Eastbourne 3 v 59 Dover 1st XV

Dover’s responded to last weeks disappointing result with an inspired team performance against Eastbourne. From the very start Dover went about their business in a controlled and determined manner. With the wind and slope in their favour it was important to ensure that points were on the board at the interval. Dover’s aggressive start paid dividends. On the seventh minute Buster Collins broke from a lineout and following a 35 metre burst, Ricky Stanley took the pop and a pass to Ben Murray saw the inside half touch down for the first of eight tries. Martyn Beaumont slotted the conversion and his place kicking was exceptional all afternoon as he kicked all eight tries from all across the park plus a penalty.
Dover dominated in every area of the field and I am sure no one would have predicted a display of this nature. Dale Tonks and Gus Surendorff commanded the lineouts stealing four in the first half. Foz Foster was the next on the score sheet when he turned over ball and ran 35 metres through two missed tackles to touch down. Immense pressure was placed on the Blue and Golds and two tries followed before the interval with Lee Tonks being fed by Blair Charge to cut a line of 30 metres plus and Ricky Mackintosh took an opportunist try following a disaster on the 5 metre line from the full back. One down side was the penalty count against the Shark’s which unfortunately continued to the second half.
The second half threatened to be more of a contest as Eastbourne started well when they kicked a penalty and put some points on the board. Dover were soon to make amends and Mackintosh scored his second soon after, which killed the game. The forwards effort was again considerable and the ball won allowed the threes to make some devastating runs from at times deep within their own half.
There was a lull midway through the half when Dover were frustrated by their own simple errors and some useful work by the Eastbourne forwards.
Foster scored his second when he broke from the rear of the line and this was followed when Kirk Savage took a scrum against the head with the ball being fed to Jamie Townley who burst up the right flank to feed Beaumont inside to score. All three substitutions were made and the fresh legs again reaped rewards. Foster scored his third following a 75 metre break up field by Mackintosh to complete the rout. The performance fittingly drew rich applause from both sets of supporters and members.
Dover’s Senior Coach Graham Tonks commented ‘This was an excellent team performance today by every member of my team who all worked for each other. However as last week proved we must concentrate on working hard and ensure that we are consistent week on week. This is an extremely competitive league and we must first consolidate our position and not get carried away with ourselves. The penalty count was most disappointing and could have damaged us badly in different circumstances’.

Team; Moore, Savage, Stanley, Robinson, Tonks D, Collins, Foster, Surendorff, Murray, Beaumont, Tonks L, Townley, Mackintosh, Charge, Close, Lucas, Hewer, Matcham.
Report by: Richard Collins
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