Disjointed Horsham secure last minute bonus point win

The Green and Whites currently top the league table on points difference from Folkestone. This was Pulborough’s first league defeat for two seasons and they played with a confidence borne by a habit of winning and should they repeat this level of intensity will have little difficulty in consolidating their position in London 3 South East.

Victorious Horsham coach Nick Stocker said, “We got the five points we wanted which was our target and we’ll take the positives from that.

It was not the performance that we wanted to achieve and the team played like a collection of individuals. There was poor execution of basic skills and we did not go through the phases.

Only in the last ten minutes and started to run more directly with purpose and power playing basic rugby did we look more dangerous when they started to fall off tackles.”

Horsham started the quicker of the two sides. Scrum-half Ben Rush dummied to create a gap and made a great break but was tackled five yards short of the line, and then moments later Ben Pirt nearly scored from a charge down.

Horsham were gaining the ascendancy in the scrums and following some pressure after ten minutes Tom Johnson slotted a penalty.

Pulborough responded following a poor kick and chase when Fraser Oliphant-Hope sliced through the home defence to create the position for a penalty to level the scores, then on 14 minutes the Pulborough defence appeared to switch off following Tom Johnson’s long kick to let the ball roll out of play when Jamie Gibbs came speeding out of nowhere to dive on the ball for a hotly contested try which Johnson converted from the touchline.

Both sides missed penalty attempts at goal and then Michael Tredgett was yellow carded for over zealous use of the boot when trying to force the release of the ball by a Pulborough player on the ground.

There was a lack of fluency In Horsham's back play summed up when with half time beckoning Arun Thompson squandered a clear try scoring opportunity for Horsham when rather than use the overlap he put out a wide pass which was not held and the ball went out of play. Horsham went into the break with a 10-3 lead which did not reflect their territorial dominance of the game.

In the second half Horsham tried to play enterprising rugby and twice were to forego straightforward penalty attempts at goal and instead kick for the corner with the intent to score tries but without success.

On 55 minutes Gibbs made a great break out wide and then after several phases a direct run by captain Paul Talbot saw him score under the posts.

Pulborough responded with a controversial try from Dan Bullock which he appeared to have knocked on to narrow the deficit to 17-8.

Sean Tuhakaraina made a sprint up the left wing shrugging off tackles and then with time running out for Horsham to achieve a bonus point win, with only four minutes remaining Jonny Whiting broke through the middle with a 50 yard surge and when the ball was recycled from a penalty move went over to score which Johnson converted from the touch line.

Two minutes later Richard Tredgett broke from the back of the scrum and following an incisive break from Tuhakaraina and fine handling from Gibbs and Thompson, Nick Bell crossed the line for the fourth try to seal the bonus point win.

Stocker was complimentary about Pulborough, “They were good at the breakdown and showed high energy levels. They had an effective niggardly spoiling game and didn’t let us play. If we had taken the points on offer at goal I think the psychological pressure would have told but instead until the last few minutes they were still in the game and kept trying hard.

My man of the match is Richard Tredgett for his work coming off the back of the scrum where he created targets and allowed us to regain composure.

We were well below par and need to be more controlled. Although I am happy with the result and the bonus point win I am disappointed with the performance.”

Horsham next week travel to newly promoted Bromley based Park House.

Horsham: Talbot (capt), Lowe, Barber; Goward (Emson 73), Whiting; M Tredgett, Pirt (Bell 55), R Tredgett; Rush, Johnson; Downey (Layzell 55), Ordidge, Thompson, Gibbs; Tuhakaraina