league, but most importantly it will restore confidence to the team.”

Horsham’s intentions to play rugby at a high tempo were clear from the kick-off. A clean catch from Paul Talbot was recycled to Jonny Ordidge who ran hard up the middle of the field and off-loaded to Rob Clegg in support. Then after 3 minutes Will Bell made a 20 yard break, and popped the ball to returning skipper Matt Brown who went over the line to score, and Mark Brandon converted.

Five minutes later, Jamie Gibbs came off his wing as the ball was being spun from right to left to slice through the Park House defence and a Tyler Aitken offload put Brown over in the corner for his second try.

The Green and Whites did not have it entirely their own way as Will Bell had a clearance kick charged down, but he recovered to win the foot race and prevent Park House grounding the ball first.

With the back row of Clegg, Iain Fisher and Jonny Whiting rampant around the field, further scores were only a matter of time.

On 28 minutes, after a penalty for offside, Brown made a break and use his dancing feet to dummy the approaching tackler and then pass to the supporting Giles Barber to score. Horsham’s scrum was also able to exercise its power and four minutes later Whiting scored a pushover try.

Horsham showed variety to their play with long probing kicks from Brown and Sam Bell to relieve any pressure rather than run the ball back all of the time.

Gibbs was hungry for the ball and made a couple of searing 40 yard breaks without any end product, but then Aitken showed him how to finish by coming inside off his own left wing to score under the posts.

After another surging run by Whiting, the ball was spun right to Ordidge who took man and ball but got his pass away under pressure, for Aled Price, who was on as a blood replacement for Gibbs to race away and score in the corner.

Slick passing to the right allowed Price to burst up the touch-line for what appeared to be a certain score with a two to one overlap, but the referee showed sympathy with a Park House knock-on, which looked to be deliberate to the away supporters, and on another day could have resulted in a yellow card.

Horsham turned around at halftime with a 38-0 lead, and rang the changes with flanker Steve Penston coming on for Rob Grantham-Hill, who was suffering with a back injury, and Fisher moved to hooker. Five minutes later, Price came on for Will Bell at fly-half.

Shortly afterwards Aitken showed the greatest piece of individual brilliance of the whole match when he gathered the ball on the half way line and side-stepped through the entire Park House side on a solo run to score under the posts.

Two ferocious Talbot tackles inspired Horsham to maintain their levels of intensity and Aitken and Gibbs continued to lacerate the Park House defence. Brandon released Sam Bell at pace to break down the right wing only for desperate defence to prevent a certain Gibbs try.

On 55 minutes Gibbs finally got on the score-sheet following good hands from right to left after supporting a break by Aitken.

Seven minutes later Gibbs returned the favour with slick handling again from right to left and came off his wing to release Aitken to score his hat-trick with a well-timed inside pass.

Neal Holden, who had come on for Barber, then scored after a Whiting break, and on 68 minutes Aitken scored his fourth try in the left hand corner.

Unbelievably, Aitken could have scored again but instead of grounding the ball whilst over the line, he unselfishly passed to the supporting Clegg and it was judged to be forward. Ryan Grover then left the field with a shoulder injury.

A brave Park House side however never gave up right until the end and made several desperate last ditch tackles to prevent further scores from Gibbs and Price. Shortly before the end of the match Park House made a breakout which required a Sam Bell tackle to prevent a likely score but then Ordidge completed the scoring in the 80th minute with Horsham’s 12th try after a break by Fisher.

Horsham: Talbot, Grantham-Hill (Penston 40), Barber (Holden 54); Grover, Matterface; Fisher, Clegg , Whiting; Brandon, W Bell (Price 45); Brown, Ordidge; Aitken, Gibbs; S Bell.