Norman conquers Hastings

Old Elthamians 64 Hastings & Bexhill 0

Of all the sentences written about Elthamians this season - “Reis Norman charges through the defence to score,” might just be the most often used.

The Elthamians No.8 is enjoying a stellar season. And he was too hot for Hastings to handle early on, helping himself to a hat-trick of tries in the opening 25 minutes to take his tally for the season to 16 in just nine games - nine of those tries coming in the last three fixtures.

Norman’s try-scoring exploits may grab the headlines again, but this was very much a team effort from Elthamians. Although they scored 10 tries - and some of the rugby they played in the first half was a joy to watch at times - they were forced to work hard for their victory against the resilient visitors.

Battling Hastings were a solid unit with a strong, set-piece platform who belied their lowly league position. Despite spending a lot of the game without the ball, they tackled bravely, soaked up a lot of pressure and waited for Elthamians to make an unforced error.

But they offered little in the way of an attacking threat - only once in a one-sided first half did they venture into OEs 22 - and ultimately their over-worked defence was stretched to breaking point by Elthamians' high tempo continuity and speed at the breakdown.

For the OEs coaching team, there was greater satisfaction to be derived from their team’s vastly improved discipline following the farcical second half penalty-fest against Faversham the previous week. They only conceded three penalties all game, the first not coming until the 35th minute, and the wall of gold and blue shirts stretched across the field never looked like being breached.

For the second successive week, the Blue & Gold got off to a flying start - to such an extent that the visitors had barely laid hands on the ball in the opening 10 minutes.

Hooker Chris Sweet should have opened the scoring after only three minutes when he raced over the try-line after bursting away from a driven maul. But he attempted to try and touch down nearer the posts, and under pressure from two Hastings defenders, contrived to drop the ball.

Norman spared the hooker’s blushes just two minutes later, however, when he opened the scoring, charging 20 metres unopposed down the blindside of a ruck to touch down. And the No.8 added a second on 18 minutes darting round the front of a cleverly worked lineout to score in the corner.

A break down the wing by captain Richie Trew and some slick handing from the backs created a simple debut try for full-back Bill Barrie and when Norman duly completed his hat-trick, racing over from quick ball off the top of a line out, Elthamians were 24 points to the good with the four-try bonus point in the bag inside the opening 30 minutes.

And the home tries kept coming. Flanker Joe Watkins intercepted a telegraphed pass from the Hastings scrum-half to score his first of the campaign before Barrie crossed in the corner for his second after the OEs pack had driven play deep into Hastings territory.

A 38-0 half-time lead did not flatter the side, but they were forced on the back foot at the start of the second period as Hastings enjoyed their best period of the game, finally putting some phases together in home territory, without ever threatening the try-line.

Indeed, the second half was a largely anti-climactic, scrappy affair with the result already assured and Hastings running out of ideas with the ball in hand.

Elthamians scored their seventh try of the afternoon on 52 minutes, Norman making the line break before off-loading to Sweet for a try in the corner. And they exploited a tiring defence with a three-try burst in the final 10 minutes.

Sam Scott added a fine individual effort, racing 60 metes up the touchline before cutting inside the last defender to score. From the restart a lovely off-load from centre Dillon Robertson, outstanding throughout, sent Jo Leigh bursting through a gap and running 50 metres to the posts. Thern Mitch Coppard rounded off an impressive all-round team performance, getting on the end of another jinking Scott run up the touchline for the 10th and final try three minutes from the end.

SCORERS:
Tries: Norman (3), Barrie (2), Watkins, Sweet, Scott, Leigh, Coppard
Cons: Leigh (7)
HALF-TIME: 38-0
MOTM: Dylan Robertson

Old Elthamians: Trew, Sweet, Wilds, Nella, Ryan, Cooper, Watkins, Norman, Davies, Leigh, McDonald, Robertson, Coppard, Scott, Barrie. Subs: Burbeck, Hoddy, Raggett