Ventnor RFC 2XV 79-22 Fordingbridge RFC 2XV Match Report Sat 4 March 2023
A shorthanded Fordingbridge RFC 2XV travelled to Ventnor for the last 2nd XV league game of the season and they required the services of Isle of Wight RFC and the Ventnor RFC 2XV bench to help muster a squad.
Ventnor’s usual captain James Blake offered to swap sides to help make a game of it and took with him chairman Ed Blake, the 2nd XV manager Neil Evans, new prospect Callum Martin and veteran Ben Gough.
Jack Rushton was this given the honour of captaincy and didn’t want to disappoint. If you like a game filled with fast paced tries from the back and crunching hits from the forward pack, this was the game to watch with seventeen tries in total.
Father and son flankers, Dean and Charlie Magnurson, both came away with tries but dad took the bragging rights as he had two tries to Charlie’s one. The front row put in the hard work, with Gary Ball stamping his usual enforcer style across the pitch with crunching tackles while his fellow front row Bradley Francis showed real promise in his new position as hooker.
Nathan Frampton and Bob Parker both scored their first tries for the club, Bob running through two defenders and half the length of the pitch which meant he deservedly claimed the A J Wells man of the match honours. Ross Harris and Oscar Fitzgerald were Ventnor’s dynamic nine and ten duo and between them they set the pace and dominated the game play.
Ross secured five tries for the team with Oscar scoring one as well as converting eight of the thirteen tries. With great support from James Green inside them, wingers Harry Ottley and Joel Walton used their blistering pace to run in a try-a-piece.
This was particularly special for Joel as this was to be his last game for the club. Kyle Draper came off the bench at halftime to inject some more pace onto the wing and was particularly unlucky not to come away with a try for his efforts.
James Morley was welcomed back into the second row after a period away from the club and demonstrated that he hasn’t lost any of his magic, putting in some crunching tackles and rapid runs which led to a try of his own.
Corey Turner, returning from injury, was the last line of defence at fullback and putting in a real shift producing several try saving tackles.
It is obvious that Ventnor’s 2nd squad is on an upward curve and the prospects for next season are looking very promising, this being the last game of the season in the Counties 5 Hampshire South West league for 2022-23.
Image: Jack Rushton
Team: Rushton (capt), Francis, Ball, Morley, Parker, D.Magnurson, C.Magnurson, Harris, Fitzgerald, Ottley, Green, Walton, Turner. Subs: Draper, Frampton
A J Wells Man of the Match: Bob Parker
Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Jack Rushton
Image: Jack Rushton
Ventnor players who turned out for Fordingbridge: J.Blake, Evans, B.Gough, Martin, E.Blake
Coaches: Jason Evans, Fergus Kenny, Clive Cardwell-Hill
Report and photos by Jack Rushton
For more information, please contact JAMES MORTON, Hon Club Secretary, Ventnor RFC
T: 07901 938 317
The fixtures are correct as of the date of the time of publication and are given in good faith. E & OE. All fixtures are subject to change or cancellation at short notice.