Hove produced a complete display in attack and defence to end January unbeaten with a dominant 46-5 victory over Trinity.
Four unanswered first half scores helped to secure a bonus point early in the game and the defence stood fast amid heavy pressure in their own territory to hold the visitors to just a single score.
The hosts weathered storms of Trinity pressure with sharp counter attacks to put an exclamation mark on the end of a perfect month to begin the year.
Lock Ian Saunders struck twice in the first period for a powerful brace to assert Hove’s dominance. The co-captain barrelled down the blindside to score in the corner for the first points of the game before latching onto a pop pass from Leo Robertson to complete his double under the posts shortly before the break.
Hove continued to hold the upper hand for the majority of the first half with strong set pieces keeping them on the front foot.
Centre Tom Crisp performed a fantastic offload after a break from a lineout, creating a three-man overlap which Guy Patton happily converted out wide.
Errors by Trinity pervaded their early efforts and a penalty in the middle of the park cost them dearly as Hove’s forwards powered their maul over in the corner for a Tom Hooper score.
The hosts were, however, saved from conceding an embarrassing score after Trinity’s flanker picked off a pass from the base of the lineout only to fumble the ball in his efforts to score.
Trinity were able to score their only points of the game on the stroke of half time by capitalising on a string of penalties to break their goose egg on the scoresheet.
Hove’s second half saw errors and ill-discipline coming into their play. The majority of the second period saw the hosts playing with just 14 men after three sin bins before and after the break.
However, despite facing an onslaught of attacking pressure, the hosts defended their tryline superbly.
Winger Jerome Pye eased the pressure by recovering Hove’s own exit kick to set up a length-of-the-field counterattack finished off by Toby Brown under the posts.
Pye shortly set up a second score for the hosts by dinking the ball over the top of the Trinity defence for Guy Patton to dot down for his second score.
It wasn’t long before Pye was back conducting the attack, his third assist coming as Leo Robertson walked a tightrope along the sideline to run in under the posts.
Hove final score of the match came again after a barrage of attacks from Trinity. Despite the pressure, a bobbled pass by the visitors was scooped up by fly half Jack Moore in his own 22 before stepping his way to a swan dive score under the Trinity posts.
Saturday’s win caps off a perfect start to 2023 for Hove who took all the available points from their matches.
The run of form continues their push to break into the top half of the league as they chase Twickenham and sit narrowly above Eastbourne and East Grinstead.
They now look forward to an away day against KCS Old Boys next weekend before returning to Hove Rec to face Old Tiffinians on February 17.
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