Sevenoaks 34 Hove 7
The Oaks freight train kept rolling last Saturday with a convincing home win against a talented Hove side who have struggled this term against the more physical sides in London SE2. The game also had the novelty factor of two brothers playing on opposing teams, Jack Walker for Oaks and Will Walker for Hove. Honours were almost even in the Walker household with Jack playing for the victors and Will registering the visitors only try by intercepting a misplaced pass as Oaks looked certain to score and scampering the length of the field to dot down under the sticks.
The game as a contest was effectively over by half time. Oaks were quick to recover from the early Hove intercept to register a penalty and four first half tries through Anderson, Power, Robinson and Dodd. Winter added the extras on three occasions and slotted the penalty. The coaching staff spoke at length at half time about retaining focus for the second half and keeping to the pattern that had served them so well in the first forty minutes. However, the second stanza turned into a scrappy affair with Oaks playing too much rugby and butchering chance after chance. The only reward for their efforts was a second Robinson try that made the final score 34-7 to the boys from The Paddock.
Coach Vaughan was in sanguine mood at the final whistle commenting ‘We played really well in the first half and I was delighted with our discipline and patience, the less said about the second half the better. All four tries came from the work we have been able to do in training which has been severely restricted by the weather. We will need to put in an 80 minute performance next week if we are to win against a Crowborough side who will take a lot of confidence from their win at the weekend’.
Squad
1 Naismith
2 Martyr
3 Power
4 Coleman
5 Anderson
6 Thorpe
7 Sedgwick
8 Robinson
9 Shirtcliff
10 Winter
11 Dodd
12 Vaihu
13 Unwin
14 Saunders
15 Streather
16 Bates
17 Walker
18 Swallow