Ditchling 1st XV extended their Sussex Cup campaign in emphatic fashion with a dominant 59–7 victory over Chichester 2nd XV at The Sty. The result capped off a performance that combined pace, power, and clinical finishing, with Charlie Pearson and Takhy Ndiaye-Marrero running in multiple tries with the pack laying down a real marker in the set piece.

The opening score set the tone. After building patiently through a few phases in their own half, Ditchling worked the ball wide. A sharp line break from Jamie Hutchings split the defence before he offloaded under pressure to Gordon Costick. With defenders scrambling, Costick drew the last man and released Pearson, who crossed for his first of four tries on the day. It was a move built on teamwork, skill, and unselfish play – exactly the kind of rugby Ditchling pride themselves on.

The second try showcased the forwards’ dominance. From a scrum on Chichester’s 22, the Ditchling pack marched their opposition all the way back to the try line before leaving Pearson with a simple finish. That platform – strong scrummaging and well-organised lineouts – gave the backs the space to attack all afternoon.

Only 9 minutes in and the whirlwind tempo was proving too much for the visitors- the Ditchling scrum half went over to score his third try. It will be tough beating that record this season!

By half-time, Ditchling had racked up a commanding lead thanks to further scores from Ndiaye-Marrero, who powered over for a quick-fire hat-trick between the 27th and 40th minutes. Pearson added another just after the restart to make it four, before Will Purdy and James Turner got in on the action late on. Purdy proved to all in attendance that a front row forward is still capable of running it in from 40 metres out, whilst Turner followed suit from 60.

Chichester battled gamely and were rewarded with a converted try in the 70th minute, but it was only a brief interruption to Ditchling’s dominance.

From the tee, Rory Adams was clinical, converting six of his eight attempts, while Turner added the extras to his own try.

Final score: Ditchling 59 – 7 Chichester

With the backs firing and the forwards laying such a powerful foundation, Ditchling couldn’t have asked for a better start to their season. Attention now turns to next week as they look to build on this statement win.