CS finally ended a run of successive away defeats this season with a well-deserved victory at Sevenoaks. Two minutes into the second half Taylor Direen scored his second and CS’s fifth try, which took the lead out to 3 – 35. The fact that the score line finished 31 – 42 is a tribute to the host’s attitude and their great spirit which never waned, and that determination earned them a well-deserved losing bonus point.
The match started with Sevenoaks having an opportunity to score which a knock on brought to a premature end. CS then took advantage and worked a couple of promising attacks until they gave away a penalty for holding on which enabled Sevenoaks to clear their lines. A short while later, after a very solid scrum platform, CS moved the ball right and fullback Houstoun made good ground and passed inside just before being tackled into touch; the next pass found centre Direen, who took a diagonal line inside, beat two defenders and scored under the posts which fly half Hodgson converted 0 – 7. On 10 minutes Sevenoaks received a penalty and their shot at goal was successful to cut the lead to 3 – 7. Just four minutes later CS received what proved to be their only penalty of the first half, having driven the Sevenoaks set scrum back off their own put in, forcing an infringement. CS opted to kick for touch for a five metre line out. The initial catch and drive was halted but the ball was recycled for Mikey Smith to score and Hodgson again converted for a lead of 3 – 14. On 18 minutes, right wing Pumolo Banda scored his first and after the conversion the lead was 3 – 21. The second quarter resulted in an all too familiar adverse penalty count for CS, two of which brought threatening attacks deep into Sevenoaks territory to a halt and two of which the hosts kicked to the corner for their own attempt to cut the deficit. CS however defended them both with determination and success and cleared their lines. Before the half time whistle there was still one further opportunity and Banda scored his second which Hodgson converted for a half time score of 3 – 28. Despite an adverse penalty count of 6 -1, CS were pretty happy with their first half performance.
Two minutes into the second half CS again drove the Sevenoaks pack back at their own scrum to gain a penalty and maximum advantage was taken when Direen scored his second for a score of 3 – 35. During the next fifteen minutes CS gave away six penalties which the hosts used to maximum benefit to score two converted tries to cut the deficit to 17 – 35.
On 23 minutes a fracas took place, the result of which was a yellow card for the hosts prop forward. During the period when Sevenoaks were reduced to 14 men, the referee was playing a penalty advantage to CS, which was not required, as scrum half Eitan Humphreys scored under the posts to extend the lead to 17 – 42. With the game winding down there was a long stoppage for an injury to the other Sevenoaks prop, who thankfully was able to leave the field with the assistance of the physios. When play resumed CS gave away two penalties each of which resulted in a converted try; although the CS supporters were not happy with one of them as it came from a knock on in respect of which the referee was playing advantage which in their opinion CS never received. The game therefore finished 31 – 42 and credit goes to both kickers as Hodgson for CS kicked 6 from 6 and the Sevenoaks fly half 5 from 5.
Next week CS are at home to Gravesend.