Horsham 3's Edge Thriller

(BG readers - please excuse any blatant seeing of things through green tinted glasses. I can't help it I've got green blood)

The picture on Wednesday wasn't good, a soul searching meeting on Tuesday, five odd players short of a team, bottom of the league and up against our neighbors currently flying high in 2nd place. Not ideal, although I'm not really sure what happened from that point but a rallying call went out and the names started flowing in and despite a massive high profile game for the Colts on Sunday, five of them including their Captain put themselves forward. It goes without saying that having a full team with support from the bench gives a real boost before kick off.

If having a full team was the first hurdle the second was sorting them into a team, a hand raise on who plays in the 3/4's showed we had 3 backs and 8 flankers so that was a plus and the fastest ones volunteered to go in. The game plan was simple tackle and tackle hard. Many of us have experience of playing in teams expected to win and on how things can go wrong when up against a dogged and determined defense (thank you Pulborough for that experience).

So we kicked off on the old 1st team pitch playing up the hill and pretty soon we had our first lift an early drive up the centre ended with a rip snorting tackle from Tom Hooley one of our 4 debut players, Crunch, good lad and sent the message to the forwards that nothing was going to be given away by the backs. Barns Green weren't messing around thought and despite some of the best ball retention played by the 3's gaining ground was proving very difficult. With neither side missing tackles the battle was for the ball on the floor. Barns Green got the first chance at points with a penalty in the middle of the pitch which they converted. Soon after they got over for their first and only try. I'd like to tell you how it was scored but I was staring into the opposition's physio's eyes after that clumsy clux Gareth tap danced on my head (injuring himself in the process) I do understand it was the result of some fine play by former Horsham boy Rory Yeates who was pulling the strings from 10. In terms of play it was all pretty much taking place between the 22's with scrums steady for both teams but with BG defiantly having the edge in the lineout. That's not to say the game was boring I've never played in such a tightly contested third team game before and you could feel the onlookers fully absorbed into the game.

Half time came and we were down to our bare bones. We'd been pushed hard but were still standing, some of the elder statesmen were feeling it. Ceiran returning from injury had done his prescribed 30mins. Big Jon the M and J's chairman looked like someone who had an operation which involved inserting a broom handle somewhere and big Tony P was making friends with the ref. Still with the hill behind us the thought was we were still in touch. Local knowledge defiantly helped as a reshuffled BG back line had to start dealing with some testing high balls powerfully sent skyward by Alex Cleary who started to confidently control the direction of the game. These testers backed by eager chasers was to lead to our first breakthrough. The kick went to floor and it became a three way scrap, the good news was that lady luck combined with bloody mindedness from Tom Clayton meant a converted try went to Horsham. The game was now in balance and a penalty in testing position was taken on by Alex Cleary which drifted agonizingly wide but just when we thought a chance to snatch draw had gone Tom Clayton saw a chance for an interception and took it. Suddenly Barns Green realised they were now looking at a defeat and the intensity climbed. Some sterling defensive work at the lineout by Kevin Whitlock, Cieran and Tom Emson kept them at bay before a storming run from the BG prop was just held short of the line. A final play was turned over a greatfully kicked to touch before a jubilant 3 XV celebrated the highlight of the season so far.

Make no mistake Barns Green are a good team in this league and I felt their disappointment at letting this one slip them by as anyone who's played a local derby as a favorite and lost will know. They played the game in a right spirit and despite things not going as most would have predicted stayed around to share a beer after the game.

Thanks to all the guys like Bos, John O and JC who pulled the strings to get the youngsters in the team and the family men who changed plans/make sacrifices/did favours in order to get on the pitch.

A memorable win but the week is short. Lets try and get on a roll and have another win next week.

Rob

(The picture was the only one I have if any have anymore I'll put up!)