Gravesend’s campaign off to a flying start

Gravesend’s performance in their first league fixture was quite impressive, but lead coach Matt Williams said, after the game, “although today’s efforts put on a good show, there is still plenty to work on. The team as a unit need to be more clinical in their execution of some of the basic moves, and there is a need to focus for a full eighty minutes. That said it is a positive start to the season”

Playing the first league fixture of the season, on their home Rectory Field ground, Gravesend got off to a flying start when club captain Ashley Moorey touched down after the early break by Chris Meddings was stopped short of the line, for the first of Gs seven tries.

Dave Dorton added the conversion for a 7-0 lead after just three minutes.

With the home front five taking full control from the restart, it was only a matter of time that the visitors would be caught off-side.

Missing a first chance to extend Gs lead, Dorton soon made up for this as he slotted over on nine minutes for 10-0.

Three minutes later and full-back Matt Bressons was helped from the field following concussion as he was tackled head on.

This lead to a change around in the home backs, Dorton went to full-back with Tom Goss coming on at number eleven.

Fifteen minutes of stalemate as Gs seemed to be rushing some of their passes and losing possession at the breakdown.

It is difficult to single any one player out for an outstanding performance, as the whole pack played a full part in the systematic deconstruction of their opponents.

In the three-quarters, Meddings breaks from the feed from Michele Zanirato and Gary Gray, with close backing up from Moorey, Temitope Okenla, Goss and Dorton, kept the visitors guessing where the next attack would stem from.

Twenty-five minutes on the clock and Dorton added a second penalty following the dismissal to the sin-bin of Hove’s James Muir for the last ten minutes of the half

This was immediately followed by a push-over try from number eight C J Osazuwa again converted by Dorton to extend the score to 20-0.

Some speedy distribution of both first and second phase possession with the ball being exchanged between both back and forwards, gave Dorton space to join the line at pace and score near the uprights.

Adding the conversion to this saw Gs go in at the break with the score at 27-0.

Gs started as quickly after the interval as they did in the first half. Straight on the offensive from the drop-out, a good combination of passes through front row and three-quarters saw the space created wide out for Goss to score.

Completely dominant, with good runs, with ball in hand, from Aaron James-Nichols and his fellow lock David Brooke-Smith kept the forward momentum going and with Ziggy Stevens and Adam Aigbokhae winning the break-downs it was not surprising to see the home XV enjoying their Saturday afternoon in the sun.

A second push-over try for Osazuwa with Dorton adding the extras went on the board before a lack of concentration following a series of off-sides allowed Hove to put their first points on the score sheet.

Ryan Ball finished a quickly taken penalty move which fly-half, Gareth Davis added the conversion to for 39-7 but this was the last time they were allowed near the Gs line.

Having been involved in most of the hand-bag exchanges that had crept into the third quarter of the game, it was not surprising to see the visitors Ross Oattes get a straight red card.

Swinging a long right arm across the throat of James-Nicholls, as the lock ran forward with the ball, Oattes was the only person at Rectory Field who didn’t understand why he was sent off.

A further try for Moorey followed by a joint touch-down by Klus And Cuttings, with Dorton putting one between the posts, saw a very respectable final score-line of 51-7, with promise of much to come for the season ahead.

Meanwhile Hove will have returned to the south coast knowing that only their full back, Samuel Whiting, stood out in an overall poor performance.

Match report written by Mike Cubitt - Gravesend RFC

Team: 1 Charlie Cutting, 2 Marc Klus, 3 Jamie Forsyth, 4 Aaron James-Nicholls, 5 David Brooke-Smith, 6 Ziggy Stevens, 7 Adam Aigbokhae, 8 Chukwuma Osazuwa, 9 Michele Zanirato, 10 Gary Gray, 11 Dave Dorton, 12 Chris Meddings, 13 Ashley Moorey, 14 Temi Okenla, 15 Matt Bressons, 16 Warren McKee, 17 Tom Goss, 18 Tom Bird