Match report Romsey RFC 1XV 53-7 Ventnor RFC 1XV Saturday 18 January 2025
Counties 3 Hampshire 2024-25
It was a tough day at the office for Ventnor RFC 1XV when they travelled across the water to play Romsey RFC including for the first time the father and son combination of Iain and Dylan Reeves.
The team hadn’t played for five weeks and it showed as the first twenty minutes was littered with errors by both teams, with the game played between the twenty-two metre lines. Even so, the Islanders’ forwards were competing well with Jewy Jones, Dan Lythgoe and the ageless Ben Savill leading from the front.
This early pressure led to a penalty which would have calmed the nerves but the attempt slid the wrong side of the posts. Romsey were first to get the scoreboard rolling with a try on their first foray into the Ventnor twenty-two. Ventnor were still competing well and it wasn’t until Romsey scored a second try that the home team managed to impose their game plan.
It then became one way traffic, Ventnor unable to retain possession sufficiently to go through the phases and a number of missed tackles contributed to the try count against them. The Islanders’ cause wasn’t helped when they were reduced to fourteen men after second row, Andy Teague was yellow carded following a team warning for a series of high tackles.
After returning to the fray, Teague suffered a serious knee injury resulting in the game had to be moved to another pitch to allow him to receive medical treatment. This brought a change in Ventnor’s fortunes and they finally and deservedly crossed the whitewash after another crunching tackle by Alec Bulpit shook the ball loose and Cory Turner picked up a bouncing ball to race under the posts from thirty metres for a try, which was converted by Ed Blake. Romsey scored one more try with the last play of the game.
Despite being on the receiving end, Ventnor worked hard throughput and this was commented on by the Romsey supporters who said that a number of other teams had given up in the face of an onslaught from a team riding high in the table. Testament indeed to the spirit that skipper Ben Savill has built within the squad.
Final score Romsey 53 Ventnor 7
Team: Lythgoe, Jones, Collett, I.Reeves, Coltham, Teague, Gilbey, Savill (capt) Coghlan, E.Blake, D.Reeves, Bulpitt, Turner, Martin, Souter Subs: Fox
Ventnor RFC 1XV AJ Wells Man of the Match and Red Funnel Moment of the Match 18 January 2025
The AJ Wells Man of the Match: Cory Turner
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Andy Teague
Coaches: Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches and Dean Magnurson
Physio: Sarah Watt
Match Report by Andy Wall and Cory Turner
Best Regards
James
JAMES MORTON
Honorary Secretary, Ventnor RFC
T: 07901 938 317
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