After last week’s victory, Uckfield 2’s knew that this weekend’s game was going to be a slog against East Grinstead.

Both teams had numbers on the bench and the game started at some speed straight from the kick off with EGR scoring at 9 mins from a penalty that was subsequently podded and flicked wide to their backs to score in the corner. This was subsequently converted.

The next period of play was back and forwards between the teams and a simple mistake allowed EGR to score under the posts at 26 mins which again was duly converted.

At 29 minutes Uckfield was awarded a penalty and this was duly kicked between the posts giving the home team 3 points by O’Donovan.

The second half started with EGR ahead 3-14 and again this half started off at speed with both teams bringing on fresh legs. At the 50th minute R Bates crashed through EGR right hand defensive line for his try to be converted by S Bates bring the score to 10-14.

Both teams drew breath, and you could hear both Captains rallying their troops as Nelson did 107 years before them.

At the 60th minute EGR grubber kicked the ball through, and an Uckfield player made an error (and hence being awarded DoD) and tackled the EGR player off the ball. He was awarded with a yellow card for his actions and with a stretched defence EGR put the ball over the line with a driving maul in the 61st minute. The score now 10-21.

Uckfield’s heads did not drop as they were playing clever rugby and knew they could bring the point deficit back and this was rewarded in the 70th minute with R Bates again powering through EGR tired defensive line, this was converted by O’Donovan.

During these last 10 minutes the intensity of Uckfield’s game increased, and they tried to capitalise on EGR mistakes but sadly, the clock ran too quick for Uckfield to get the winning points and the game finished on the EGR 5metre line, 17-21 to EGR. However, there is no negativity in this loss as the standard of rugby from both teams was joyous to watch and the result could have gone either way.