Match report Pre-season Friendly Romsey RFC v Ventnor RFC 9 August 2025

Match Report Pre-season Friendly Romsey Rugby Club 36-12 v Ventnor Rugby Club Saturday 9 August 2025

Saturday 9 August 2025


A series of malevolent diversions and a cunningly positioned low bridge meant that Ventnor missed some valuable warm up time before this friendly pre-season game at Romsey RFC and it was the Division 2 team that started the stronger scoring two tries in the first ten minutes. With two debutants in the squad and players in unfamiliar positions, it took some time for the Islanders to settled into their game and the first try was a case in point when a lost line out led to an easy run in for the Romsey number eight.

However, the game began to even up as Ventnor found their shape and their line speed and first-up tackles began to hit home, thus negating the impact of the Romsey hard-running centres. As ever, it was new skipper Lewy Morton leading the tackle count but his team weren’t far behind him and some of the hits by the Wheeler brothers – Max and Harvey – were shuddering.

The game really began to open up when Fred Fairman took the ball up in a blistering run up the left which was only stopped by a wrangling tackle that led to Fairman leaving the field with a badly jarred shoulder. Jack Gilbey came on into the back row whilst Joe Coghlan took over in the centres. Ventnor were playing a very restricted kicking game as they were keen to try their new formations but one such kick ahead gave debutant Noah McKinney a chance to show his pace so that the ball went loose from his tackle on the full back and Morton was very unlucky to get pinged in a resultant jackal with the try line at his mercy.

With Ventnor’s set scrum beginning to take charge and Henrik Brown starting to find his mark at the line outs, Ventnor were very much in this game and they were unlucky to concede two more tries as half-time approached. By this time Iain Reeves had had to leave the field with as the aftermath of a chest infection began to make itself felt and another debutant – Jordan Allen – came on as Ventnor’s fitness began to show and gaps began to appear. Halftime came with Ventnor on the attack and coaches Todd Riches and Clive Cardwell-Hill urged their charges to keep doing what they were doing.

Halftime score 24 – 0

The second half stated with a bang as a quick penalty sent the ever-willing Dan Lythgoe into the heart of the Romsey defence. Quick work from Jason Coltham and Ben Souter kept the move going as Ventnor pounded the line and at the right moment, Callum Martin called for the ball to go wide and slick hands from Souter, Louis Malkin, Tom Crews and Morton put Max Wheeler in for a try.

Romsey were now feeling the pressure and some niggle had begun to creep into the game to the extent that, as Wheeler touched down, most of his forward pack were involved in handbags under the posts! Crews slotted the conversion and Ventnor were in the game at 24 – 7 with both scrum and lineout beginning to dominate. Crews was a constant thorn in Romsey’s side as he continually carried the ball back when the home team took to the boot and his link up with Ed Blake was a feature of the match.

Unfortunately Crews had to retire from the field with a knee injury whilst Jack Rushton also had to come off after a massive shift in the front row. Ventnor were unlucky to concede a try at this point which featured a knock-on in midfield that the unsighted referee missed. With all substitutes on, the Islanders lost a bit of their shape and Romsey were able to score another try after a swiftly taken penalty.

But Ventnor refused to lie down and increased the intensity of their line speed so that a tiring home side were having to hurry their passes. Coghlan took advantage of this and, as the final whistle was about to blow, gambled on an interception which somehow he miraculously caught – low down and at full pace – so that he was able to gallop in for a second Ventnor try.

This was the very least this developing team deserved and meant that the second half was drawn 12 – 12.

Final score 36 – 12

Image: James Morton

Ventnor RFC Team Pre-season Away Friendly to Romsey RFC 9 August 2025:

Team:  Rushton, Brown, Lythgoe, Coltham, I.Reeves, Coghlan, L.Morton (capt), H.Wheeler, Souter, E.Blake, Malkin, M.Wheeler, Fairman, McKinney, Crews. Subs: Allen, Gilbey, Martin

Travelling Coaches: Clive Cardwell-Hill and Todd Riches

The AJ Wells Man of the Match: Harvey Wheeler
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Max Wheeler

Howden Insurance Supporters of the Day: Sean Frampton and Fergus Kenny

Match Report by James Morton

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Best Regards

James

JAMES MORTON
Chairman Ventnor RFC
T: 07901 938 317