Rugby: Black day for Sussex's top seven (From The Argus)

Rugby: Black day for Sussex's top seven

12:00pm Tuesday 10th November 2009

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It will go down as a black Saturday after Sussex’s top seven sides all lost.

But spirited Hove are convinced they could have been the ones to lift the gloom with a memorable home win.

The London Two South East side went down 20-13 in a terrific home match with leaders Tonbridge Juddian, who should now go on to take the title.

A late converted try cost Hove their unbeaten league record though they stay second after defeat for promotion rivals Lewes.

Worthing, Haywards Heath, Chichester, Bognor and Eastbourne also suffered defeats, some more surprising than others.

Judds arrived in Sussex averaging 55 points per game, with just ten conceded, but were given easily their toughest battle of the season.

Hove skipper Glenn Rankin said: “Within the first three or four minutes we knew the game was eminently winnable.

“In the end we made more mistakes than they did. That cost us the game.

“We gave away two or three costly penalties in the wrong areas at the wrong times.

“It was a really good game, though, and the whole pack did really well in the scrummage.

“We weren’t pushing them around the park at will but we had the upper hand.

“That’s our unbeaten league record gone but we will go there after Christmas thinking ‘we can turn these guys over’.”

Liam Hale scored the try which helped Hove lead 10-8 at the break, though he was later guilty of a bit of afters which led to a key penalty beneath the TJs posts being reversed.

Ben Coulson kicked a conversion and two penalties, the second which levelled the scores at 13-13 after he had earlier missed narrowly.

MORE RUGBY IN TODAY'S ARGUS

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