Isle of Wight RFC’s second team marked a welcome return to action with an impressive 34-12 victory over local rivals Ventnor II at Wootton Rec on Saturday (10th October).
Having struggled to field a second team in recent times, Isle of Wight assembled a strong and experienced squad for the local derby, with several players making their first appearance for the club in some time.
The hosts wasted little time asserting themselves, with half-backs Alex Augustus and Aaron Young controlling proceedings, while Andy Brown and Nathan Tombleson made their presence felt with some powerful carries.
An early spell of sustained pressure eventually paid off when hooker Dan Tennant crashed over from close range to open the scoring.
Ian Puzey soon added a second try, finishing off another patient attacking move as Isle of Wight began to take control of the contest.
Despite losing a player for the remainder of the first half to assist the club’s first team, who were playing on the adjacent pitch, the hosts continued to dominate.
Their superiority in the scrum provided the platform for a third try, with Augustus breaking down the blindside before delivering a perfectly timed pass to Finlay Lockhart.
The winger raced clear to score on what was a particularly memorable return to action, having been sidelined by a serious injury for more than 2 years.
Isle of Wight continued to play some attractive, flowing rugby, with Dan Stirrup stretching over for a fourth try before adding the conversion.
The standout score of the afternoon followed shortly afterwards, as the hosts launched an attack from deep inside their own half.
A series of well-executed offloads opened up the Ventnor defence, allowing Young to race in beneath the posts before converting his own try.
Half-time: Isle of Wight II 29-0 Ventnor II
Ventnor emerged with renewed determination after the interval, making the second half a far more competitive affair as they began to gain the upper hand in several forward exchanges.
However, Isle of Wight still found a way through, with Prince Mutsinze producing a powerful break to score his first try for the club and extend the advantage to 34-0.
Karl Davey continued to impress with a tireless performance across the full 80 minutes, while Mutsinze remained a constant threat with his strong ball carrying.
As the match entered its closing stages, the visitors began to enjoy their best spell of possession, taking advantage of an increasingly fatigued Isle of Wight defence.
The hosts’ task was made more difficult when Lockhart was shown a yellow card, with Ventnor capitalising to cross for 2 late tries and reduce the deficit.
Despite the late fightback, Isle of Wight had already done more than enough to secure local bragging rights, completing a convincing derby victory.
Nathan Tombleson and Karl Davey received their respective sponsors’ man-of-the-match awards, while James Harris also earned praise for an encouraging debut in the forwards.
Full-time: Isle of Wight II 34-12 Ventnor II
Isle of Wight II: Stirrup, Hanson, Puzey, Brown, Lockhart, Young, Augustus, Davey, Tennant, Thorne, Mutsinze, Harris, Wynyard-Wright, N Joyce, Tombleson.
Subs: Vickers, Warvill, Newnham.
