Ventnor were beaten by Division 3 leaders Andover in a friendly fixture.
On the Thursday evening before the match, Ventnor could only muster 13 players, so took the option of offering Andover a friendly match.
Within the current Hampshire RFU rules, this meant that Ventnor forfeited the points but did not have penalty league points deducted. However, by Saturday morning, several players had managed to adjust their work schedules to be able to play and Ventnor eventually travelled with a squad of 16.
Unfortunately, it was too late to revert to it being a true league fixture and the game remained a friendly.
Andover 2nds are runaway leaders of Hampshire Counties League 3, with a one hundred percent winning record, so there was little hope of Ventnor pulling off any sort of an upset, especially with several of the team playing out of position and travelling with just 1 substitute. However, the performance that they put together was little short of astonishing.
Andover scored early following a tap penalty and a drive by their forwards, but it was Ventnor who then turned on the style with a great showing from Louis Wyatt – playing in the unfamiliar role at flyhalf – who kicked for territory and set up an attacking position on the home team’s tryline. Dan Lythgoe, Iain Reeves and skipper Ben Savill kept up the pressure so that Lewy Morton was able to burrow over for a try that Ed Blake converted.
Despite the size of the opposing pack, Ventnor never budged an inch at scrum time, where Lythgoe, Henrik Brown and George Collett demonstrated that technique is more important than mere weight. Brown in particular belied his inexperience with an all-court game from which he emerged with great credit.
Andover were lucky to score next in that there was a blatant knock-on in the build-up, but Ventnor were back on the front foot when Alec Bulpitt and Harvey Wheeler combined well up the righthand side, and Ben Souter was denied a try with a toe in touch. However, from the resulting lineout, pressure on the jumpers lead to an Andover overthrow which Jason Coltham caught and bravely dived over for a try. Blake once more converted, and Ventnor were back in the lead.
Coltham took a knee to the head in the act of scoring so had to come off, and Sean Frampton came on for a 1st team debut, taking up position on the wing while Ewan Castle came into the second row.
Ventnor continued to probe, and their energy was beginning to tell on the Andover pack. Lewis Jones was showing his usual accuracy in throwing into the lineout, and a position was set up by Collett and Reeves from which the ball went quickly down the line. Jack Gilbey then ran a dummy line which opened up space for Blake to weave his way for a try which he then converted to take the lead out to 12 – 21.
Andover rallied and scored 2 tries, the first after a peel from a lineout maul and the second when a vicious bounce off a kick ahead eluded the covering Wyatt and Souter, and the scrumhalf gratefully scampered in for a converted try leaving the score at half-time at 26 – 21.
Half time: Andover 2nds 26-21 Ventnor
The home side then scored early in the 2nd half, again when the bounce of the ball – from a pitch which varied between either rock-hard or a sandpit – got away from Ventnor’s cover and was touched down by the Andover winger. Ventnor were further hampered when Wheeler (who was having an excellent game at outside centre) took a blow to the head and had to come off.
Ventnor were now down to 14, which could have got worse when Castle was hurt after an early opposition push at a set scrum. However, he brushed himself off and was soon back into the heart of the action. Andover were able to use the advantage of their superiority in numbers to score again to take the score out to 40 – 21 before they sportingly evened up the numbers as befitted the spirit of the game.
Ventnor’s fitness was beginning to count and, after more good work by Bulpitt and Frampton down the left, Blake was able to use his power and balance to thread a mazy run through a wavering opposition defence to score the try of the game. His attempted conversion rebounded off the bar.
Ventnor then paid the price of their ambition to keep playing with a late try to Andover which brought the final score to 45 – 26.
Full time: Andover 2nds 45-26 Ventnor
Ventnor: Collett, Brown, Lythgoe, Coltham, I.Reeves, Jones, L.Morton, Savill (capt), Souter, Wyatt, Gilbey, Bulpitt, H.Wheeler, Castle, E.Blake. Sub: S.Frampton Coaches: Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches and Dean Magnurson Linesman: Alan Fox
A.J. Wells Man of the Match: Ben Souter
Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Jason Coltham
Howden Insurance Supporters of the Day: Mark Cufflin (aka Bob) and Sam Anderson
There is no match next weekend, so Ventnor 1st XV end this season’s campaign at Aldershot & Fleet on 5th April.
