H&B face Vase trip to rugby coal-face

On the face of it, the Kent Three mid-table side should not pose H&B insuperable problems. But the former colliery side beat Shooters Hill from the league above in the first round when H&B had a bye, and with an ongoing injury list and their own experience of turning over higher division opposition in cup campaigns, H&B are taking nothing for granted.

"It's a blast from the past," says skipper Kit Claughton. "Every season we used to play Snowdown in a friendly - I think only Neil Redman and Nick Edmonds are old enough to have played them.

"They are going to have big, hard, nasty forwards and have a kicking ten, and on their pitch and with their supporters, it will be an intimidating atmosphere.

"I believe if we play our normal way and try and move them around, we should win. But we have beaten higher league teams in the past and Snowdown have the potential to do that to us, if we do not perform. The club's memories of the vase have been good in recent years; playing Trojans, Alyesford, Old Tiffinians and Welwyn were great days and experiences."

The Burgess Hill game last Saturday showed that they could prevail with their brand of confident rugby in adverse conditions.

"The conditions, the determined opposition and our ambitious style meant we were always going to make mistakes," he conceded. "But when it clicked we were very, very good. But we are going to have to continue working on our handling and fitness if we are going to be successful with this style of rugby."

Kris Dempster, Roger Roberts, Chris Calloway and Mike Lawless are still on the injury list, but Steve Lovick, Ben Arnold, David Northen and Greg Stokes are available again.