Esher U15 Boys A: 12 - Hove Reds U15s: 31

Hove Reds continued their form in the Surrey Cup with a second win on the bounce at Esher in a hard fought and hugely entertaining match where both sides came away with a lot of credit.

Recent team talks have discussed the importance of starting on the front foot and again Hove came out of the blocks fast, and dominated the 1st half, playing the match almost entirely in the oppositions half. The early exchanges were a physical arm wrestle between 2 committed packs, but the stronger balls carries and support play ensured Hove made the early ground. 10 minutes in a Hove line on the oppositions 5m line out saw a maul formed Josh C controlled the ball at the back to roll blind side get over the line for the first points, converted by Sam (0-7).

Hove continued to have the better of the exchanges afterwards, with powerful runs from Harry H, Luca and Reuben, and Luke G impressive targeting any Esher ball carrier to ensure we kept the pressure on their possession, and Archie working hard to win the ball from Esher rucks. And the Hove scrum continued to hold up well winning ball against the head. And Hove quickly added to the scoreline using the ball better in the wide areas. First a multi-phase move from a Hove scrum saw us move the ball central through the rucks and left to Alex on the wing who crossed the line for an additional 5 points (0-12). Then shortly before half time an impressive move right through the backline - drawing defenders and releasing the ball at the right time enabled Owen to cross to put Hove 0-17 up at half-time.

However Esher came out for the second half with renewed energy and set a different tone. Faster and more competitive in both their rucking, and the impressive in their ball carries, Esher pinned Hove back in their half for a dominant period, scoring 2 tries in quick succession to put the game in the balance (12-17). Hove were slower in their defensive line speed, and a bit looser in possession and Esher's tackling began to dominate the game. Indeed with 15 minutes to go Esher were camped in Hove's 22 and threatened to even the score line, with Hove's resilience properly tested. However, Hove found renewed focus, won the ball in key areas, and took the game back to Esher's half. Matthew C found space for a couple of line breaks from centre, and in one move had an appeal for a try cancelled as a held up.

Then from another spell of pressure Hove worked the ball through the hands to set Alex free for his second try of the game (12-24). And with the score bringing fresh confidence Hove took the game to Esher in the final minutes, and Josh C found space near the posts for his second try (12-31).

An impressive match all round, and a well earned victory founded on a first class attitude that saw us fast out of the blocks, and the ability to show resilience in the difficult areas of the game. Man of the Match Luke G for his all round energy and commitment - closely followed by Ben, Arch and Harry H.