Ventnor 1st XV v Romsey 1st XV Hampshire Counties 3 League Watcombe Bottom, 19th October 2024
Result: Ventnor 19 – 45 Romsey
After the great performance the previous Saturday, this was a disappointing loss to a Romsey team who showed that they were up for the battle from the first whistle.
Despite Ventnor’s set scrum working well with Dan Lythgoe, Lewis Jones and Jack Rushton winning the front row tussle, the other parts of the Islanders’ game were not up to par in the first twenty minutes with missed first-up tackles leading to two converted tries to the visitors and the recurrence of the perennial issue of a high penalty count giving away field position.
However, Ventnor came back into the game strongly after a huge kick down field by Fred Fairman and some pressure from Joe Coghlan, Ed Blake and Ben Souter that set up a position from which Jones crashed over to put the home team on the board.
With the line-out beginning to function and Harry Ottley playing himself into the match at fly-half, Ventnor began to look more threatening and another kick ahead led to a position from which Ben Cooper (on for the injured Tom Crews) was able to cut a great line to dive over for a try which Souter converted. So, as the whistle blew for half-time, the score was 12 – 14 with Ventnor on the ascendancy.
Ventnor rejigged at the break with George Collett moving into the front row and Iain Reeves coming on for his 1st XV debut. Lewis Howard moved into the backrow and Louis Wyatt came on in the three quarters.
However, the second half was a bitter disappointment with Ventnor seemingly forgetting what had worked well for them and trying to run the ball from deep positions leading to turnovers and penalties which brough Romsey straight back into the game.
The visitors scored a total of five tries in this second period without reply from the home team whose only highlights were a penalty try, a blistering run from Wyatt that almost led to another score and the defiance of Cooper, Jack Gilbey and the ubiquitous Coghlan who eventually had to leave the field after yet another tackle. Final score 19 – 45
Team: Lythgoe, Jones, Rushton, Frampton, Teague, Collett, Coghlan, Savill (capt), Souter, Ottley, E.Blake, Howard, Crews, Gilbey, Fairman. Subs: Reeves, Wyatt, Cooper
1XV AJ Wells Man of the Match and Red Funnel Moment of the Match 19 October 2024
The A.J. Wells Man of the Match: Jack Rushton
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Will Harrison
Coaches: Neil Evans, Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches, Dean Magnurson Physio: Sarah Watt
Ventnor RFC would like to thank our match sponsors, namely:
BCM, Dan Noyes Sports Massage Therapy, Keith Fradgley, Nettlecombe Farm, Nigel Malkin, Reynolds & Read Ltd, Solent.co, The Bistro, The Bistro at London House, The Sea Pot, The Volunteer and Ventnor Football Club
Match Report by James Morton
Next Saturday (26th Oct) both teams are away with the 1st XV playing at Overton and the 2nd XV at Millbrook
For more information, please contact JAMES MORTON Ventnor RFC T: 07901 938 317
All fixtures are subject to change or cancellation at short notice.
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