H&B sign off with big home win

The rugby club beat HSBC 53-12 at William Parker Sports College, but it wasn’t enough to nab fourth place in Kent One because Shooters Hill beat Dartfordians.

Piers Claughton opened the scoring with a try under the posts after 12 minutes with Matt Harbord converting. The outstanding Mark Piotrowski then released Ash Diedericks for a try and 12-0 lead.

Piotrowski stole the defender’s ball and dived over for 17-0, while Harbord scored and converted the fourth try for a 24-0 half time lead.

H&B began to win more set-piece ball in the second half and Claughton crossed again with Harbord converting for 31-0. Claughton then robbed the HSBC scrum-half and fed his brother Kit Claughton for the next try and 36-0.

Ben Petty and Kit Claughton combined for Piers Claughton to complete his hat-trick with Harbord converting for 43-0. Petty put Dillon Newell in for 48-0 and Anthony Roche went over in between two HSBC scores.

See Friday’s Hastings and Bexhill Observers for a full report.

Final standings (all played 22 matches): 1 Gillingham Anchorians 97pts, 2 Vigo 83, 3 Dartfordians 76, 4 Shooters Hill 73, 5 HASTINGS & BEXHILL 70, 6 Sittingbourne 52, 7 Old Gravesendians 48, 8 Cranbrook 46, 9 HSBC 42, 10 Beccehamian 29, 11 Whitstable 27, 12 New Ash Green 7.