Sussex 2nd team kicked off their 2010/11 British Universities Championship (BUCs) league season last week with a disappointing loss. It was a frustrating start to the season as they went down 28-7 to Westminster 1sts at Falmer Sports Complex.
The home side started with some good aggression but found themselves struggling with a lack of organisation in defence which ended up costing them two tries. This was followed by a stronger period from Sussex, and there were a number of positives to take from the game. Most encouragingly there were notable performances from all the debutants, suggesting that with more training and game time there could be brighter days ahead.
There were also some excellent moves that the home side were unfortunate not to capitalise on. One such well crafted move led to Sussex’s lone try. It came from Jamie MacDonald early in the second half, following a good spell of pressure in the forwards.
This was a rare moment of success for Sussex, and Westminster soon regained the advantage. Sussex failed to build on the momentum they had created with their try as ill discipline coupled with poor communication allowed Westminster to increase their advantage.
Sussex should not be disheartened by this early defeat. There is talent in abundance and with some coaching, hard work and added discipline Sussex 2nds will surely be a force to be reckoned with.
