H&B pile on points in convincing win

Twelve well-worked tries without reply - one by super-veteran hooker Dave Sprinks, who must surely remember three-point tries and leather studs - and a sparkling Robinsonesque debut at full-back by Tom Brampton, were just some of the highlights of a thoroughly entertaining Sussex Division One game.

The more intensive coaching introduced this season is clearly paying off, both in team spirit and in technical improvements, notably ball presentation and consequent faster ruck ball.

Assured and varied orchestration of the game by the combative half-back Claughton brothers is allowing a talented selection of backline players to combine with far more accuracy and sophistication than in previous seasons.

Best of all, H&B hit the ground running these days; in this instance, increasingly effective No.8 Steve McManus received the ball from the kick-off, passed to Kit Claughton, whose long attacking kick to the corner was well-chased. A hurried clearance by Hill's full-back was well fielded by Nick Edmunds, who started it moving through backs' and forwards' hands to Tom Brampton for the first touchdown, with barely a minute played.

The half continued in the same vein, with the pack winning enough quick ball for the versatile attack to keep Hill baffled, and tries were created at regular intervals from all over the field, and from turnovers as well as training-paddock moves.