Slow Start Costs Bourne!

Sidcup Rugby Club 2ndXV 38 – Sittingbourne 1stXV 20 

Saturday 3 October 2026

Sittingbourne arrived at Sidcup in high spirits after last weekends exploits. However, when we took to the pitch the mood fell flat, the lads really didn’t seem to be acknowledging the team in front of them and the warmup never really got firing. That transitioned into the start of the game where we were made to pay for our slow start. Proving that Bourne cannot simply grow into games and come out with a result like in Counties 3. It requires everything from the starting whistle.

The whistle started and Bourne’s Hal Catlin and Finley Williams caught their man just outside Sidcup’s 22m. A clearance kick didn’t find touch and Bourne now have possession, the issue is a few phases later or precisely 58 seconds after kicking off, No.8 Tank gets a headbutt to the nose. Blood exploding on impact and it forces him to stay down. Bourne signalling a head injury, causes sloppy ball which is thrown out to Miller who throws a pass between his now miss timed centres. This ball then bounces horribly through fullback Oliver Kirks legs. Picked up by the Sidcup player and with a few offloads against a now scrambling Bourne line, we concede the first try under the posts. Less than two minutes in we’re 7 points down and forced into a change. Ellis Deadman replaces the now Injured Tank. Quality start! The lads know it’s only one try and a series of unfortunate events so remain calm.

It would be only five minutes before Sidcup found our try line again. After a lineout driving maul is set, it starts moving but Bourne’s forwards manage to stop its momentum. The ball carrier is forced to break and tackled by Jack Miller. The ball Is shifted from Sidcup’s No.09 to their first receiver, Bourne’s backline apply pressure, the first receiver proceeds to throw a pass that misses it’s intended target but is scooped up nicely by their No.15 who shifts it past Winger Harry Kite, the ball goes wide again to Sidcup’s No.14 who decided to channel his inner Cheslin Kolbe. Bourne’s backline flooding across from right to left, he steps inside three times beating four defenders. Sidcup try but the extras are missed 12-0.

Bourne annoyed at the how these starting ten minutes are going, would only become more frustrated as another try crossed five minutes later. During these five minutes Bourne managed to repel multiple attacks in various forms, line breaks, lineouts and scrums.

An interesting point is that unusually for us, Bourne probably had the smaller of the packs giving up an estimated 6/7 stone of weight to the Sidcup pack but as always, we made it a real contest.

Regardless, Sidcup have a lineout on our 22m line, they set a maul and with Bourne pushing the maul backwards and in field we get caught blind. Hal Catlin taking out the initial ball carrier who then shifts it to his support causing a 2-1 against Kitey who does the right thing and takes his man. We manage to force the try scorer (No.14) into the corner for a harder kick. Which does save us 2 points.

Fifteen minutes gone and we are not in this game and 17-0 down. A very serious stern chat behind the tryline seemed to wake up the lads a bit, as the game progressed for another fifteen minutes of competitive action before the next strike would occur, this time in Bournes favour.

A nicely set driving maul forces Sittingbourne 10-15 meters up the pitch and only a couple meters off Sidcup’s tryline, it’s brought down and we have a penalty but the backs decide to take over, Jamie Talbot to Jack to Powley who finds Fin on one of his runs as he avoids and shrugs off his tackler going over the line. Miller adds the extras 17-7.

A few minutes before the half time whistle and we get a penalty for Sidcup not rolling away, we opt to kick and Miller makes no mistake, 17-10 going into half time. All things considered not bad… or so we thought, before Sidcup would dot down for their BP try in this half. Exposing a gap out wide with their No.08, they make a break and a simple draw and pass resulted in another breach of our tryline. Extras added. 24-10 Half Time.

There’s not much to say about the half time team talk that every player in this position hasn’t heard before. More Accountability, more work rate and more bite needed otherwise it’s a long journey home. The human missile Bradley Duffield is forced off the pitch and front rower Ethan Rotter makes his second first team appearance, filling it at Hooker which forces hooker Hayden Duffield to the flank.

The second half started and the game was pretty even, an arm wrestle with both sides entering each other danger zones but failing to collect and points. Until a pick and go from Luc Jeffery five meters the wrong side of Sidcup’s 22m line leads to a line break, as he shrugs off the first tackler, bumps the second to the ground and throws a backwards fend, now in running into unfamiliar territory with the fullback pressing up, he goes over the fullback but is brought down, Ethan Rotter right behind him secures the ball which allow Sittingbourne to play fast and on the front foot, with a scrambling defence its simple hands from Jimmy to Jack, finding Captain Smithy in the middle of the park who shifts it wide to Lock Jake Jeffery who give it to Dan Powley who draws the last man giving it to Franklin Hales who dots down over the line, 24-15.

Bourne, now starting to believe they can get back into it are reinforced as the restart is kicked to Winger and now try scorer Frank who takes it at pace and sends Sidcup’s hooker on a one-way ticket to Sit-down town, this is then followed by some nice offloads in contact and a penalty given for a high shot.

Ten minutes of hard graft further into the match and both sides are feeling the pressure. We are forced to take Finley Williams off due to an ankle injury and on come Benjamin Gates who slots onto the wing with Frank moving to centre.

Sidcup have a scrum on the far-left side of the pitch just inside our 22m line, Bourne hold the shove, but a nice tight scissor type move means Dan Powley smash’s his opposite man but it cuts straight through the centre of the backline as Sidcup score just outside the post protector. Conversion successful 31-15.

Momentum killing moment. That one hurt, but we still have twenty minutes to get back into it. The restart bounces and goes straight out and we have a lineout, play through a few carries and we get a break, Miller dummies his man and goes through the gap, Jake Jeffery in support, he commits the fullback and offloads towards Jake but out of nowhere Sidcup’s No.10 comes to the rescue getting a hand Infront of the ball and knocking it backwards before gathering. A wide pass to the winger gets them out of trouble this time. So close to a quick rebuttal but not this time.

We have a scrum Infront of the posts ten or so meters out which we dominate and get a penalty. This pattern would continue, penalty given “Another scrum please sir” was the tale for five minutes as we now had seven scrums in a row. We had shifted slightly left of the post by this point and were only five meters out. Another penalty another scrum.

Sidcup sensing the danger, bring on the ballast, with a big second rower on to sure up and prevent the backwards motion, which worked and we knock the ball on, they then retain their own ball. All the effort for no reward.

They force a clearance kick to the other side of the pitch which doesn’t find touch. We now have the ball just behind their 22m line on the right-side touchline. A few crash phases until Jim finds Miller who gives the ball the Luc Jeffey who manages to break the line centrally, going past the defender with Hal in support on his left. Luc attempts to isolate the fullback, but the Sidcup winger comes out of nowhere and tackles him, he gets the ball to Hal who does very well to hold off the fullback and try to find support.

Miller is given the ball and now is brought down but we have the defence turned, space on the right-side touchline and Jimmy puts a contestable one up in the corner, Jake Jeffery and Dan Powley jump to pressure the Sidcup defender who spills it. Oliver Kirk is on hand to sweep up the bouncing ball and dots over the line for his second of the season alongside Finley Williams. Kick missed, 31-20.

Three minutes left and a feeling we can get at least 2 points from this match a TB & LBP. The Sidcup restart is out on the fall, the resulting scrum is won, and Jack Miller hits a 50-22. Bourne invigorated to get something out of this shamble of a match have a lineout.

Frontman ball and the ruck is set. One tight phase before we fling it the length of the pitch. Kirk is hit by two men and slightly isolated but the backline gets to him well. The whole pack on the reverse wing and an overlap to be had, but a rush of blood as the ball is kicked over the top straight into the winger’s arms who calls the mark. He proceeds to put us back on the halfway line. An error at lineout causes an undercooked throw which Sidcup pounce on, two offloads and they’re on our 22m line. Bourne scrambling, a cross-field kick and a complete height mismatch in Sidcup’s favour means they win the contest batting it back for their (No.14) to complete his hattrick on the last play of the game. 38-20 Full Time.

A painful performance from Bourne who reverted a bit back to type. This is what our games used to look like a few seasons ago. We paid the price for our slow start. Take nothing away from Sidcup, who seem to always perform well on their own patch and are a good bunch of guys. A disruptive side good at making you work for the ball and calm enough to cause real issues going forwards.

Bourne will now be looking ahead to their clash at The Grove against Medway 2’s. A side yet to pick up their first league win and Bourne do not intend to allow them that pleasure.

Try Scorers: Finley Williams, Franklin Hales, Oliver Kirk