Isle of Wight made it 4 wins in a row with an excellent all-round performance against 2nd-placed Tottonians II at Wootton Recreation Ground on Saturday (31st January).
This was arguably the Rangers’ most complete display of the season, combining defensive resilience with ambition in attack and the composure needed to withstand a determined 2nd-half response from the visitors.
After a wet week, conditions were ideal for rugby, with bright sunshine replacing the rain. A moderate breeze favoured Tottonians in the 1st half, and their fly-half used it well to pin the Islanders back for much of the opening 30 minutes. Early on, the home side scrambled to hold a Totts player up over the line, and while the visitors looked dangerous, the Rangers’ defence bent but did not break. Tottonians were restricted to 2 penalty goals during this period.
Despite the territorial pressure, the Rangers enjoyed quality possession of their own, built on a dominant scrum and a willingness to keep the ball alive. Offloads and strong support lines from Cameron Browne and man of the match Ed Lynch stretched the Totts defence, and it was against the run of play that the opening try arrived. A Tottonians pass near halfway was intercepted by captain Luke Blackman, who showed deceptive pace and a strong hand-off to score. George Huish added the conversion.
The home side finished the half in the ascendancy, helped by a yellow card shown to a Tottonians forward for an illegal tackle. Running a penalty from inside the opposition 22, the Rangers’ forwards went through a series of powerful carries before replacement Joe Bussell surged over for a well-earned try.
Half time: Isle of Wight 12-6 Tottonians II
The Rangers looked to make immediate use of their numerical advantage after the restart and did so effectively. Huish’s tactical kicking became a feature of the 2nd half, with one line-kick setting up a lineout deep in Tottonians territory. From that platform, Huish collected the ball near the tail and crashed through the final defender to score.
Momentum then swung back towards the visitors when Ben Savill was shown a yellow card for halting a Tottonians attack. The mainland side capitalised with a well-worked converted try out wide and followed it up with a penalty goal as Isle of Wight were repeatedly penalised, reducing the deficit to 1 point with over 15 minutes remaining.
Crucially, the Rangers responded with composure and physicality. Their defence remained resolute, while improved game management helped wrest back control. Aidan Wan continued to put his body on the line in what proved to be his final appearance for the club. Sustained attacking pressure earned Isle of Wight a penalty close to the line, and opting for a scrum proved decisive. A powerful shove took them to within inches, and scrum-half David Blackman finished neatly, with Huish converting to restore an 8-point cushion.
The home side had the final say on the scoreboard. A textbook lineout and maul saw hooker Sam McQueen drive over for the final try, with Huish again adding the extras to cap an excellent afternoon and move the Rangers up to 3rd in the table.
Full time: Isle of Wight 31-16 Tottonians II
Isle of Wight: Young, Jones-Evans, Wan, Sanderson, Browne, Huish, D Blackman, Savill, McQueen, Newnham, Blackburn, D Bishop, Lynch, Webster, L Blackman (c) Replacements: Bussell, Bennett, Vickers
