Bournemouth v Brighton

Team Selection: In the backs just the one change to the line-up that faced Camberley last week, the returning Grant Hancox replacing the unavailable Adam Higgins at outside centre. In the forwards, the injured Ben Kimber was replaced by Dean Smith, making his first start of the season, at blindside flanker and the unavailable Joe Desmond was replaced by the returning Jake Guildford, now recovered from a neck injury. A complete change on the bench with Joe Martin, making his 1st XV debut replacing Dean Smith, with Tom Napier and Jack Young joining him on the bench. Making his 35th appearance for the 1^st XV, Conrad Carkeet was presented with his 1st XV Honours tie after the match. The weather was pretty miserable with sheets of rain driven the length of the pitch by a fresh breeze. Underfoot, it stood up very well to what the heavens were throwing at it.

A Close Run Thing

Brighton kicked off R to L as viewed from the stand and to their R. With Bournemouth having hauled themselves into a 14-13 lead five minutes or so into the second half, this match was decided by the only other scores in the half with two changes of the lead in injury time.

Bournemouth survived an early scare when having ‘lost’ a line-out they managed to keep out a strong Brighton attack down the left. From the resulting scrum, scrum-half Harry Warr kicked, and Brighton found touch to their left. Off the line-out, a promising Bournemouth three-quarter move left came to naught when the final pass, which was perhaps a little over ambitious, was knocked on for a Brighton scrum. Despite some handling errors, Bournemouth maintained the pressure and were rewarded with a penalty in front of the posts after the referee, Steve McMahon had played advantage after an infringement at an earlier scrum. Hancox kicked the goal.

11m: Bournemouth 3-0 Brighton

This early advantage was nullified just a couple of minutes later when

Bournemouth, rather than clearing a penalty away to touch, managed to

contrive to get themselves penalized for ‘holding on’. From the Bournemouth 22m, Brighton kicked the goal to level the scores at 3-all

13m: Bournemouth 3-3 Brighton

Bournemouth having won a scrum resisting a Brighton drive off a line-out at the restart, went right with Mike Pope making something more than a half break with Warr chipping to gain further ground when the fly-half was stopped. Although the ball was ‘lost’ in the chase, Brighton were penalized and Bournemouth found touch to their left inside the Brighton 22m. Bournemouth maintained the pressure, with hooker Conrad Carkeet in the van going right but when the ball was released left Bournemouth kicked, the Brighton return kick fielded by right wing Ash Taylor. He took the ball into contact and Brighton were penalized in their efforts to stop him and Hancox kicked his second goal of the afternoon.

22m: Bournemouth 6-3 Brighton

Bournemouth didn’t do very well at the restart when, having kicked clear.

Brighton kicked right, deep into the Bournemouth 22m where they managed to recover the ball and were over wide out. The conversion was good, and Brighton took the lead for the first time at 10-6.

26m: Bournemouth 6-10 Brighton

Bournemouth maintained the pressure with Brighton not able to get out of their half. Bournemouth showed good ball retention as they probed a determined Brighton defence. They were eventually rewarded, if that is the right word, when a Brighton defender was ‘yellow carded’ and from in front of the posts Hancox pegged the deficit back by three points.

34m: Bournemouth 9-10 Brighton

Bournemouth restarted left and the ball bounced into touch for a Brighton lineout. ‘Not straight’ was the referee’s judgment and Bournemouth attacked left off the resulting scrum. They ‘lost’ the ball forward, got penalized and found themselves defending a line-out on their left inside their own 22m. Brighton went left and chipped back inside the Bournemouth 22m and recovered the ball with McMahon playing advantage for Bournemouth not ‘rolling away’. When none accrued, he came back to the original infringement. From right of the posts, Brighton kicked the goal to end the half.

40+2m: Bournemouth 9-13 Brighton – Half-time

The clock was reset to 40m for the start of the second half. With the weather perhaps getting even worse, it made Bournemouth’s task in this second half even more difficult, facing stubborn opponents. They restarted L. An early exchange of penalties saw Bournemouth concede a scrum after some untidy work at a line-out outside the Brighton 10m on their left. Brighton drove off the line-out before releasing left and kicking. Bournemouth kicked back and got themselves penalized and another 10m when disagreement was voiced with the referee’s verdict. Brighton found touch to their left inside their 10m. Coming right they kicked further right fielded by Josh Wickens. The left winger came infield and kicked right into the Brighton 22m. A knock-on by the defenders was pounced on by the chasing Pope and the fly-half was over wide out on the right. Hancox missed the conversion, but Bournemouth had a slender one-point lead.

46m: Bournemouth 14-13 Brighton

With both defences having a stranglehold on their opposite numbers, neither side were able to break free despite Bournemouth having a marked territorial advantage. With time fast running out, some in crowd (all right it was me) suggesting the next score would win the match, it was from a Brighton line-out that Bournemouth gained a turnover but the advantage was lost when Brighton were awarded a scrum midfield as Bournemouth tried to make their way up field. As both sets of forwards tried to dominate their opposite numbers in this clearly crucial scrum, it was reset by McMahon. When it again proved unsatisfactory, Bournemouth were penalized. Inevitably Brighton kicked the goal to retake the lead with how much time left. Who knows? Obviously, the referee but I suspect both sets of supporters would have their own ideas. In one camp far too little. In the other far too much. Oh, the tension.

80+1m: Bournemouth 14-16 Brighton

Bournemouth restarted left and ran the return right, deep into the Brighton half. When play came to a halt, McMahon, who had been playing advantage, came back to an earlier infringement outside the Brighton 10m. Ah Mr Hancox it’s up to you. You have the unenviable task of kicking that wet slimy thing, you’ve been playing with all afternoon, between those two posts you can see some 30 metres or more away into that wind that’s been plaguing you. It’s also a little damp underfoot. Nerveless, the centre added three points to his club career points scoring record, McMahon blew for no time and Bournemouth had won the

match in quite dramatic fashion.

80+3m: Bournemouth 17-16 Brighton – Full Time

Two well-matched sides played some very good football in the most trying of conditions and the score reflects on how little there was between them.

Bournemouth move up two places to 8th on 16 points. Bournemouth’s next match is this Saturday (November 11) home to Maidenhead, KO 2.00PM. There will be a one minute’s silence before the match as a mark of respect for the fallen on this Memorial weekend. Ed

Doug Warren

Bournemouth RFC.