Horsham RFC 1sts’ season continues to unravel with heavy Dartfordians defeat

Horsham are struggling with an injury and availability crisis and were unable to field their full complement of three replacements, which proved significant as the game went on. It meant 46-year-old veteran full-back Mark Elliott stepped in at the last minute, making his return some 28 years after making his debut. Following the 43-17 defeat a disappointed Horsham coach Nick Stocker said: “In the first half we were missing our defensive structure especially on the blind side which allowed their pacy runners to exploit our gaps and this was compounded by our poor tackling. “We then had a 15 minute spell in the second half when, with 14 men we played some of the best rugby we have played all season, when we started to move the ball rather than take the contact which stretched their defence. For next week we will however have to work harder on our defensive structure and tackling.” Dartfordians started quickly and it required a last-ditch tackle by Elliott to prevent a certain try after the Green and White defence had been outflanked. After five minutes on a set play, rather than kick for touch, the ball was passed to Jonny Ordidge within his 22, but the supporting player was adjudged to have come off his feet. A penalty was awarded to Dartfordians, who kicked for touch and from the subsequent line-out scored their opening try from a catch and drive which they converted. Horsham bounced back with some good handling in the backs but James Whiting on the right wing was tackled just short of the line. Shortly afterwards, a penalty was awarded to Horsham in front of the posts, but they opted to kick for touch and the attack petered out. Dartfordians then scored an easy try in the corner, but when it was Horsham’s turn to attack they did not find the opposition defence so accommodating and were unable to score after a period of pressure. Ryan Grover went off injured after 20 minutes which saw a reshuffling of the pack and the welcome return of Scott Price for his first game for the 1st XV for a year after injury. But an absence of intensity and commitment in Horsham’s tackling saw Dartfordians score a further three tries without reply to take a 31-0 lead into half-time. Worse was to follow on 47 minutes when Ben Pirt and Matt Stone banged heads with each other to come off injured, and there was only Mike Penfold to come on as replacement. With Will Bell in particular putting in a series of tackles the Dartfordians momentum was stemmed and knowing that they were going to have to play the remainder of the game with 14 players seemed to spark Horsham into life. Following a break through the middle by Elliott, good handling involving Price and Jonny Goward saw Ryan O’Gorman cross the line to score in the corner, converted by Bell. This was followed by Jonny Goward using his long stride to score close to the posts and then after some good handling Jonny Whiting scored Horsham’s third try in seven minutes. It was too little too late for Horsham and Dartfordians came back to seal the win by scoring a further two tries in the final minutes. Horsham’s next game is away to Sheppey on Saturday March 15. Horsham: Talbot, Stone (Penfold 47), Barber; Grover (Price 20), Goward; Pirt, Smith, Jonathan Whiting; Rush, Bell; James Whiting, Ordidge, Taylor, O’Gorman; Elliott.