A sizeable crowd had gathered for the annual Lewes Vets vs Cliffe Bonfire Society Charity match the club was buzzing with people. The Lionesses had a robust training session on the go with Ash and Paul and were generally being awesome.

Lewes 2s put in a solid performance against a recently formed Sussex Police ladies’ side, achieving a 22-5 win. Scrum half Jade Walter captained the side and put two tries and a conversion on the board. Playing in the new position of fly-half, Charlie Evans put some incredible runs and also got two tries. The Police worked hard and held off well but Lewes’s experience gave them the edge. Despite this, it is clear that the development of the 2s side hinges on some level consistency. With the team often looking very different from one week to the next, those managing things on the day always have a job on their hands. As is often the case with development teams, numbers can fluctuate right up until the game kicks off. The team hopes that renewed recruitment efforts with bring some new players to the squad and some returns from injury. With three more games this side of Christmas, some creative management will be required but the way numbers looked on Sunday was hugely encouraging. It was also lovely to see some new faces on the pitch, including Lewes U6 coach Jo-Anne Sunderland-Bowe!

A big shout out goes to those who make these really important 2s fixtures possible, especially coach Tom “Kips” Golden, Jo Sto, Jade Walter and Sarah Turner.

After the Sussex Police game, Lewes 1s faced Hammersmith & Fulham. Despite their current league placements at 5 and 2 respectively, Lewes wanted to go out with a 0-0 attitude. They have played Hammers on several occasions and have always enjoyed their meetings. It was, it turned out, one of the toughest matches of the season so far. Hammers scrum was unbeatable, and they had some incredibly strong runners. Lewes didn’t let the side drop and both sides kept coming back at each other.
The resulting 10-10 draw was a real confidence boost for Lewes. With 7 games now played, and the loss margins getting smaller, Lewes can hold their heads up high and go into the season’s second half feeling emboldened to put some really hard opposition to the top teams in the league.

Pictured: Jade Walter try

Next week:
The 2s face Lordswood Valkyries Ladies at home – 2pm KO