Rugby: Thurrock move up the league

Thurrock shot further up London League One after their third win in a row, but had to brave a strong wind and a Thanet comeback to emerge victorious.

Thurrock crucially lost the toss and were faced with the massive task of running up enough points with the wind in the First half to create a cushion for their defenders in the second.

They started brightly and Rob Rees, making his debut at fly-half because Steve Morritt was not quite fit enough to return, calmed the nerves with a penalty to put his side 3-0 ahead.

Wing Phil Green then scored a try to put Thurrock 8-0 ahead before Havant replied, against the run of play, with a penalty.

With Thurrock just five points ahead and half-time approaching, centre Paco Gay made charged down a Havant clearance and crashed over for a try.

As a result, Thurrock went in at half-time with a 15-3 lead - but team manager KevinHymas thought his side might have left themselves a mountain to climb.

"I thought it might not be enough," he admitted. "The wind was so strong in the second half that it was difficult to get into their half. Our defence won us the game."

Certainly the Thurrock defence, statistically one of the meanest in London One, was more than up to the task of preserving their side's lead.

Havant, who began the game above Thurrock in the table, did not add to their three points until they landed a penalty 15 minutes into the second half.

They added a try 12 minutes from the end, albeit controversially when the referee didn't spot Havant pulling back on the ball, but Thurrock held on to record a crucial victory.

A top six place is the aim for the rest of the season and Hymas believes his squad are in with a good chance of making it.

He said: "Changes in the League structure next season means we have to finish in the top six to ensure we stay where we are.

"We're a bit off the pace at the top but next week's game against Winchester, who are second, will be massive.

"If we keep playing like we did today we ought to make it. But it's important to win on Saturday and then we're almost assured of a top six place."

ETON MANOR ... 12, BASILDON ... 39

Basildon's jjoy at reaching the last four of the Essex Cup was tempered by the loss to injury of influential outside half Matthew Tilson.

Tilson was withdrawn with a hamstring injury during the first half, although it isn't feared the damage is bad enough to keep him out of next week's London League clash with Holt.

Certainly, Basildon can ill afford to lose one of the key figures behind their recent run of impressive form in both Cup and League.

Tilson left the field early on, but not before he had made a telling contribution to the Basildon cause. Manor had opened with a penalty but Tilson and Dave Burnett swiftly created an opportunity for a try by JohnMartin, which Tilson then converted.

As so often this season the platform for Basildon's victory was provided by their awesome back row - Luke Kirkup, Scott Nicholls and Barry Eldridge - who produced some brilliant tackling on the day.

Their pace and power was too much for EtonManor to handle and, following a second penalty from the home side, Eldridge crashed over the line to extend Basildon's lead.

Tilson promptly went off injured, but Basildon were dominating the game to such an extent his absence became merely a blip in a totally dominating performance.

Basildon's backs were getting quality ball from both the line-outs and scrums, and it became a matter of when, not if, they would score again.

The second half continued with outside half Dave Burnett creating havoc in the EtonManor defence and Scott Nicholls went over to increase Basildon's lead to 20-9.

Substitute Carl Sellway then came on and joined in the fun with a score, and huge prop Richard Dennis sealed a supremely satisfying performance for the visitors when he crashed over at the end.

Basildon can seemingly do no wrong at the moment and this result comes hot on the heels of a devastating win over London League Three rivals Chingford last weekend.

Club spokesman Dai Griffiths said his side failed to match their all-round display from the previous match but was generally impressed, citing Scott Weeks as a growing influence on the team.

"We're very pleased with the way things are going," he said after the game. "Our attack has such pace and power that few sides are going to be able to live with us."

CANVEY ISLAND ... 61, WESTCLIFF ... 0

Westcliff had waited 15 years to take their chance in the quarter-finals of the Essex Cup once again, but it must have felt like another 15 had passed by the time the final whistle had sounded on Sunday afternoon.

The Eastern Counties One side were totally outclassed by their neighbours and, according to magnanimous Westcliff spokesman Geoff Sawyer, "were lucky to get nil."

Westcliff were forced to play some of the game with just 14 men as injuries took their toll, but the gulf in class between the visitors and Canvey, based one division higher in London League Three, was all too evident from the start.

Canvey have hit a real purple patch since the turn of the year and took advantage of their greater bulk and speed to brush aside their neighbours with relative ease.

Canvey's upturn in fortunes has coincided with the return of their former coach, Steve Thomas, who has now led his side to a promising run of three wins in a row.

Confidence is growing and delighted Canvey spokeman Christopher Davey confirmed: "He seems to have given the guys more confidence to play the game the way we know they can. He believes in good, clear running rugby and it seems to be working."

Thomas's approach paid immediate dividends against Westcliff when, straight from the kick-off, full-back Stuart McCarthy took advantage of some fine scrummaging work on the 22-yard-line to power in the first try.

It was the first of three tries for the impressive McCarthy, who also had a hand in the final try of the match when his cheeky overhead pass to promising youngster Joe Buckfield sealed a superb performance from the home side.

Thomas's team charged at will against Westcliff, who were left fighting an uphill battle once Rick Compton (ankle), Eli Mashmore (head) and Tim Ablethorpe were all carried off injured. Westcliff had only two substitutes and were forced to fight on gamely with just 14 players.

Nevertheless, little could be taken away from a comprehensive Canvey victory and Westcliff's Geoff Sawyer said: "It was a very disappointing result but Canvey were far too good for us at the end of the day."

Canvey's other tries came from forward Tony Gould, No 8 Stephen Murphy, flanker Matt Norris, Carl Wakefield, Jason Carter and fly-half Martin Powell, who added a penalty and four conversions in a tremendous all-round performance.

ROCHFORD ... 22, ROMFORD & GIDEA PK ... 7

London Three outfit Rochford warmed up for next week's vital encounter with Wymondham by sweeping Romford aside for the second time this season in a friendly at Magnolia Road.

Romford & Gidea Park are good enough to be occupying fourth place in London Two North, but Rochford dominated the match with a performance of sustained commitment and style. It was their second victory over their opponents after an 18-13 win earlier in the season.

Rochford took the game to the visitors from the start and Ryan Stephenson, who had moved back to second row, capped some early free-flowing rugby from the home side with a well-taken try.

Both sides were launching attacks at will in a refreshingly open game, but it was Romford who exploited a lapse in the Rochford defence to take a 7-5 lead with a converted try.

Despite Rochford gaining the upper hand in both line-outs and loose play, there were surprisingly no more scored before the break.

However, Rochford stepped up a gear in the second half and it wasn't long before David Knight finished off a move of superb handling skills by the backs to put the home side into the lead for good.

With Rochford's forwards providing plenty of ball and Dave Sexton controlling the play at fly-half, centres Ben Green and Alan Barker were probing Romford's defence at every opportunity as the visitors began to tire.

When Sexton was forced off with a pulled ligament, Mark Wright took over as centre and promptly scored beneath the posts. Green converted the score to further extend Rochford's lead.

Flanker GavinBruce drove over for a final try to confirm Rochford's superiority and put them in hearty mood for next week's big game against Wymondham, one of the leading clubs in London League Three North-East.

MALDON ... 0, SOUTHEND ... 51

Southend's decision to blood youngsters from their successful Colts side paid dividends for their First XV when they recorded a morale-boosting win in this friendly.

The game was not as one-sided as the scoreline suggests, but Southend capitalised on the chances their running rugby created to score nine tries that were spread around the team.

Man of the match was Ed Rowe, playing at scrum-half as an experiment, who was instrumental in setting up the vast majority of the Southend scores. Just for good measure, he scored two good tries of his own and added three conversions.

Further tries in a superb all-round display fromSouthend came from PaulShearing (two), Paul Bailey, Robin Doyle (two) and Joe Rainobono (two).

Picture, top: Power play - a Canvey player powers through during his side's 61-0 hammering of local rivals Westcliff in Sunday's Essex Senior Cup quarter-final.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.