Ventnor returned to league action at Watcombe Bottom after the break following HM the Queen’s death and comprehensively beat a Portsmouth 2nd XI side on Saturday (17th September).
Ventnor’s 1st foray into the Portsmouth 22 allowed Thomas Crews to claim the 1st penalty and his boot was to keep substitute (and tee carrier) Cory Turner very busy all game.
The front 5 of Collett, Jones, Savill, Teague and Walton proved very efficient in the tight, allowing the back row of Morton (tackling everything in sight) Wheeler and Bell (both running hard with ball in hand) plenty of opportunities in the loose. A 5-metre scrum gave Bell the 1st of his 2 tries from a pick and go from the base of the scrum and – with Crews converting – Ventnor led 10-0.
Portsmouth hit back with a try following a driving maul at a 5-metre lineout to bring the score back to 10-5. Ventnor replied with a series of forward drives, culminating in Morton setting up Bell for his second try, successfully converted by Crews (17-5).
A head injury to one of the Portsmouth players and the lack of a front row replacement led to uncontested scrums, but the static platform still allowed half-backs, Malkin and Riches, to create opportunities for the three-quarter line of Crews, Lines, Finan and Blake with Dan Greaves linking effectively from full-back.
Lines had a direct influence in the next 3 Ventnor tries with his passing and footwork, setting up Blake and Wheeler and a dummy run allowing Riches to spin the ball wide to Crews, who fed to Blake for his 2nd. During this spell, Ventnor conceded a try after failing to reform quickly enough at a Portsmouth penalty to bring the score to 36-12. Two Ventnor substitutions brought James Green on to replace Walton and Josh Braham (on debut), replacing Wheeler whose excellent game was marred by fracturing his wrist. Braham moved to wing and Finan into the back row.
A couple of Ventnor indiscretions allowed Portsmouth into their 22, and their forwards took the opportunity to score (36-17). A Crews penalty made it 39-17, and then a long kick from Riches was gathered by the chasing Greaves, who put Blake away to score his hat trick try, again converted by Crews (46-17).
The final Ventnor try came after a Portsmouth penalty kick failed to find touch and was fielded by Braham, whose jinking run through the middle of the pitch put Crews into space to weave his way over for a try to cap his excellent all-round performance.
Full time: Ventnor 1st XV 53-17 Portsmouth 2nd XV
Ventnor: Collett, Jones (capt), Savill, Teague, Walton, H Wheeler, Morton, Bell, Malkin, T Riches, Finan, Crews, Lines, E Blake, Greaves Subs: Green, Braham and Turner.
AJ Wells Man of the Match: Thomas Crews Red Funnel Moment: Ed Blake
Ventnor next entertain local rivals Isle of Wight at Watcombe Bottom on 24th September.
Ventnor 2nds travelled to New Milton to play a hastily rearranged Hampshire Counties 5 SW league match.
With a couple of Fordingbridge players joining his side, Ventnor arrived in good spirits and enjoyed a fast-paced game against a youthful New Milton squad, who ran in a decent tally of tries and won the game comfortably.
However, the score line doesn’t tell the full story as the Ventnor pack were on top at the set piece, with the front row of Jack Rushton, Fred Fairman and Gary Ball playing outstandingly, while James Blake, Jason Coltham (on his league debut), Dean Magnurson and Charlie Magnurson played at their combative best winning almost every scrum.
Fergus Kenny – who had travelled as coach – ended up playing the full game and rolled back the years with his great defensive work whilst Gary Freeston, Ben Atkins and Harry Colson never took a backward step.
Ventnor were unlucky to lose the excellent Gareth Gough through injury (which also meant that they lost Tommy Engelgardt to attend to him), but the Islanders never stopped working and were rewarded with a superb try by Andy Addison. After the game, skipper James Blake thanked Fordingbridge players Dan Peat and Frank Frankovich for joining the squad and praised the effort put in by his team, which demonstrates much promise for the campaign ahead.
Full time: New Milton 60 – 5 Ventnor
Ventnor 2nds: Rushton, Fairman, Ball, J.Blake (capt), Coltham, D.Magnurson, Freeston, C.Magnurson, Peat, Addison, G.Gough, Kenny, Colson, Frankovich, Atkins Sub: Engelgardt.
A.J.Wells Man of the Match: Fergus Kenny Red Funnel Moment: Tommy Engelgardt
