Match report Eastleigh RFC 2XV 0 – 81 Ventnor RFC 1XV 8 November 2025

Match report Eastleigh Rugby Club 2XV 0 – 81 Ventnor Rugby Club 1XV 8 November 2025

Counties 3 Hampshire League 2025-56

astleigh started with a bare fifteen players with some playing out of position so it was no wonder that a confident Ventnor 1st XV started in rampant style with Lewis Jones scoring early and then being heavily involved in further tries by Jason Coltham and Jack Rushton – the former being the result of the hard work from the second rower after he’d supported a move starring Tom Crews and the latter after a burst and rolling off-load by Jones.

All three tries were converted by Josh Ford. Ford himself was the next to score, chasing his own kick ahead coupled with some great pressure on the defence from Hayden Lythgoe. It was pretty much one way traffic but Ventnor’s habit of giving away penalties was blighting the performance and the all-action Jacob Jordan was yellow carded as the referee’s patience was continually tested.

Despite being a man down, Ventnor soon reasserted themselves with Dan Lythgoe, Jones and Rushton driving Eastleigh off their own ball. Tom Scadden fed Luke Butler who gave Hayden Lythgoe space and then looped him before passing inside for Tom Branagh to get over in the right corner. Then Harvey Wheeler put in a muscular burst from a pick up from the base of a scrum, the ball was recycled and Scadden went left where the ball went through several pairs of hands – forwards and backs – before Branagh and Ben Souter tore over the line with the former claiming the try. However Souter did not have to wait long for his opportunity after Butler and Branagh gave Tom Crews a chance to run straight and feed the winger in a beautifully constructed score. Half-time was called with the score at 0 – 43 which represented seven tries plus four conversions by Ford.

Coach Andy Teague ran the changes and Jack Gilbey and Cody Hayman came on into the scrum with Branagh and Coltham coming off. The ever-effective Joe Coghlan moved out to the wing. The second half started with Eastleigh reinvigorated despite being a man down by this point and it took some serious defence by Ventnor to keep them out. Skipper Lewis Morton, Dan Lythgoe, Jordan and Gilbey tackled anything that moved and, despite the mounting score in their favour, it was probably this aspect of the game that will please the Ventnor coaches the most. Eventually the offensive defence paid off and Wheeler was able to pick up a loose ball and demonstrate his pace by cantering in from 70 metres out. Ventnor were now back on the front foot and Jordan scored a brace of tries – the first after a burst by Rushton and the second when Eastleigh ambitiously tried to run the ball out from their own tryline.

At this point Gilbey the Lythgoe brothers were substituted because they were off to Twickenham and Will Broomfield came on as Coltham and Branagh returned to the field. The latter claimed his hat-trick with a quick tap and a burst to the line before Wheeler got his second after Coghlan pressurised the Eastleigh line out and slick hands from Scadden and Jordan gave the No 8 space on the left. Hayman’s pressure at the ruck and work over the ball was particularly impressive as the final try went to Jordan (his tenth in four league matches) after clean lineout ball from Morton and a beautiful flat pass from Ford.

The final score was 0 – 81 made up of thirteen tries and eight Josh Ford conversions.

At the end of the game, the Ventnor players were full of praise for their opposition who never gave up despite being outnumbered and the Islanders were very aware that the penalty count against them will eventually trip them up if it continues. 


Image: James Morton

Ventnor 1st XV are now top of Hampshire Counties Three league with maximum points.

Ventnor Rugby Club 1XV Team, 8 November 2025:  

Team:  Rushton, Jones, D.Lythgoe, L.Morton (capt), Coltham, Coghlan, Jordan, H.Wheeler, Ford, Scadden, Souter, Butler, Branagh, H.Lythgoe, Crews. Subs: Hayman, Broomfield, Gilbey.

The A J Wells Man of the Man – Jack Rushton
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match – Harvey Wheeler
The Howden Insurance Supporter of the Day: Andy Wall

Coaches: Damien Marriott, Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches, Andy Teague and Dean Magnurson

Physio: Sarah Watt

Match report: James Morton

Best Regards

James

JAMES MORTON
Chairman Ventnor RFC
T: 07901 938 317

---