Portsmouth vs Gosport & Fareham, Saturday 23rd March 2024
Portsmouth started off the day with a Past Players lunch in which 125 former members turned up for a fantastic day at the Club. Lots of memories stirred no doubt and some a bit exaggerated I’m sure.
A few changes from last week saw Cam McGuigan at No.9, Leo Wall in the centre and Tim Rollett at No.15. Phill Galliland was also back in the front row.
Play got underway with Portsmouth kicking off. They had lost the toss and were having to play with the wind in the first half. The first few minutes saw both teams vying for territory with Gosport probably gaining most. However a good break from a scrum by Cam McGuigan saw him make a break and race through before kicking downfield. Gosport were able to gather but eventually Portsmouth secured possession and the ball was spun through several hands before finishing with Harvey Field who crossed out wide. The kick by Tim Rollett just went wide and the score was 5-0 after about 5 minutes.
Following a lost lineout Portsmouth were then penalised for a high tackle giving Gosport a kick at goal. This was successful and the score was now 5-3 with about 10 minutes on the clock. It was then Portsmouth’s turn to be awarded a penalty as Gosport were penalised for handling in a ruck. Tim Rollett was on target and the score moved to 8-3 with about 15 minutes gone.
A good run by Connor Charlton saw him take the ball deep in his own 22 and into the Gosport half. Another good move by Portsmouth saw Gosport attempt an interception which resulted in them being penalised and a yellow card to the player concerned as he was adjudged to have knocked it forward. From the resultant lineout Portsmouth managed to loose the ball. With penalties being given against both sides it was Gosport who benefitted in the end when Portsmouth were again penalised for a high tackle. The kick was successful and the score was now 8-6 after about 30 minutes. Another lost Portsmouth lineout followed by yet another high tackle eventually saw the half time whistle go with the score still 8-6.
The second half started with Portsmouth making some changes. Alex Higson came off to be replaced by Bryn Rainford, Oli Avis has gone to No.10 with Chandler coming off, Fooks also came off to be replaced by Adam Parks-Dare in the front row. Portsmouth were soon on the score board when a good break by Oli Avis saw him make good ground before passing to Beesley who had come up in support. He was able to run round and score close to the posts. The kick missed and Portsmouth now led 13-6.
Shortly after, Portsmouth lost Beesley to a yellow card. A penalty against Portsmouth for offside saw Gosport take a kick at goal taking the score to 13-9. Another penalty against Portsmouth saw Gosport awarded a scrum 5 metres from the try line, They managed to secure the ball and drove Portsmouth back over their line to score thus taking the lead 13-14 as the conversion missed.
Gosport were using the wind at their backs to greater advantage than Portsmouth had in the first half. They managed to pin the home side in their half on several occassions. A period of pressure saw Portsmouth having to defend their line but eventually Gosport scored through one of their second row players, this took the score to 13-21 as the conversion was good.
Prior to this score Portsmouth had lost hooker Brad Atkins with a bruised elbow. His place was taken by Fooks and Parks-Dare went back on to the front row. A chapter of errors by Portsmouth saw them having to defend deep in their half and with the clock approaching full time. Portsmouth were trying to close the score to at least gain a losing bonus point and a good run by Leo Wall saw him close in on the try line only to be tap tackled thus preventing a certain score. The full time whistle went shortly after with the final score 13-21.
This was a very disappointing result for Portsmouth who for the second week running had lost a game they should have won. Unfortunately they were the architects of their own downfall on both occasions. They could have used the conditions in the first half more to their advantage than they did. The lineout is still a source of concern with long throws often going to the opposition. They defended well on occasions and they also looked good when on the attack with the 3’s going well but poor handling/passing let them down at times.
This result sees Portsmouth remain in 5th. place on 52 points, Gosport are 4th. on 59 points. Ellingham & Ringwood are in 6th.on 48 points. The next fixture for Portsmouth in Saturday 6th. April against Petersfield again at Rugby Camp. This should be the final League fixture.
Portsmouth 2nds had a dramatically close loss away to Christchurch 1st. 22-21 and the 3rds. had an W/O against Christchurch 2nds who were unable to raise a team.
TEAM
PHILL GALLILAND, BRAD ATKINS, ANT FOOKS
ELLOITT WORRALL, OLLIE SIMPSON
ALEX HIGSON, LIAM GLAZEBROOK, ADAM BEESLEY
CAM MCGUIGAN, LEE CHANDLER
CONNOR CHARLTON, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, HARVEY FIELD
TIM ROLLETT
BENCH
ADAM PARKS-DARE, BRYN RAINFORD, OLI AVIS
Ellingham & Ringwood vs Portsmouth, Saturday 16th March 2024
Portsmouth travelled to Ellingham & Ringwood for this return fixture having won 13-0 in their first encounter. With only a couple of changes from last week, prop Phill Gilliland was unavailable as was Brad Jewer who played fullback.
Before the game got underway teams lined up for a minutes silence for an Ellingham Club Member who passed away suddenly last week.
Portsmouth got the game underway and for a while play was contained between the 10 metre lines with neither side able to get any real control. Portsmouth then had a kick upfield resulting from a penalty against Ellingham. A good 5 metre touch was found but the ball was lost at the lineout enabling Ellingham to take play back downfield. A poor pass to Aarron Beesley could not be gathered as the ball was knocked on. Ellingham were now putting pressure on the Portsmouth try line and only some very good defence by the visitors kept the score board intact. Eventually pressure told and Ellingham crossed for a try but again stout defence by Portsmouth saw them manage to get under the ball thus denying Ellingham the try. Another 5 metre scrum again saw Ellingham cross the line but again Portsmouth managed to hold the ball up. After 16 minutes Portsmouth had a shot at goal but the kick just shaded the outside post. A third attempt by Ellingham at a drive for the line again saw Portsmouth hold the ball up. Portsmouth then had Lee Chandler yellow carded for a dangerous tackle.
Ellingham set up another attack and as they spun the ball wide it was only a brilliant tackle by winger Connor Charlton who stopped a certain try as he drove his opponent into touch before he could touch down. However it was Ellingham who got on the score board first with a penalty, taking a 3-0 lead on 29 minutes. Portsmouth then made a change when Ben Gordon came on to replace Dan Spencer on the flank. Portsmouth were then back to a full compliment with Chandler having served his 10 minutes in the bin. Portsmouth had more problems when prop Liam Avis had to come off with bruised ribs to be replaced by the evergreen Ian French in the front row. An excellent move by Portsmouth saw the ball moved slickly across the backs and a final pass was lobbed up in the air to be caught by Beesley as he raced down the touch line to score out wide. Tom Sanderson was on target with a difficult conversion and they now took the lead 3-7 as the half time whistle went as the ball dissected the posts.
The second half started with Portsmouth making another change with Josh Howell-Williams being replaced at full back by Harvey Field, An infringement by Portsmouth at a scrum saw Ellingham awarded a penalty in front of the posts which they duly converted taking the score to 6-7 on 48 minutes. Another penalty against Portsmouth for a high tackle saw Ellingham take the lead 9-7 on 53 minutes. Ben Spencer then went back on to replace Ben Gordon.
It was then Portsmouth’s turn to trouble the score board when from a scrum about 10 metres from the try line they won good ball and Alex Higson gathered and fought his way over for their second try. Again Sanderson was on target and they now led 9-14 on 59 minutes. Shortly after this Ellingham had a player red carded for kicking the Portsmouth No.8 as he was lying on the ground. There was a lot of anger directed at Portsmouth by the home team supporters which seemed to spread to the Ellingham players who were then marched 10 metres down field. Ellingham had a chance to further increase their lead when they had a penalty on the 10 metre line and just to the side of the posts but the kick went wide leaving the score still at 9-14 on 64 minutes.
Portsmouth then lost Stewart Davies to a yellow card for a high tackle. Josh Howell-Williams then came on to replace Lee Chandler who was suffering from cramp. Ellingham then scored their first try when they worked the ball upfield to score out wide. This meant they now re-took the lead 16-14 with about 3 minutes left. Portsmouth then lost Beesley to a yellow card so they were now down to 13 players. Stewart Davies then came back on but Ellingham had the last say when the ran the ball down the wing to score out wide tsking the final score to 21-14 and the final whistle went with a victory to the home side.
Whilst the Portsmouth defence held up well, especially in the first half, they just couldn’t get their attack going consistantly. When they did the backs looked dangerous but it just wasn’t as it had been in their last 2 wins which was very frustrating. The did manage to gain 1 bonus point but that was scant reward for what might have been.
The result sees them slip down to 5th place on 52 points, with Gosport & Fareham in 4th place on 55 points. They played Bognor and won 30-0.
Next week they play Gosport who they beat at their ground recently so that promises to be a fiesty affair.
TEAM
LIAM AVIS, BRAD ATKINS, ANT. FOOKS
ELLIOTT WORRALL, OLLIE SIMPSON(C)
DAN SPENCER, ALEX HIGSON, AARON BEESLEY
TOM SANDERSON, LEE CHANDLER
CONNOR CHARLTON, STEWART DAVIES, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL
JOSH HOWELL-WILLIAMS
BENCH
IAN FRENCH, BEN GORDON, HARVEY FIELD
Portsmouth vs Andover, Saturday 9th March 2024
This match was rescheduled from a postponed fixture in January due to unplayable pitches. This was originally scheduled for a 3.00 p.m. K.O. but during the week Andover requested if the game could be brought forward to 2.00 p.m. which was agreed by the hosts. Unfortunately the Club website was not altered so apologies to those members who turned up for a later K.O.
This was a match between 5th,place (Portsmouth) and 2nd place (Andover) and promised to be a fiesty affair and so it proved.
Andover got the game underway and were soon on the scoreboard when Portsmouth were penalised. The conversion gave Andover a short lived lead 0 – 3. However Portsmouth soon hit back when from a scrum Ollie Simpson took the ball upfield dummying his way and eventually passing to Leo Wall on the wing, he cut inside and raced through to score out wide. The conversion missed but Portsmouth now led 5 – 3 with about 7 minutes on the clock.
Shortly after the restart Tom Sanderson had cleared the ball but was tackled very late which saw the offending player yellow carded. Andover were then marched back a further 10 metres for back chatting the Referee. From a scrum close to the Portsmouth try line they had won the ball but were getting pushed back as the ball squirted out the side of the scrum. The Andover wing forward quickly gathered the ball and raced through towards the try line to score. However Leo Wall had other ideas and he had raced across form the other wing and as the Andover player was diving to touch down Wall also launched himself and executed to perfect tackle making his opponent drop the ball forward before he could touch down and he was bundled into touch in goal. A series of penalties against Andover saw Portsmouth take a quick tap penalty by Fooks who raced through to the try line taking the score to 10 – 3.
More Portsmouth pressure saw them awarded 5 metre lineout and from a good catch and drive prop Phill Gilliland scored their 3rd.try taking their lead to 15 – 3. Portsmouth were soon on the attack again with the ball going through various hands across the field and back eventually finishing with Ollie Simpson who scored close to the posts. This time Sanderson was able to convert and the score was now 22 – 3. This was their 4th. and bonus point score. The half time whistle went shortly after.
The second half got underway with Portsmouth playing with the wind at their backs. Portsmouth made changes with Liam Avis coming on to the front row and Fooks going to the back row with Dan Spencer making way for him. Connor Charlton also came off to be replaced by Brad Jewer who had been at fullback. He was replaced by Matt Pilbeam.
Andover certainly stepped up their efforts in the second half and Portsmouth were defending for periods. Fortunately their line held firm.
Portsmouth then lost Lee Chandler to a yellow card for knocking the ball out of the hand of an Andover player. Ollie Simpson then came off to be replaced by Dan Spencer and shortly after that Chandler was also allowed back on. From a moment of Andover pressure Alex Higson then managed to steal the ball from Andover and he raced away before offloading to winger Harvey Field who scored his first try for Portsmouth. Sanderson was on target with the conversion and the score was now 29 – 3.
Good anticipation by Aaron Beesley saw him intercept an Andover pass and he raced away down field. Harvey Field was again the recipient of a pass and he scored his second try which was also converted by Sanderson taking the score to 36 – 3. It was now the turn of Andover to get on the score board following a period off pressure as they scored their first try taking the score to 36 – 8.. More pressure from Andover kept Portsmouth defending well but eventually they were awarded a penalty try as Portsmouth had deliberately pulled down a maul. That took the final score to 36 – 15.
It was a very satisfactory result for Portsmouth who thoroughly deserved their victory. The forwards edged the forward battle and the backs certainly held sway in that area. They are developing a very good centre partnership with Stewart Davies and Sam Olie and that is now coming to fruition. Connor Charlton also showed touches of what he has done before as he seems to be struggling a bit recently. Lets hope he has turned the corner.
Man of the match was awarded to Sam Olie by Club President Nigel Morgan. Not only was he prominent in attack but his organisational skills in defence were excellent.
The tackle of the day certainly belongs to Leo Wall for his second half try saving tackle in the in-goal area.
Two items of note to be considered, 1) 1st XV skipper Ollie Simpson’s perm. 2) Touch Judge Bernie Mallender’s pork pie hat that he wears when running touch.
This result sees Portsmouth move up to 4th. in the league on 51 points. Next week sees Portsmouth travel to Ellingham & Ringwood who are in 6th place on 44 points.
TEAM
ANT. FOOKS, BRAD ATKINS, PHILL GALLILAND
ELLIOTT WORRALL, OLLIE SIMPSON
DAN SPENCER, ALEX HIGSON. AARON BEESLEY
TOM SANDERSON, LEE CHANDLER
CONNOR CHARLTON, STEWART DAVIES, LEO WALL
BRAD JEWER
BENCH
LIAM AVIS, HARVEY FIELD, MATT PILBEAM
Portsmouth vs Bognor, Saturday 2nd March 2024
This fixture was originally down to be played at Rugby Camp, but due to a Bognor pitch being unfit back in November the game was switched to Rugby Camp thus making the return match having to be played at Bognor. Unfortunately the Bognor pitch was deemed unfit and with all of the pitches at Rugby Camp unplayable this week end the game was switched to Littlehampton Rugby Club. Fortunately their 1’s were playing away at Midhurst so that freed up the only pitch available. The pitch is located at the end of a fairly new housing development with views across a valley to Arundel Castle. The pitch is on a slight rise so it had drained pretty well, as the ditches around showed. It was also rather exposed and there was a cold wind blowing
up the pitch making the afternoon feel pretty cold despite the sun shining. The players had to return to Bognor’s clubhouse for meals and drinks as the venue they were using had no kitchen or bar! There was just toilets and changing rooms.
Portsmouth had to make a last minute change with Leo Wall crying off suffering with a stomach upset. Harvey Field was promoted from the bench and his place was taken by Brad Jewer.
Bognor got proceeding underway with Portsmouth playing with the wind behind them but up the slope. Portsmouth secured possession and kicked the ball up field, Tom Sanderson followed up the kick which was collected by Bognor and as they kicked the ball back Sanderson was close enough to charge the kick down, follow up and touch down for the first try of the afternoon. He was also successful with the conversion giving Portsmouth a 0-7 lead after about a minute or so.
Portsmouth took play back upfield and eventually won a lineout in the Bognor 22. unfortunately they were unable to secure the ball which was kicked back down field. A good reply kick by Stewart Davies went into touch deep in the Bognor half. They managed to set up a good attack but the final pass went straight into touch. A 10 metre lineout to Portsmouth went astray giving Bognor a chance to set up another attack. Nothing came from that and Portsmouth then set up an attack of their own with Stewart Davies making good ground before being stopped short of the line. A scrum to Portsmouth saw them drive to the line and eventually prop Liam Avis got the ball and scored their second try. Sanderson was again on target and they now led 0-14.
Portsmouth then had to endure a period of pressure from Bognor when they camped very close to the try line but good defensive work by Portsmouth kept them out. Bognor had two or three big rangy forwards who were causing problems to the visitors but the defensive line held firm. Fooks then came off to be replaced by Dan Spencer. Lee Chandler also had to leave the field with a knock to his leg – he was replaced by Dan Gates. Stewart took the 10 position vacated by Chandler and Gates went to the centre.
Steward was again at the centre of a defensive play and he found a good touch taking play from one 22 to the other. Portsmouth then lost Bryn Rainford when he received a cut to his forehead which required stitches. Fookes came back on to take his place. A very good attacking move by Portsmouth saw them move the ball swiftly across the backs and as they looked to continue the move they suddenly passed back to Sam Olie who took a good line and ran through to score close to the posts. Sanderson was again on target and the score was now 0-21 The half time whistle went shortly after. Portsmouth were not enjoying the best of the lineouts despite sometimes winning opposition ball. It was not clear if this was due to the wind disrupting the flight or timing issues.
The second half got underway with Harvey Field making way for Brad Jewer. Shortly after Portsmouth were down to 14 when Stewart Davies got yellow carded. With play mainly between the 22’s a scrum in the Portsmouth 22 saw Bognor moved the ball through the backs and eventually scored out wide, the conversion missed so the score was now 5-21. The second half had become a bit disrupted and messy and although the Portsmouth scrum was going well it seemed as if the important 4th. try was never going to come despite a lot of pressure from them.
Suddenly Portsmouth seemed to wake up and a good attack saw the ball get into Dan Spencer’s hands close to the 22. He took off, breaking several tackles on his way to the try line to score close to the posts. Sanderson was on target and the score was now 5-28, giving Portsmouth that all important bonus point.
This seemed to stir Portsmouth into action but they were unable to add to the score. A good bit of defensive work by Harvey Field which saw him reach out to intercept a Bognor pass with one hand and turn defence into attack which enabled Portsmouth to take play back down the pitch. Portsmouth were again unlucky when from a kick downfield Brad Jewer followed through and gathered the ball but was just tackled before he could offload to a supporting player and the ball went into touch. Another good attack by Portsmouth saw them run the ball deep into the Bognor half before Bognor got penalised. Time was almost up so Portsmouth took a penalty kick but the kick missed and the full time whistle went as the ball went dead.
This was a satisfying win after the loss earlier in the season. Fooks made some good runs showing good leg drive as he often had one or two players trying to hold him but he was still able to make ground. Liam Glazebrook again had a good game and the backs handled well with ball in hand. The forwards also performed well but the lineout needs sorting.
This result sees Portsmouth stay in 5th place on 46 points with Gosport & Fareham in 4th on 50 points. Next week sees Portsmouth take on Andover at Rugby Camp. Andover beat Trojans 59-22 so it promises to be a hard game. They are currently in 2nd.place on 69 points. Don’t forget fixtures are now 3.00pm kick off.
TEAM
PHILL GALLILAND, BRAD ATKINS, LIAM AVIS
BRYN RAINFORD, ELLIOTT WORRALL
ANT.FOOKS, LIAM GLAZEBROOK, OLLIE SIMPSON(C
TOM SANDERSON, LEE CHANDLER
CONNOR CHARLTON, STEWART DAVIES, SAM OLIE, HARVEY FIELD
JOSH HOWELL-WILLIAMS
BENCH
DAN SPENCER, BRAD JEWER, DAN GATES
Gosport & Fareham vs Portsmouth, Saturday 24th February 2024
By Jim Dixon
Portsmouth travelled to Gosport for this re-arranged fixture from 9th.December due to a waterlogged pitch. Elliott Worrell made a welcome return in the 2nd row after a lengthy injury spell and Stuart Davies had to withdraw due to illness and his place was taken by Dan Gates in the centre.
Gosport got the game underway and from a Gareth Davies clearance they took play deep into the Portsmouth half. A kick through by Gosport nearly resulted in a try but fortunately quick cover from Portsmouth saw them touch down first. Portsmouth were unable to make inroads up field and eventually Gosport crossed for the first try of the match giving them a 5 – 0 lead with about 10 minutes gone. Gosport had a chance to increase their lead with a penalty but the kick went wide.
With both sides vying for territory gain Portsmouth winger Leo Wall showed good strength with a run but eventually Gosport regained possession and took play back upfield. Tom Sanderson and Connor Charlton combined well to take the ball back into the opposition half and the ball was passed to No.8 Beesley who dummied his way over to score out wide taking the score to 5 – 5 with about 30 minutes on the clock.
Liam Avis then came on to replace Fooks in the front row and Dan Spencer also came on to replace Lee Chandler at No.7. Portsmouth then lost Worrall to a yellow card. An attacking move from Portsmouth came to nothing when the final pass got knocked on. Gosport kicked upfield and as the ball went into touch the half time whistle went with the teams level on 5 all.
Portsmouth started the second half still with Worrall in the bin. Connor Charlton also came off to be replaced by Josh Howell-Williams on the wing. Portsmouth set up a good attack and with the ball passed to Wall on the 10 metre line he made a strong run breaking tackles on his way to the try line as he touched down out wide, Davies was on target with the conversion and they now led 5 – 12. Gosport started to exert pressure and Portsmouth found themselves having to defend. They then lost Davies with a leg injury so Chandler went back on to take the 10 slot. From a 5 metre lineout Gosport took the ball and crossed for a try taking the score to 10 -12. with 55 minutes on the clock.
Portsmouth were still having to defend, as Gosport set up a series of attacks, one of which resulted in a Gosport try scored out wide and giving them the lead at 15 – 12 on 65 minutes. This seemed to wake Portsmouth up and a series of attacks by the visitors saw them get into the Gosport 22. A penalty to Portsmouth just outside the Gosport 10 metre line saw Sanderson line up a kick at goal which neatly dissected the posts taking the score to 15 – 15. With the scores now level Portsmouth saw the opportunity to take the lead with about 13 minutes still to go. From another Portsmouth attack the ball found its way to Leo Wall and he produced another strong run. An infringement by Gosport saw them lose a player to a yellow card and gave Portsmouth a penalty kick. Sanderson was again on target and Portsmouth retook the lead 15 – 18.
A touch kick clearance by Portsmouth saw the whistle go, signalling the end of the match, with a pleasing victory to the visitors. This was a very satisfying win for Portsmouth in what was a times was a fiesty derby encounter as is always the case when these two teams meet. Ollie Simpson again showed improvement in his pace and made some good inroads. Beesley was also pretty dominant with ball in hand although Gosport did manage to slow him down on occasions. The forwards again performed well. It was also rather satisfying to score a try when down to 14 players.
This win sees Portsmouth move up to 5th place on 41 points, Next weeks opponents are Bognor. This should be a home match but when the sides last met the Bognor pitch was unplayable so the venues where swapped round. Portsmouth lost that game rather heavily so will no doubt be looking for revenge. Bognor lost to Trojans today 39 – 18. They are in 9th place. Portsmouth 2nds also had a very good win today against Overton 1’s 19-33. No mean feat, as Overton are currently in 3rd place in Counties 3, Portsmouth 2’s have now moved up to 7th.
TEAM
ANT FOOKS, BRAD ATKINS, PHIL GALLILAND
BRYN RAINFORD, ELLIOTT WORRALL
OLLIE SIMPSON(C) LEE CHANDLER, AARON BEESLEY
HARRY DREW, GARETH DAVIES
CONNOR CHARLTON, DAN GATES, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL
TOM SANDERSON
BENCH
LIAM AVIS, DAN SPENCER, JOSH HOWELL-WILLIAMS
Bournemouth II vs Portsmouth, Saturday 17th February 2024
by Jim Dixon
Portsmouth travelled on one of their longer journeys to take on Bournemouth 2’s on a rather damp and miserable day. Portsmouth got the game underway and managed to give away 6 penalties in as many minutes which rather frustrated the Coaches and the visiting spectators. Eventually however they got things under better control and soon started to dominate, especially in the forwards where they drove the opposition back on several occasions. The lineouts were also proving a good source of gaining extra ball with Liam Glazebrook stealing several balls on the Bournemouth throw.
Bournemouth had a chance of taking the lead with a penalty kick from just inside the Portsmouth 10 metre line but the kick went wide. It wasn’t long before Portsmouth got on the score sheet with a try by Aaron Beesley who made one of his typical runs through the opposition. With Gareth Davies on target Portsmouth took a 0 -7 lead. Portsmouth were soon on the score board again when from deep in their half they ran the ball up field through several pairs of hands until it finished with skipper Ollie Simpson who raced away to score . Again Davies was on target with the conversion and the score was now 0-14. Portsmouth were now dominating proceedings and again from inside their half ran the ball up field through several hands and eventually Leo Wall took the final pass to run through and round to dot down under the posts with Davies again on target. The score was now 0-21.
Portsmouth then made a couple of changes with Fooks and Chandler coming off to be replaced by Liam Avis and Dan Spencer. A 5 metre lineout to Portsmouth saw them set up a good catch and drive which resulted in Liam Avis scoring the 4th. bonus point try. The conversion missed and the lead was now 0-26. Portsmouth’s final score of the first half was from Leo Wall who touched down out wide after a good run. The conversion missed and the lead was now 0-31 with the whistle going shortly after, signalling the end of of the half.
The second half got underway with Bournemouth showing a more attacking game bringing Portsmouth’s defensive attributes to the fore. Eventually however the Bournemouth persistance paid of with a try close to the touch line, the conversion taking the score to 7-31. Portsmouth soon got back to their scoring ways however but not before Leo Wall had made way for Connor Charlton on the wing. From a kick by Bournemouth which was caught by Stewart Davies he made ground before kicking ahead, much to the disappointment of the Portsmouth spectators, but as he managed to gather his own kick and cover the ground to the try line and score their disappointment soon turned to cheers, Davies was back on target and the score was now 7-38.
Phil Galliland then came off to be replaced by Fooks. Bournemouth then lost one of their props who had to come off, and as there was no replacement the scrums went to uncontested. Fooks was soon on the scoreboard when he took a short pass and crashed his way over for a try. The conversion took the score to 7-45. Ollie Simpson then came off to be replaced by Aaron Beesley. Brad Atkins then got on the scoreboard when he crossed for an unconverted try taking the score to 7-50. Beesley then showed great awareness when the ball came loose in the in goal area after Bournemouth lost control, and he quickly raced through to touch down. Davies then took a drop kick to convert the score taking the tally to 7-57. A good break by Beesley saw him pass to the supporting Stewart Davies who crossed for their 10th try taking the final score to 7-62.
Liam Glazebrook again had a good game, not only in stealing the opposition’s lineout ball but generally in attack and defence. Beesley and Simpson also showed up well with both having some good runs. Simpson in particular showed good pace running with ball in hand, which showed the benefit both players got from the boxing they took part in during the summer break. Bryn Rainford again had a good game and he also stole some opposition ball at the lineout.
This result still sees Portsmouth siting in 6th.place on 37 points, just 2 points behind Ellingham & Ringwood who have a much worse points record. Portsmouth play them in a couple of weeks but before that they have to travel to Gosport & Fareham next week in what promises to be a good local derby, They narrowly lost to Andover 28-33.and are in 4th.place on 46 points.
TEAM
FOOKS, ATKINS, GALLILAND
RAINFORD, GLAZEBROOK
SIMPSON, CHANDLER, BEESLEY
DREW, G.DAVIES,
FIELD, S.DAVIES, OLIE, WALL
SANDERSON.
BENCH
AVIS, SPENCER, CHARLTON
Portsmouth vs New Milton, Saturday 3rd February 2024
Portsmouth welcomed New Milton to Rugby Camp and a rather cold breezy day. New Milton won the toss and elected to play with the breeze behind them. Prior to the game starting the two reams lined up in front of the Clubhouse to give a minutes applause in memory of Kevin Ricketts who sadly passed away last week.
Portsmouth kicked off and soon set up a good attacking move that involved forwards and backs alike, taking the ball from one side of the pitch to the other. Eventually it was hooker Brad Atkins who took the final pass and scored close to the posts. Gareth Davies was on target and they took a 7-0 lead. The game became a bit bogged down with neither side being able to make ground. In fact there was a short period when Portsmouth had no possession and spent time just on defence. Prop Adam Parks-Dare came off to be replaced by the evergreen Ian French. However it was New Milton who scored next with a well taken try by their winger who showed good speed to score wide out. The conversion failed and the score was now 7-5 with about 23 minutes on the clock. A good move by Portsmouth saw them move the ball upfield but as they moved into the opposition 22 the final pass went straight into touch.
Portsmouth then made another change with Lee Chandler coming off to be replaced by Dan Spencer on the back row. Spencer has been getting good reviews from the 2nds so deserved his place. Bryn Rainford stole a New Milton ball from a lineout and Portsmouth then won a penalty which saw a good touch kick give them a 5 metre line out. Portsmouth caught clean ball and set up a drive to the try line enabling No,.8 Aaron Beesley to drive over. The conversion missed and the score was now 12-5. From the restart Portsmouth set up another good attack with Beesley making good ground before of loading . Eventually the ball went to fullback Tom Sanderson who raced through to score under the posts. Davies was on target and the score was now 19-5 From the restart Dan Spencer took the ball onwards showing good leg drive as he was tackled but stayed on his feet. He managed to make ground before offloading. Eventually a New Milton tackle dislodged the ball, which went forward and the referee blew his whistle to signify the end of the first half.
The second half started with more changes to Portsmouth. Stewart Davies came on to the centre in place of Leo Wall who moved to the wing to replace Connor Charlton who came off. Portsmouth were showing domination at scrum time and they pushed New Milton off their own put in. Ian French then came off to be replaced by Adam Parks-Dare. Portsmouth were now dominating proceedings and a good run by Fooks who laid the ball back as he was tackled. The ball was then shipped on to Adam Parks-Dare who showed a good turn of speed to score Portsmouth’s 4 try giving them that important bonus point. Davies was again on target and the lead was now 26-5. From a lineout Portsmouth spun the ball across the field and eventually it was Ollie Simpson who took the final pass to score another try. The score was now 33-5 with Davies’s conversion adding the extra’s.
Portsmouth were now almost scoring at will with Lee Chandler now back on and he drove his way over. With Davies on target again the score was now 40-5 with about 8 minutes to go. From the restart New Milton set up a very good attack and got almost to the Portsmouth 5 metre line and it was only a brilliant tackle by second row Simon Pinhorne that kept them out. Portsmouth were soon back deep in New Milton territory and it was hooker Brad Atkins who scored the final try, and his second of the day, converted by Davies to take the final score to 47-5.
Credit must be given to New Milton as they stuck to their task and kept fighting all the match. They also travelled with only 15 players so had no cover for any players. Fortunately they didn’t suffer any injuries so were able to keep 15 on the field.
Simon Pinhorne is proving to be a valuable asset in the second row as he quietly but efficiently gets on with his job. The backs today worked well together and often looked dangerous in attack, Portsmouth scored 7 tries in total and 6 were converted giving a pretty good return on the afternoon’s work. This result leaves Portsmouth still in 6th place on 42 points, just 1 point behind Ellingham & Ringwood but they have a better points difference. They beat Eastleigh 24-8. which leaves Eastleigh 6 points behind Portsmouth in 7th place.
Next week we were due to play Andover but apparently they have complained to the RFU that Portsmouth didn’t offer them the first available blank Saturday. The RFU seemed to agree with them and have said the game will now be played in March. As the home team surely they should have spoken to us as well. Perhaps Andover had an ulterior motive for this request, we will never know. So next week is a blank Saturday for the 1’s. The 2’s actually travel to Andover to play their 2’s.
TEAM
ADAM PARKS-DARE, BRAD ATKINS, ANT.FOOKS.
SIMON PINHORNE, BRYN RAINFORD.
OLLIE SIMPSON, LEE CHANDLER, AARON BEESLEY.
HARRY DREW, GARETH DAVIES.
HARVEY FIELD, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, CONNOR CHARLTON.
TOM SANDERSON.
BENCH
IAN FRENCH, DAN SPENCER, STEWART DAVIES.
Havant 2nd XV vs Portsmouth, Saturday 27th January 2024
With Havant 1st XV away this match was played on the main artificial pitch in front of a vociferous crowd of supporters from both clubs.
From the Portsmouth kick off Havant caught but knocked the ball on giving Portsmouth a scrum around the 22m. line. From that scrum, Havant were then caught offside resulting in a penalty kick to the visitors. With the ball coming off the tee twice Tom Sanderson called for someone to steady the ball but as time was running out the kick was somewhat hurried resulting in a surprise miss. From the restart Portsmouth set up a good attacking move which saw winger Brad Jewer racing down the touch line but as he neared the try line he felt his hamstring go but thought he could still make it but he had to pull up just short. After treatment he had to come off. Harry Drew came on to play 9 with Tom Sanderson going to 15 and Matt Higgins moving from fullback to the wing. With Portsmouth enjoying the greater territory battle they had a penalty kick to touch giving them a 5m, lineout. From that they set up a good catch and drive which resulted in No.8 Aaron Beesley powering over out wide. Again, the conversion was missed but they led 0-5 with about 20 minutes gone.
A penalty against Portsmouth saw Havant kick to touch giving them a 5m lineout. Portsmouth managed to spoil that throw and cleared their lines but an earlier infringement by Portsmouth saw the Ref take them back and the result was another 5m lineout to Havant. This was the first time they had been in the Portsmouth 22 and they made sure to capitalise on it, scoring their first try. This was converted so the lead now changed hands and they led 7-5 with about 25 minutes gone.
Lee Chandler then came off to be replaced at 7 by Ollie Simpson. Havant then set up another attack and their winger side stepped his way to the try line, again the conversion was good and they now led 14-5. With game going end-to-end, Portsmouth had the next score with a penalty converted by Gareth Davies taking the score to 14-8. Half time followed shortly after.
The second half started with Adam Parks-Dare replacing Liam Avis in the front row for Portsmouth. Shortly after the restart, Portsmouth secured possession just outside the Havant 22 and with what turned out to be the try of the match they set up a handling move that seemed to involve the whole team, with the passes being so quick that it was almost impossible to know where they were going next. As they made progress into the Havant 22, the ball eventually found its way to centre Leo Wall and he shot through the defence to score a try under the posts. Davies was on target with the conversion and the score was now 14-15.
More pressure was put on Havant with a great touch kick by Davies giving a 50/22 lineout to Portsmouth. Portsmouth won their ball but an infringement by Havant gave Portsmouth a scrum midway between the 22 and the try line. Portsmouth set up another attack and eventually it was Beesley who set off shrugging would-be tacklers out of his way and he crossed close to the posts. With Davies again on target they now led 14-22 This was extended shortly after by a penalty kick by Davies taking the score to 14-25. Beesley then came off to be replaced by Chandler.
Havant then set up a good attack which resulted in a converted try taking the score to 21-25. Beesley then came back on to replace Liam Glazebrook on the backrow. Another penalty against Havant saw Davies line up a kick outside the 22 and slightly to the side of the posts. The kick was true and the lead extended to 21-28. With about 8 minutes left, Havant set up an attack which resulted in a converted try taking the score to 28-28 and a nail biting finish.
The lead changed again when Portsmouth transgressed, giving Havant a kick at goal which they converted giving them a slender 31-28 lead with about 3 minutes left. Havant were only too keen to keep the ball away from Portsmouth with touch kicks that meant another ball had to be found. Eventually, from one touch kick the final whistle went with a victory to Havant. They got 5 points and Portsmouth 1 loosing bonus point.
This was a typical local derby match with both sides going hammer and tongs at each other for the full 80 minutes. If Portsmouth had been able to turn territory into points in the opening 20 minutes that could have changed the outcome. Portsmouth were able to disrupt the Havant lineout on occasions with good jumping from Simon Pinhorne who also showed up well in open play. Beesley enjoyed himself with some good runs and the backs showed some good, slick passing. The pack performed well throughout and they seemed to feed of the Havant supporters noise. Overall, it was a cracking game of rugby with excitement throughout until the final whistle.
This result sees Portsmouth slip 1 place to 6th, on 37 points. Havant move to 3rd, on 55 points. Next week sees Portsmouth at home to New Milton who lost by the narrowest of margins 31-32 to Andover. New Milton are in 10th place, on 26 points. They may be low down in the league but they have had some very close games against teams placed higher than them. So another trickly game is in prospect. Kick Off changes to 2.30pm next Saturday.
TEAM
LIAM AVIS, ANT.FOOKS, PHILL GILLILAND
SIMON PINHORNE, BRYN RAINFORD
LIAM GLAZEBROOK, LEE CHANDLER, AARON BEESLEY
TOM SANDERSON, GARETH DAVIES
HARVEY FIELD, DAN GATES, LEO WALL. BRAD JEWER
MATT HIGGINS.
BENCH
ADAM PARKS-DARE, OLLIE SIMPSON. HARRY DREW
Eastleigh vs Portsmouth, Saturday 13th January 2024
Portsmouth travelled the short distance to Eastleigh in this League encounter. Portsmouth were 5th.and Eastleigh 7th. before this game but Eastleigh have had a bit of a resurgence recently so this was always going to be a hard fought match and so it proved.
Portsmouth kicked off and straight away kept Eastleigh pinned in their 22. Portsmouth had plenty of possession but with Eastleigh defending well they were unable to cross to try line despite several attempts. Eventually Eastleigh got the chance to clear their lines with a good touch kick which took play into the Portsmouth half for the first time in the opening 10 – 15 minutes. A 5 metre lineout to Eastleigh saw them set up a catch and drive and they drove over the line for the first try of the match. The conversion missed and they led by 5 — 0.
Portsmouth soon hit back and when Eastleigh were penalised for playing the scrum half before he had the ball, Portsmouth were awarded a penalty just to the side of the posts and Ton Sanderson duly converted, closing the gap to 5-3.
Portsmouth then lost prop Liam Avis to a yellow card for allegedly collapsing the scrum. From the ensuing scrum Eastleigh moved the ball to their backs and their centre cut through to score close to the posts, the kick missed and the score was now 10- 3 with about 25 minutes gone. Eastleigh were able to add to their score with a converted try taking the lead to 17 – 3. Portsmouth then got penalised for not rolling away after the tackle and Eastleigh add 3 more points to their score making it 20 – 3.
Eastleigh then had 2 players yellow carded for separate penalties. Portsmouth took advantage of this with a scrum close to the try line which saw Simo9n Pinhorne break away to score out wide. The conversion looked to have gone over but the Eastleigh touch judge didn’t raise his flag and the Ref signalled no conversion. The score was now 20 – 8 and the half time whistle went.
The second half got underway with Portsmouth making changes with Connor Charlton coming off to be replaced by Brad Jewer and Dan Spencer replacing Liam Glazebrook on the back row. Portsmouth came so close to scoring when Brad Jewer made a good run down the wing and managed a clever kick ahead which bounced towards the try line. As Jewer raced through he was challenged by his opposite number and as he dived at the ball to score he just knocked it on as he touched it down. Portsmouth had another scoring chance denied them, this time by the Ref. as Pinhorne crossed to touch down only to be called back by the ref for an earlier infringement. A series of penalties against Eastleigh eventually saw Fooks score from close range and with Sanderson adding the extras the score was now 20-15.
Liam Avis came off to be replaced by Adam Parks-Dare and Aaron Beesley then came off to be replaced by Liam Glazebrook at No.8. With the game swinging between the 22’s it was Eastleigh who broke the stalemate when they were awarded a penalty after Portsmouth had been penalised for being offside. Their kick was successful and the lead was now 23 – 15. Portsmouth then lost centre Dan Gates to a nastly cut to his head and he was replaced by Leo Wall who had come off earlier. Eastleigh then added a further converted try to extend their lead to 30 – 15. That was their 4th.bonus point try. Portsmouth had been under pressure for a period when from an attack by them inside the Portsmouth 22, Gareth Davies anticipated a pass and took a great intercept to race away followed by Tom Sanderson. As the opposition closed on Davies he managed to get the ball away to Sanderson who was up in support and he reced clear. As he got close to the Eastleigh 22 he stumbled but somehow managed to stay upright enough to recover and speed away to score close to the posts, He was also able to convert his own try taking the score to 30 – 22. The final whistle went shortly after as Portsmouth were desperately trying to add another score.
Possibly if Portsmouth had managed to score in the opening session when they had Eastleigh pinned in their 22 that might have changes things a bit. Portsmouth did lose the French Ref for a period but in the closing stages of the match he seemed to come back in our favour. Eastleigh defended well throughout the game and they were particularly dangerous when the got inside our 22. The Portsmouth lineout didn’t function well today for some reason. In their defence they were short of Sam Foster, severed tendon in has thumb and likely to miss most of the remaining games .He is due an operation on Tuesday. Bryn Rainford was also unavailable as he disloceted a finger at Tuesday’s training session. Elliott Worrall was also still having problems with an injury from a previous game. Stewart Davies and Josh Howell-Williams were also unavailable due to work commitments. That is not to detract from the efforts of the replacements as they all performed well.
After the match and back in the Clubhouse Eastleigh awarded Man of the Match to No8 Aaron Beesley for his aggresive runs and general play. Portsmouth nominated the Eastleigh Centre as their Man of the Match. He certainly controlled their back line very well.
This result still leaves Portsmouth in 5th. place on 36 points, Eastleigh have moved up to 6th on 31 points. Next weeks’ opponents are Andover who had a HWO against Alton. They are still in 2nd place on 59 points so that is going to be another hard fixture. Petersfield are still top on 68 points after beating New Milton 24 – 57.
TEAM
PHILL GILLILAND, ANT FOOKS, LIAM AVIS.
FINN PARRY, SIMON PINHORNE,
LIAM GLAZEBROOK, LEE CHANDLER, AARON BEESLEY,
TOM SANDERSON, GARETH DAVIES,
LEO WALL, DAN GATES, SAM OLIE, CONNOR CHARLTON,
MATT HIGGINS,
BENCH
ADAM PARKS-DARE, DAN SPENCER, BRAD JEWER
Portsmouth vs Alton, Saturday 6th January 2024
This fixture was originally scheduled as a League match but due to Alton losing several players to other teams they are endeavoring to fulfill their League fixture with friendly matches instead. This means that Portsmouth are awarded a HWO which gives them a 28 – 0 points victory and 5 points.
This gesture was very much appreciated by Portsmouth who were more than keen to play the game after the disappointing loss to Trojans before Christmas followed by a 3 week layoff with too much Turkey, Christmas pudding and alcohol! The Coaching team also welcomed a couple of new players and a returning Stewart Davies who last played for Portsmouth 5 years ago before being posted overseas. He is now back for a 2 year period, possibly longer. Simon Pinhorne is in the RAF and plays 2nd row or No.7, Also playing today are 2 Colts, Matt Pilbeam, fullback, and Adam Haynes. centre. They both start on the bench today. Also welcomed back was centre Sam Olie who has been out for a very long period due to an injury. He was selected at 13 with Josh Howell-Williams at 12. Leo Wall was moved from centre to wing with Connor Charlton the other winger. Stewart Davies took his favoured fullback place. This gave Portsmouth a new look back line that had not played together before so this was an ideal opportunity to try this new combination.
Alton got the game underway and Portsmouth were soon on the attack. A Portsmouth scrum saw them drive Alton towards the try line but as they set up a handling move the ball got knocked on, However Portsmouth soon made up for that error and from a scrum No.8 Aaron Beesley took the ball and crossed for the first score of the match, The conversion by Tom Sanderson was good and they took a 7 – 0 lead. From the re-start Portsmouth found themselves under a bit of pressure but were soon able to take control and moved the ball upfield. A scrum to Alton on the Portsmouth 22 saw them win the ball and their centre neatly sidestepped his way to the try line to score close to the posts. The conversion was good and the score was now 7 a-piece. Rather poor tackling somewhat aided the score. A Portsmouth lineout just inside the Alton 22 saw them set up a powerful catch and drive resulting in a second try for No.8 Beesley. Sanderson was again on target and they re-took the lead 14 – 7. This was followed shortly after with another try scored by Ant. Fooks. Sanderson was again on target and the lead was now 21 – 7. Portsmouth were now getting into their stride with the new backs combination working well and showing good promise. A strong run by fullback Stewart Davies saw him make good ground before passing to Beesley who powered his way over for Portsmouth’s 4th. try, again converted by Sanderson taking the lead to 28 – 7. The half time whistle went shortly after.
Portsmouth got the second half underway with Stewart Davies coming off to be replaced by Matt Pilbeam at 15. Adam Haynes also came on at 12 to replace Josh Howell-Williams who moved to the wing to replace Leo Wall who came off. Phil Gilliland also came off to be replaced by Sam Foster. He went to the 2nd.row and Finn Parry moved to the front row. Portsmouth were enjoying lots of possession and eventually Sam Olie finished off a good 3’s move with a try under the posts. With no kicking T brought on the kicker had to take a hurried drop kick which just went wide. Tom Sanderson had come off earlier. This took the lead to 33 – 7. A good 3’s handling move saw Matt Pilbeam finish it of with a well taken try. Again the kick missed and the score was now 38 – 7.
A good run by Beesley saw him offload to Simon Pinhorne who took the ball well before passing to Connor Charlton who scored out wide. The conversion missed so the score was now 43 – 7. Lee Chandler, playing at 10, then got into the act with a score of his own under the posts which was converted. This was a deserved try to celebrate his 200th. game in Portsmouth colours. This took the score to 50 – 7. Fin Parry then decided to get in on the act and scored a good try of his own which was converted taking the score to 57 – 7. Matt Pilbeam then scored his second try with a good burst of speed taking the score to 64 – 7 as the conversion went through the posts. Bryn Rainford closed proceeding with a final try which was converted taking the score to 71 – 7 as the full time whistle went.
The new players all performed well and the new combinations also proved successful. It remains to be seen how the team will fare next week against Eastleigh which will be a much tougher opponent. Eastleigh beat Trojans 60 – 5 and are in 7th.place. Although they had a slow start they have begun to put in some impressive wins so an interesting fixture awaits.
In the Club house after the match,President Nigel Morgan thanked Alton for fulfilling the fixture and wished them well for the future. He then presented Club Captain Lee Chandler, with a framed shirt to celebrate his 200th.appearance for Portsmouth.
TEAM
PHIL GILLILAND, ANT.FOOKS, LIAM AVIS,
FINN PARRY, BRYN RAINFORD.
ELLIOTT WORRALL, SIMON PINHORNE, AARON BEESLEY
TOM SANDERSON, LEE CHANDLER
CONNOR CHARLTON, JOSH HOWELL-WILLIAMS, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL
STEWART DAVIES
BENCH
SAM FOSTER, HARVEY FIELD, MATT PILBEAM, ADAM HAYNES