Ventnor 2nd XV have surged to the top of the Hampshire Premiership South table following a commanding 62–17 bonus-point victory over a strong and experienced Southampton side at Watcombe Bottom.
The Islanders started brightly in front of a large home crowd, producing a superb display of straight running, slick handling and sharp offloads. Early pressure paid off when Joel Cocks broke through the Southampton defence, allowing Ross Harris, Sam Lines and Tom Crews to send Jack Davis powering over for the opening try.
Southampton hit back from a lineout and continued to threaten, benefitting from Ventnor’s penalty concessions. However, captain Jack Rushton, Henrik Brown and debutant Riley Lloyd fronted up well in the scrums, while Gav Davis, Iain Reeves, Cody Hayman and Jack Gilbey halted the visitors around the fringes.
Ventnor’s defence turned into attack as Jack Davis crossed for his second try, before Ed Blake and Tom Crews combined to put Blake over out wide. Harris was forced off with a calf injury, but replacement Josh Ford made an instant impact, diving over after a surging run by Brown.
Half time: Ventnor 20–5 Southampton
The second half saw Ventnor cut loose. Davis gathered Crews’ towering kick to set up Ford for his second, then Rushton powered through after more hard yards from Hayman, with Warren Riches adding the extras. Blake followed up with a sensational solo effort, running back a kick from his own half and finishing off his own move for his second of the match.
Down the left, Tony Jacobson and Fred Fairman combined beautifully for Fairman to touch down, before Crews converted. Davis then completed his hat-trick thanks to sharp link-up play from Brown and Lines.
Southampton, to their credit, refused to fold and grabbed a well-worked try after a blindside move. It took fierce defence from Gilbey, Sean Frampton and Luke Starkey to repel further danger, before Will Broomfield restored momentum with a trademark burst following a quick tap penalty by Blake. Crews converted.
The visitors hit back again with an excellent team try, but Broomfield had the final word, smashing through for his second, with Ford calmly slotting a drop-goal conversion to seal the emphatic win.
Full time: Ventnor 62–17 Southampton
Ventnor: Rushton (capt), Brown, Lloyd, I. Reeves, Cocks, Hayman, Gilbey, G. Davis, Harris, Lines, Wood, J. Davis, Crews, E. Blake, W. Riches.
Subs: Cooper, Starkey, Fairman, Jacobson, S. Frampton, Broomfield, Martin, Ford.
A.J. Wells Man of the Match: Jack Gilbey
Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Ben Cooper
Coaches: Clive Cardwell-Hill, Andy Teague, Todd Riches
Physio: Todd Connor
Howdens Insurance Supporter of the Day: Harley Wheeler
The result crowns an exceptional weekend for the club, with Ventnor’s 2nd XV topping the Hampshire Premiership South while the 1st XV lead Hampshire Counties Three – an unprecedented double for the Islanders.
