Good home wins for rugby clubs

In strong winds and latterly driving rain, H&B went 10-0 up in their first Kent One fixture for three weeks through tries from Tom Waring and Jimmy Adams before Sittingbourne scored an unconverted try of their own.

Adams was driven over for a converted try to make it 17-5, Paul Sandeman kicked a wind-assisted penalty from halfway, and Sandeman dived over for a converted try and 27-5 half time lead.

H&B resisted the visitors’ assaults on their tryline with the conditions against them during the second period. Ben Campbell left the defence for dead to make it 32-5 and Adams, pictured, completed his hat-trick at the end.

Rye RFC, meanwhile, won 28-15 at home to Newick in Sussex One, leapfrogging their opponents in the process. Full reports on both matches will appear in Friday’s Observers.

Standings (played-points) - Kent 1: 1 Gillingham Anchorians 18-80, 2 Vigo 18-71, 3 Dartfordians 19-66, 4 HASTINGS & BEXHILL 17-54, 5 Shooters Hill 16-53, 6 Old Gravesendians 17-46, 7 Sittingbourne 18-45, 8 Cranbrook 17-39, 9 HSBC 18-32, 10 Whitstable 17-21, 11 New Ash Green 18-17, 12 Guy’s Hospital 16-14, 13 Beccehamian 17-14.

Sussex 1: 1 Pulborough 14-52, 2 East Grinstead II 14-48, 3 Burgess Hill 13-41, 4 Seaford 13-37, 5 Holbrook 13-32, 6 RYE 13-27, 7 Newick 13-24, 8 Eastbourne II 14-17, 9 Brighton II 13-13, 10 Chichester III 14-3.