Hastings & Bexhill RFC ended a long silverware drought with a dramatic 30-22 victory over Ditchling in the Sussex Shield final to secure their first cup trophy since 2017.
A tense and physical contest swung repeatedly before a late H&B surge brought home the win.
In dry, firm conditions at Eastbourne RFC, Ditchling made the sharper start. Off the first kick-off, errors from Hastings led to a penalty and a 3-0 deficit. At this point, strong runners and fast reactive play from Ditchling looked like it would make for a hard day at the office.
However, after ten minutes of struggle, Hastings responded with a penalty of their own – the ever-faithful boot of Bruce Steadman levelling the score from the tee.
The boys in blue & white began to settle into their shape, moving the ball with more confidence. The increased pressure told midway through the half when Quinn McManus crossed to put Hastings 8-3 ahead.
The advantage was brief. Ditchling hit back almost at once (8-8), before adding a further converted score to take a 15-8 lead.
With a game on their hands and early injuries setting in, Hastings made their changes early; George Feeley and Laurence Maynard being replaced by Lewis Sealy (to 10) and Max Mowbray onto the flank.
With the second half underway, things were yet to pick up for Hastings. Quinn McManus was shown a yellow card shortly after the restart, and Ditchling quickly made the extra man count as a converted try extended their lead to 22-8.
At this point the heavens also opened, turning the playing surface into a slip and slide, and the ball into a bar of soap.
The situation still worsened when in true house style, older brother Frazer McManus was also sin-binned. Reduced to 13 men and trailing by 14 points, Hastings now came to a mental crossroads – fold or fight back.
The chosen path was clear in H&B’s response. With heads up and fire in their hearts, the blue and white army entered a period of direct, high-intensity rugby featuring a barrage of attacks.
Shortly into the final quarter, these efforts culminated in a converted try – centre Vinnie Harrison breaking through from the back of a ruck to close the gap to 15-22.
Back to full force, Hastings now dominated their opponents at scrum time and consistently disrupted the Ditchling lineout. Persistence paid off late on, when a well worked move put Steadman over and he converted his own try to level the scores at 22-22.
Momentum was now firmly with H&B. Aided by superior fitness and desire for victory, they pressed for a decisive score. It arrived in the 88th minute, when scrum-half Isaac Wales made a signature break to provide a 27-22 lead.
Kick-off response was crucial here, Hastings knowing the pain of defeat in the dying moments of a game. But the gather was good, the clearance long, and a short passage of play lead ultimately to a penalty inside the 22, in front of the posts.
Using every second of the final period of play, Steadman slotted the kick to take the score to 30–22 and end the game. The music of that final whistle rang in the blue & white ears. It confirmed victory and brought Sussex silverware back to Hastings for the first time in a decade.
A hard-earned, well fought victory built on discipline, persistence and an ability to respond under pressure. After a nine-year wait, Hastings & Bexhill are Sussex Cup champions once again.
