Sandown & Shanklin RFC recovered from a nightmare start to push Chichester all the way in their Hampshire Counties 1 opener on Saturday (26th September).
The Hurries found themselves 17-0 down inside the opening 15 minutes, with Chichester punishing a slow start through some sharp counter-attacking rugby.
Sandown & Shanklin eventually settled and began to find their rhythm, with Hristo Hristov, Lewis Murray and Zak Chiverton helping to build some strong attacking phases.
That pressure created space for debutant Tommy Scourfield, who put Michael Barrett through a gap for the centre to race under the posts and get the Hurries on the scoreboard.
The visitors were growing into the contest and produced one of their best passages of the afternoon from deep inside their own 22.
Rob Eston fired a superb miss pass to release Ash Smith, whose pace and footwork took Sandown & Shanklin upfield before Scourfield stepped through 3 defenders and found Barrett with the offload.
Barrett then beat several more Chichester players before releasing Chiverton, who powered through the remaining tackles to finish an excellent team try.
Chichester responded with a fine individual effort from their winger, but the Hurries refused to let the game get away from them.
Another patient attacking move saw Eston break the defensive line and find Scourfield in support. The debutant again showed his footwork before producing a superb chicken-wing offload to Harvey Kirkby, who crossed in the corner.
Scourfield then added a try of his own, hitting a strong line through the Chichester defence to cap an impressive first appearance.
Sandown & Shanklin continued to battle until the final whistle, with Lewis Murray leading a huge defensive effort and Smith remaining a constant threat with ball in hand.
Kirkby also came strongly into the game during the closing stages, making a series of powerful carries to repeatedly get the Hurries over the gain line.
The opening 15 minutes ultimately proved costly, but the Hurries showed plenty of attacking quality and character to fight their way back into the contest.
Scourfield was at the heart of much of Sandown & Shanklin’s best rugby on debut and was named Wight Knuckle Man of the Match.
Full Time: Chichester 34-26 Sandown & Shanklin
TORNADOS BLOW AWAY VISITORS TO MAKE WINNING START TO NEW SEASON
Sandown and Shanklin 2nd XV made a winning start to their season with a 24-5 victory in their opening fixture.
The match marked the first game in charge for incoming co-captain Chris Ormerod, and the Tornados wasted little time in making their mark as they raced into an early lead.
Sandown and Shanklin started strongly, crossing for 2 tries inside the opening 15 minutes through Ben Shannon and Jack Davey. Sam Flux added the extras from the boot as the home side established a 14-point advantage.
The Tornados gradually settled into their rhythm and continued to work their way up the field, with Ben Kulik particularly effective through a series of powerful carries. Kulik was subsequently named Wight Knuckle Man of the Match for his performance.
There were also encouraging contributions from Ryan Watts, who returned to action following a lengthy injury spell, while Nic Peters impressed on his debut and provided another attacking threat for the home side.
The contest became more evenly matched after the interval, with both teams enjoying spells on the front foot. The visitors eventually found a way through the Sandown and Shanklin defence to register their only try of the afternoon, but the Tornados responded to ensure there would be no prospect of a comeback.
Kurtis Whale finished off a well-worked team move for Sandown and Shanklin’s final try, putting the finishing touch to an encouraging opening performance from the 2nd XV.
Full Time: Sandown and Shanklin 2nd XV 24-5
There was also a special moment for Sandown and Shanklin trustee Mark Wyndham-Jones, who recently became a world champion at the age of 75 and came off the bench to make an appearance for the Tornados.
It rounded off a spirited opening fixture and an excellent start to the new campaign for Sandown and Shanklin’s 2nd XV.
The Tornados are next in action when they travel to face Bognor 2nd XV on Saturday 3rd October.
