Portsmouth Squad v United Services Squad

Match Report – Preseason Friendly Friday 18th August – by Jim Dixon

Portsmouth Squad v United Services Squad under floodlights

Portsmouth 24 – 7 United services

Portsmouth got their first pre-season ‘friendly’ underway at Rugby Camp, under floodlights.  U.S opened the scoring with a converted try but Portsmouth soon hit back with a couple of tries, one of which was converted to lead 12 – 7 at the end of the first session. The second session got underway with both teams changing their personnel.  Portsmouth were soon back on the scoreboard with an unconverted try to lead 17 – 7.  This was followed with a converted try to take the lead to 24 – 7.  The game then came to a rather unexpected end when following a U.S attack in which the ball carrier was tackled,  the two players were embroiled in a bit of ‘handbags’ and one of the Portsmouth players got hit on the head. That started a  reaction from both teams and also some of the U.S. players who were on the touch line watching the game.  The referee managed to get things under control but not before the U.S. coach had taken his players off the field.  No one was really sure if the game was over or not as the opposition then came back onto the pitch and it appeared as if the game would re-start.  However after a talk between the Ref. and  a player from each team he blew his whistle and got the 2 squads to shake hands, with the match ending with a 24 – 7 win to the home side.  There were several new players on view for Portsmouth and the whole squad acquitted themselves well with the new players showing good touches

Portsmouth finished the session with a game between their own players for the remaining 20 minutes or so.

Next week sees Portsmouth take on Hampshire Police on Thursday evening, again under floodlights, at Rugby  Camp KO 1930

Portsmouth vs North Dorset, Papa Johns Community Counties 1 Plate Competition Round 1, Saturday 1st April 2023

Portsmouth 15 – 17 North Dorset

Match Report by Jim Dixon

With all the recent rain it was only the Vets pitch that was deemed playable, and that was only after a concerted effort by Club Members who forked the puddled areas to get rid of standing water. Despite heavy rain before the warm up began it remained dry and breezy for the remainder of the afternoon.
The surface was, however, very muddy and it was obviously going to be a day for the forwards.
With both teams making changes to their usual starting XV’s it was Portsmouth that got proceedings underway, playing with a steady breeze behind them.
They went straight into attack mode and camped themselves deep in the Dorset half. Connor Charlton made good ground after catching a Dorset clearance kick. His pass to Brad Jewer saw the winger have a good run before passing to the supporting Fooks who kept the momentum going and eventually the ball found its way to Ollie Simpson who crashed over for the first score of the match, the conversion missed and Portsmouth found themselves leading 5 – 0. Portsmouth continued to keep Dorset pinned in their half but were unable to convert pressure to points. It was North Dorset who scored the next try through their forwards who were a pretty big unit. The conversion missed and the score was now 5 a-piece. A scoring chance was missed when Charlton made a good break, but possibly an earlier pass could have resulted in a score, but he delayed just a bit too long. North Dorset got penalised for obstructing a Portsmouth player. Morgan lined up the kick and dissected the posts giving Portsmouth an 8 – 5 lead. Shortly after this Portsmouth then further extended their lead following a good break by Morgan who then passed to Sam Olie who, despite the muddy conditions raced away to score their second try. Morgan was again on target and the lead was now 15-5 and the half time whistle went shortly after.

The second half started with Adam Parks making a much welcomed return to the first team following a nasty leg injury 2 seasons ago. He came on to the back row in place of Aaron Cox. Where Portsmouth were the more dominant team in the first half it was Dorset who seemed to suddenly realised that their pack could be more effective and with the following breeze that had now increased slightly in strength, began to exert pressure on the Portsmouth pack, causing the home side all sorts of problems. There was one of those rare moments in rugby when the Portsmouth scrum half was penalised for a crooked put in which gave Dorset the opportunity to build on their earlier score and they scored an unconverted try taking the score to 15-10. Dorset were now in a dominant mood and from a scrum in the Portsmouth 22 their No.7 broke clear to run through almost unapposed to score under the posts. The conversion gave them a 15-17 lead. The second half was a rather dour affair with both sides tiring due to the conditions underfoot. Portsmouth spent most of the time defending their try line as they found it difficult to get into the Dorset half. It was only in the last 15-20 minutes that they began to get some sort of parity at scrum time and managed to get into the opposition half with the Portsmouth pack being a bit more robust. Dorset’s main strength was in their pack and in conditions as they were, a driving maul is almost impossible to stop legally with the ground being so soft. Despite the late rally by Portsmouth they were unable to get that winning score and the final whistle went with victory to the visitors 15-17.
A disappointing result for Portsmouth,who despite the conditions had run with the ball in hand well in the first half, there were some very tired bodies coming of the pitch. On the plus side Sam Foster put in a good performance, stealing the odd line out ball and making some good runs. Brad Atkins and Anthony Fooks also put in a hard shift and Adam Parks certainly made is second half appearance count with some powerful runs, always looking after the ball in the tackle. There is no game next week as the next match for Portsmouth is to be determined with the draw for the Challenge Cup still to be made. That match is scheduled to be played on Saturday 15th. April.

TEAM: JOBY WALSH, BRAD ATKINS, ANTHONY FOOKS.
SAM FOSTER, TOBY CRIPPS,
AARON COX, JACOB GREGOIRE, OLLIE SIMPSON.(C)
HARRY DREW, TOMMY HARE,
BRAD JEWER, SIMON MORGAN, SAM OLIE,CONNOR CHARLTON.
MATT HIGGINS.

BENCH: TOM SMITH, ADAM PARKS,. ALI MACDONALD.

Portsmouth vs Gosport & Fareham, Saturday 18th March 2023. Counties Hampshire 1

Portsmouth 14- 38 Gosport & Fareham

Match report by Jim Dixon

This was the final League match for this season, a game that should have been played on Saturday 17th.December but was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

And what a contrast it was with a warm sun on a mild and pleasant day.

Portsmouth kicked off and went straight onto the attack, keeping Gosport pinned in their 22.  Portsmouth set up a good driving maul and eventually Brad Atkins broke away from the maul to score out wide. Gareth Davies was on target with the touch line conversion and they went into a 7-0 lead with only a few minutes on the clock.  That score seemed to shake Gosport into action and they gradually worked their way down field. It was only good defensive work that kept them out.  Portsmouth managed to work their way towards the half way line but a penalty against them gave Gosport the opportunity to kick for touch giving them a line out just outside the Portsmouth 5 metre line. Eventually the pressure told and they scored their first try which was converted, taking the score to 7 -7.  With both sides vying for territory it became a rather disjointed game with both sides giving away penalties which stopped any flow to the game.

Indeed at also became a rather feisty match which  as half time approached resulted in a yellow card for Greg Hoolihan.  From the resultant penalty Gosport were able to cross for their second, unconverted try giving them a 7-12 lead and the half time whistle went shortly after.

From the re-start Gosport attacked the Portsmouth try line but again desperate defence kept them out. However Gosport kept up the attack and soon added to their score with an unconverted try, extending their lead to 7-17.  From the re-start Bryn Rainford caught the ball and from his own 22 managed to almost reach the Gosport 22 before he was stopped.  From a loose ball collected by Max Clarke he was able to kick across the pitch and Sam Olie was on hand to gather and touch down close to the touch line.  Davies was again on target with the difficult conversion and the score was now 14-17.  From the re-start Portsmouth were awarded a scrum in their 22 but Gosport put in a huge drive and managed to push the Portsmouth scrum back and as the ball squirted out it was quickly pounced on by the Gosport wing forward who brushed aside the defending players and scored out wide. With the conversion the score was now 14-24.  This was followed shortly after with another try following some rather loose defending by Portsmouth. The score was now 14-31.  With the game now getting rather more fractious a scuffle ensued which resulted in a red card for a Gosport player.  The final score also came from Gosport ,again following some rather weak Portsmouth tackling, which took the final score to 14-38. Aaron Beesley was then yellow carded and the final whistle went shortly after.  

This was a very disappointing result form Portsmouth, following their 3 last consecutive bonus point wins but yet again penalties and poor defending let them down. The result sees Portsmouth finish the League in 7th place on 44. Trojans are also on 44 points in 8th place but Portsmouth have a better win/loss record.  Trojans beat Basingstoke 55-0. Winchester disposed of Eastleigh 0-78 and Andover beat Havant 2’s 17-14.  Jersey finish top of the league with Winchester 2nd. Alton and Basingstoke finished 11th. and 12th.  

The new Cup Competition is due next with the draw due to be announced on Monday and the first match due in April.  

TEAM:FINN PARRY, BRAD ATKINS, ANTHONY FOOKS.

MAX CLARKE(C) BRYN RAINFORD.

OLLIE SIMPSON, GREG HOOLIHAN,  AARON BEESLEY,

TOM DREW, GARETH DAVIES,

DAN GATES, JORDAN HUNTER, SAM OLIE, ALFIE WIGLEY. 

TIM ROLLETT.

BENCH: IAN FRENCH, ELLIOTT WORRALL, SAM FOSTER.

Basingstoke vs Portsmouth, Saturday 11th March 2023, Counties Hampshire 1 League

Basingstoke 41- 43 Portsmouth

Match report by Jim Dixon

Firstly I must apologise for my error in last weeks’ match report on the Alton fixture.  I mistakenly reported that Tim Rollett had been taken to Hospital with a suspected broken ankle where-as it was actually Josh Howell-Williams and it has since been reported that he has sustained ligament damage and not a broken ankle. My apologies to all concerned

Today’s game is the penultimate fixture of the season for League matches with the delayed fixture against Gosport & Fareham to be played at Rugby Camp next Saturday with a 3.00.p.m.K.O.  This will be followed by the new Cup Competition, start date and fixtures to be announced.

This was a rather unusual game with the lead changing 12 times throughout the match,  Lots of penalties for both sides made it a rather disjointed match but it was, never the less exciting despite everything.  Basingstoke always seem to raise their game when we meet at their ground and certainly their very large Fijian Army centre and their Number 8, caused Portsmouth plenty of problems as did former Basingstoke 1st XV and County player Simon Appleby until he was firstly yellow carded and then,  towards the end of the match,  red carded for a high tackle.


Basingstoke opened the scoring with a try from their Fijian Army centre giving them a 5 -0 lead.  A penalty against ‘Stoke gave Portsmouth their first opportunity for a score but good defence kept them out but eventually the ball was spun wide and the final pass was taken by Tim Rollett Who scored out wide. The conversion missed and the scores were level at 5 apiece.  From a good turn over by Portsmouth the ball was spun wide and it was left to Sam Olie to race away from the defenders to score their 2nd.try and with Morgan’s conversion on- target they took the lead 5- 12.  Basingstoke were soon back with a converted try to bring the scores level again at 12-12.  From a lineout ‘Stoke took clean ball and scored their 3rd.try close to the posts giving them back the lead  at 19-12.. They were then able to increase that lead with their 4th.try,unconverted, to 24-12.  Following a period of pressure from Portsmouth their efforts were finally  rewarded with an unconverted try scored by Simon Morgan closing the gap to 24-17.

The second half started with both sides trying to get the upper hand but it was ‘Stoke who scored first when they broke through the middle to score under the posts. With the conversion true they extended their lead to 31-17. That was their 4th. bonus point try.  After a series of penalties against ‘Stoike, Portsmouth were able to work their way upfield and eventually Sam Olie crossed for his second and Portsmouth’s 4th.bonus point try.  \The conversion missed and the score now stood at 31-22.  ‘Stoke soon hit back with a score of their own thus extending their lead to 36-22 as the conversion missed.  Basingstoke were then reduced to 14 when their No.7 was yellow carded.  Shortly after this Portsmouth scored yet again through Greg Hoolihan and with the conversion good the score as now 36-29.  Portsmouth then set up a good handling move with the ball going across the field and back again with Morgan taking the final pass to score close to the posts. Gareth Davies took over the kicking duties and with his conversion the score was now 36-36. From the re-start Portsmouth caught the ball deep in their 22 but the clearance kick was charged down by ‘Stoke who were up very quickly and they managed to gather and score an unconverted try thus regaining the lead 41-36.  Portsmouth were not done yet and from a penalty that gave them a lineout close to the ‘Stoke try line they set up a clean catch and drive which saw Ollie Simpson crash over.  Davies was again on target and they now held a slender lead 41-43 with only a few minutes left.  A penalty against ‘Stoke saw their No.7 red carded for a high tackle.  From that penalty Portsmouth kicked for touch and from that lineout they won good ball which was delivered to Tom Sanderson who kicked into touch and the ref’s final whistle went  with a hard fought victory to Portsmouth by 41-43.  ‘Basingstoke’s performance in this game certainly deceived their basement position in the league although they always seem to be able to raise their game when we play at their ground.  Their big Fijian centre and the No.8 caused plenty of problems for Portsmouth as did their No.7 Simon Appleby before he was carded.   Also Portsmouth’s first up tackling was way off today giving ‘Stoke the opportunity to get deep into the Portsmouth half.  It was however pleasing to get the third consecutive bonus point win. And they did show character to come back from a 31-17 deficit to close out a narrow win.  This was a rather strange match with a total of 84 points scored and penalties aplenty  given out which rather disrupted the flow of the game.  Tommy Hare showed glimpses of his pace at full back and Tom Sanderson had yet another impressive game at scrum half. but the whole squad did so well in the fight back in the last 20 minutes..  Special mention must also be made of Prop Ian French who yet again stepped into the breech with some regulars being unavailable  He again played the full 80 minutes and that is no mean feat as he is into his forties. This is about the 3rd.or 4th time this season he has been called upon,  so well done Frenchy! 
Next week sees the final League match of the season with  the re-arranged fixture against Gosport & Fareham.  They are just 1 place above Portsmouth in the League on 54 points. They drew against Bournemouth 2’s 14- 14.  Portsmouth’s victory sees them stay in 7th.place on 44 points. Trojans are 8th.on 39 points having beaten Alton 5-77.  Elsewhere Jersey beat Winchester 23-13 so remain top and undefeated. Winchester are 2nd. with Havant 2’s in third place..

Next weeks kick-off is 2:30 p.m.

TEAM: IAN FRENCH, BRAD ATKINS, FINN PARRY.
MAX CLARKE(C)  RYAN BOSHER.
OLLIE SIMPSON, GREG HOOLIHAN AARON BEESLEY,
TOM SANDERSON, GARETH DAVIES.
SAM OLIE, LEE CHANDLER, SIMON MORGAN, TIM ROLLETT.
TOMMY HARE.

BENCH: JOBY WALSH, BEN GORDON.

Alton vs Portsmouth, Saturday 4th March 2023, Counties 1 Hampshire

Match report by Jim Dixon

Alton 21 – 24 Portsmouth

With two last minute late changes to the original selection, Aaron Beesley and Greg Jansen, Portsmouth moved Ollie Simpson from No.6 to No.8 and Lee Chandler came on to the bench in place of Jansen.  Max Clarke was moved from the second row to No.6 and Bryn Rainford moved off the bench to No.5. Ben Gordon came onto the bench.  

Portsmouth were hoping to carry on from last week’s success but the game never really sparked into life.  Whether it was the sloping pitch or some other factor was not clear but this proved to be a rather fractious affair throughout the game.   Alton got the match underway and  a Portsmouth knock-on gave Alton a penalty kick resulting in a 5 metre line-out.  A catch and drive by Alton was thwarted by Portsmouth as they defended well.  Alton kept the pressure on them for quite a while but Portsmouth managed to keep them out.  Portsmouth then managed to get their hands on the ball and took play into the opposition half but just could not get that final scoring pass away.  Eventually Alton got the ball back and set up a good attack which saw their left winger cross wide out. The conversion missed and the took a 5 – 0 lead.  This was followed shortly after by a good catch and drive by Portsmouth from a line-out and they crossed for a try by Max Clarke. Simon Morgan was on target and they now held a narrow 5- 7 lead,  A penalty against Portsmouth saw Alton re-take the lead 8-7.  Shortly after this Portsmouth were reduced to 14 when full back Tim Rollett was yellow carded for a deliberate slap down of the ball. From the resultant line-out Portsmouth managed to steal the ball and cleared play into the Alton half.  Alton gathered the kick but the defender was not quick enough and he was tackled by two Portsmouth players who were up very speedily.  Another penalty against Alton saw Morgan kick for touch.  This was followed by another penalty against Alton and Morgan’s kick gave them a 5 metre line-out.  Ollie Simpson held the ball at the back of the maul and crossed for a try which Morgan converted giving them a 8-14 lead.  This was short-lived however when Alton hit back with a well taken try as their player ran through the defence to score their second try. The conversion was good and the score now stood at 15-14.  Tim Rollett then came back on so they were now back to a full compliment.  More problems for Portsmouth followed shortly after when winger Josh Howell-Williams made good ground before being tackled which resulted in a serious injury to his ankle.  He had to be taken from the pitch and was subsequently taken to Hospital with a suspected broken ankle.  Lee Chandler came on and he went to No.13 with Sam Olie moving from there to the wing.   The half time whistle went with Alton holding a slender 15-14 lead.

Portsmouth got the second half underway and Alton were quickly onto the attack, threatening the Portsmouth try line, but a brilliant interception by Chandler saw Portsmouth take play into the Alton 22.  A good driving maul by Portsmouth came to nothing when they were penalised for a neck roll.  This was followed by another penalty against Portsmouth in front of their own posts  which saw Alton take the 3 points on offer with the score now 18-14.  Undaunted Portsmouth were soon back on the attack and some good handling saw the ball moved across the field and back again to the supporting Ollie Simpson who crashed through for his second score,  The conversion missed and the score was now 18-19.  Finn Parry was then replaced by Joby Walsh.  Another penalty to Alton saw them increase the lead to 21-19.  Portsmouth’s scrum half Tom Sanderson had been having another good game and he made a blind side break of 15-20 metres before he was finally caught but at least he took play away from the try line.  Brad Atkins was then replaced by Ben Gordon at hooker.  Another penalty against Alton saw Portsmouth gain a 5 metre line-out and following a clean take they set up another catch and drive which saw them cross for their 4th bonus point try score by Ollie Simpson, his 3rd of the day.  The conversion missed but they now held a slender 21-24 lead.   More good work from the Portsmouth scrum half saw him harass his opposite number into a knock-on.  Portsmouth were now putting more pressure on their opponents as the game became more fractious with a bit of a scuffle breaking out in  which Portsmouth were awarded a penalty but this was reversed by the referee as he took exception to comments being banded about.  The final whistle went following an Alton move which saw the final pass go into touch and Portsmouth deserved winners 21-24.  It is quite a while since they have recorded back to back bonus point wins and their celebrations were richly deserved.  This was a rather scrappy game with Portsmouth unable to really stamp a hold as they had last week.  Although Ollie Simpson had a good game with 3 tries he was  pipped to Man of the Match by Tom Sanderson who showed great speed throughout the match with his all round contribution that  just sees him gets on with his job. 

This win sees Portsmouth stay in 7th.place on 39 points, Bournemouth 2nds. are 8th. on 34 points.  Other results form Saturdays fixtures are Havant 2nds. 118-5 against Basingstoke, Gosport & Fareham losing to Andover 22-32, Bournemouth 2nds losing to Trojans 33-29. 

Next week Portsmouth are away to Basingstoke and we underestimate them at our peril as we know from previous seasons!!.

TEAM:  ANTHONY FOOKS, BRAD ATKINS, FINN PARRY,

BRYN RAINFORD, SAM FOSTER,

MAX CLARKE (C), GREG HOOLIHAN, OLLIE SIMPSON,,

TOM SANDERSON, GARETH DAVIES,

JOSH HOWELL-WILLIAMS, SIMON MORGAN, SAM OLIE, CONNOR CHARLTON,

TIM ROLLETT,

BENCH: JOBY WALSH, LEE CHANDLER, BEN GORDON.

Portsmouth vs Eastleigh, Saturday 25th February, Counties 1 Hampshire , rearranged match

Portsmouth 38 – 17 Eastleigh

Match report by Jim Dixon



On a rather chilly blustery day Portsmouth had to make one or two changes as this was originally a blank weekend and some players had made other arrangements.  This re-arranged fixture was caused by the game being postponed in January due to weather conditions.

Eastleigh got proceedings underway and Portsmouth showed their intent with a great run by Finn Parry who took the ball into Eastleigh’s half of the pitch involving Max Clark and Ollie Simpson . The move was eventually stopped after Portsmouth were penalised for not releasing after the tackle.  All the pressure was coming from Portsmouth and eventually they scored through Anthony Fooks following a good move involving Aaron Beesley and Finn Parry.  Morgans conversion was true and the score was 7 – 0.  Portsmouth had a chance to increase the lead but the penalty kick by Morgan was just wide.  With Portsmouth still exerting pressure they managed to string a good passing move across the field which saw Brad Atkins cross close to the posts for their second try. Again Morgan was on target and the score was now 14 –  0.   Jashan Solanki was next to score when they  ran almost the length of the pitch with good inter-passing and again Morgan added the extras taking the score to 21 – 0.  Aaron Beesley, who had been making a nuisance of himself,  as far as Eastleigh were concerned, then had to leave the field for treatment to his back.  He was replaced by Greg Hoolihan who went to No.6 with Ollie Simpson going to No.8.  Eastleigh were gradually getting a foothold in  the game and they made progress into the Portsmouth half.  From a run by Simpson as he was tackled he turned his ankle over and had to leave the field so Beesley came back.  After a period of pressure Eastleigh managed to cross for a try following a drive through their scrum which was giving Portsmouth a few problems. The converson was successful and the score was now 21-7 as the half time whistle went shortly after.

Portsmouth started the second half in much the same way they had the first.  From a touch kick by Portsmouth, Eastleigh had a line out on their 10 metre line.  A good tackle by Portsmouth saw Eastleigh knock the ball on giving them a scrum. From the scrum a great break by Aaron Beesley saw him make 15-20 metres before being tackled into touch. An Eastleigh line out saw them take the ball upfield and another penalty against Portsmouth saw them kick for touch giving them a line out close to the Portsmouth 10 metre line.  Eastleigh were now playing with a bit more confidence following their try just on half time. They spun the ball out from the line out and crossed for their second try near the touch line.  The conversion missed and the score was now 21-12. Portsmouth  then lost Ollie Bowles with an injury to his wrist and he was replaced by Jordan Cracknell.  Portsmouth were under constant pressure at scrum time, often winning the ball going backwards but Beesley was still able to collect the ball and make good ground going forward.  More pressure from Eastleigh kept Portsmouth pinned in their half and only good defensive work kept them out.  More injury woes for Portsmouth followed when Jashan Solanki had to be helped from the field with what looked to be a serious ankle injury.   He was replaced by Alfie Wigley. he went to the wing and Tim Rollett took the vacant full back berth.  A series of penalties against Portsmouth didn’t help their cause and it certainly gave Eastleigh a good foothold close to the home side’s try line. Eventually the pressure told and despite some good tackles Eastleigh scored their 3rd try in the far corner. The conversion missed but the score was now a rather concerning 21-17.  A bit too close for comfort.  This seemed to suddenly wake Portsmouth up and they certainly raised their game , taking play into Eastleigh’s half.  A cross kick by Portsmouth was gathered by Max Clarke who made good ground before being driven over the line for Portsmouth’s 4th.try. Morgan couldn’t convert but the score was now 26 – 17.  This also gave them a valuable bonus point.  Jordan Cracknell then scored his very first try for Portsmouth 1’s. The conversion missed and the score was now a more comfortable 31 – 17.  Portsmouth then scored probably their best try of the match with a move that started deep in their 22 by Beesley and he made good ground before passing to Max Clarke who in turn carried on upfield before passing to Sam Olie who still had work to do as he beat defenders to score their 6th.try. Gareth Davies took over the kicking duties and his kick was on target taking the score to 38 – 17 and the final whistle went 

Portsmouth were again guilty of conceding too many penalties which helped keep Eastleigh in the hunt for a while in the second half. At least there were no yellow cards for either team.  Portsmouth certainly lost their way for a while in the second half but at least they managed to get back on track.  Tom Sanderson at scrum half had yet again another good performance but the man of the match was undoubtedly No.8 Aaron Beesley. His rampaging runs always made good ground and his ability to take the ball from a scrum going backwards and then make progress upfield was a joy to watch.

This win sees Portsmouth move back up to 7th in the league on 34 points, only 2 points ahead of Bournemouth..

Next week Portsmouth travel to Alton in another game that they will want to do better in than their last encounter. Winchester had a HWO against Alton.

Portsmouth 2nd’s. also had a good win away against Gosport & Fareham 12-26. The 3rds. lost a friendly against Fareham Nomads.

TEAM: ANTHONY FOOKS, BRAD ATKINS, CHARLIE SHEA.

MAX CLARKE(C) FINN PARRY.

OLLIE SIMPSON, OLIE BOWLES, AARON BEESLEY.

TOM SANDERSON, GARETH DAVIES,

TIM ROLLETT, SIMON MORGAN SAM OLIE,CONNOR CHARLTON.

JASHAN SOLANKI.

BENCH: GREG HOOLIHAN, JORDAN CRACKNELL, ALFIE WIGLEY.

Portsmouth vs Havant 2nds, Saturday 18th February 2023, Counties Hampshire 1 League

Match Report by Jim Dixon

Portsmouth 10-38 Havant 2nds

Portsmouth’s day started with a Former Players Lunch where there were just over 100 past players/current members present and a 3 course lunch, provided by the Club’s resident Chef and former player Jimmy Martin,  plus copious amounts of ale consumed meant  a very enjoyable time was had by all.

With quite a strong wind blowing down the pitch, Portsmouth found themselves playing with the wind in the first half having lost the toss.

Havant got the match underway and shortly after Gareth Davies put a good touch kick down to the Havant 22. Sam Foster managed to steal the ball but a subsequent knock on gave Havant a scrum. A penalty against Havant for not releasing the  tackled player saw Simon Morgan line up a kick at goal from just inside the 10 metre line but the kick went wide.  This was followed by another penalty against Havant for not releasing the ball after a tackle. The kick was from a similar position and this time he was on target. Portsmouth thus had a 3 – 0 lead.  Portsmouth had a further chance to extend their lead but Morgans penalty kick went wide.  A penalty against Portsmouth led to a line out for Havant and only a good defensive effort by Portsmouth kept the visitors out. Morgan then got a yellow card for not retreating from a penalty quickly enough. A quickly taken tap penalty by Havant nearly resulted in a try but a good tackle took the player into touch.  Portsmouth then stole the lineout but Havant got penalised for interfering with the jumper.  From that resultant penalty Portsmouth had a line out on the half way line but a bad throw saw Portsmouth lose the ball. Havant were able to work the ball upfield and this resulted in their first converted try giving them a 3 – 7 lead.. Another penalty against Havant saw Gareth Davies kick for touch giving Portsmouth a line out on the 22. Yet another penalty saw Davies kick for touch resulting in a line out on the Havant 5 metre line. Unfortunately a well worked move by Portsmouth came to nothing when the final pass went forward. Another good attack by Portsmouth saw Havant make an intercept and they took play back upfield. Yet another forward pass spoilt what had looked like a good move for Portsmouth.  Havant then managed their second try which was converted taking the score to 3 – 14  and this was followed by a third try under the posts for the visitors taking the score to 3 – 21 as the half time whistle went.

The second half started with Portsmouth making changes with prop Tom Smith coming off and Robbie Henwood taking his place. Shortly after Sam Foster came off to be replaced by Aaron Beesley. He went to No.8 with Elliot Worrall moving into the second row.  With Portsmouth setting up another attack again the final pass was intercepted and Havant ran through to score a converted try. The score was now 3- 28.   A penalty against Havant followed shortly after and a good touch kick from Morgan gave Portsmouth a line out just inside the Havant 22.  This was followed by another penalty kick by Morgan and this time the line out was on the 5 metre line.  A knock on by Portsmouth gave Havant a scrum but with 2 more penalties against Havant Portsmouth had a 5 metre line out.  Despite the territory advantage Portsmouth were unable to cross the line after another good passing movement saw the ball go into touch. 

Brad Atkins then had to come off with a sore back so Tom Smith went back on and Fooks went to hooker.  Yet another penalty to Portsmouth following a Havant scrum infringement at last saw them score their first try through good handling by Luke Simmonds, Sam Foster Jashan Solanki and finally Connor Charlton ran round to dot down- close to the posts, Morgans conversion was good and the score was now 10 -28.  Havant however had the last say with an unconverted try in which the ref missed a knock on, taking the score to 10- 33 and this was followed by their final score taking the score to 10 – 38.  as the final whistle went.  This was a bit surprising as only a minute or so earlier he had said there was 12 minutes remaining and Portsmouth were in the process of bringing on their final sub, Dave Vickers.   On checking it did appear that it was ended  10 minutes early and on speaking to the ref later he admitted that his watch had been playing up.

Portsmouth had plenty of territory and possession but lacked cohesion at the vital time. It did make a change however to play against a side that gave more penalties away than they usually did.  If Portsmouth  had managed to score in the early stages that might have made a difference but as the game progressed so Havant’s confidence grew. Portsmouth did battle hard and for periods on the second half they managed to camp themselves in and around the Havant 22 but just could not find a way through a good defence.  The concern now is that with Petersfield beating Eastleigh 19 -15 they have now gone above Portsmouth in the league table.  Portsmouth have now dropped 2 places to sit in 9th.place and just 1 point above Trojans. Next week sees Portsmouth at home again, this time against  Eastleigh in what could be described as a must win game.

TEAM: ANTHONY FOOKS, BRAD ATKINS, TOM SMITH,

SAM FOSTER, MAX CLARKE(C).

OLLIE SIMPSON, OLIE BOWLES, ELLIOTT WORRALL.

TOM SANDERSON, GARETH DAVIES,

LUKE SIMMONDS, SIMON MORGAN, SAM OLIE, CONNOR CHARLTON,

JASHAN SOLANKI.

BENCH: ROBBIE HENWOOD, AARON BEESLEY, DAVE VICKERS.

CONNOR CHARLTON

Bournemouth 2 vs Portsmouth, Saturday 11th February 2023, Counties 1 Hampshire League

Match Report by Jim Dixon

Bournemouth 2nd Xv 28- 20 Portsmouth

Firstly I must apologise for the late publication of last weeks game v Andover , it got lost in transit and has now been published !

Portsmouth travelled to their second fixture out of Hampshire, Jersey being the other one, to take on Bournemouth 2nd’s.  Their last game against them at home saw Portsmouth sneak a narrow win so they new it would be a tough match, especially as they are stronger at home.

Portsmouth kicked off and managed to re-gather the kick but as the ball as spun wide it got knocked on.  A couple of penalties against the home side saw Portsmouth gain ground and with the second penalty Simon Morgan was able to kick a goal giving them a 0  –  3 lead with just a few minutes on the clock. Bournemouth soon hit back with a try following some interpassing and with the conversion going over they took a 7  –  3 lead.  Shortly after this Portsmouth lost their scrum half Cam McGuigan with a shoulder injury.  This saw winger Sam Olie move to No.9 and No 8 Ollie Simpson move to the centre.  Ryan Bosher came off the bench to move to the second row and Max Clarke went on to the back row from No.4.  Disruption that Portsmouth could well do without. 

A penalty against the visitors saw Bournemouth extend their lead to 10 – 3.  Brad Atkins had to come off for treatment to blisters on his heel so Ben Gordon came of the bench to take his place.   Another penalty kick by Bournemouth saw them further extend their lead to 13 – 3.  A penalty kick to Portsmouth saw them kick to touch and from the resultant 5 metre lineout they were able to set up a good catch and drive with Anthony Fooks touching down. The score was now 13 – 8 as the conversion  missed.  Portsmouth were beginning to put some good moves together and had the opportunity to close the gap but the ball got knocked on at the crucial moment.    A good lineout steal by skipper Clarke saw him drive upfield but yet another knock on saw the chance lost and the half time whistle went shortly after with the score still 13 – 8. 

The second half started with Brad Atkins coming back on and Ben Gordon reverting to the bench.  Bournemouth won a penalty that saw them extend their lead to 16 – 8.  Greg Jansen then got yellow carded for pushing his tackler after the tackle and from that Bournemouth were able to score a converted try taking the lead to 23 – 8. This was followed quickly with another try, unconverted, taking the score to 28 –  8.  Undeterred Portsmouth were soon back on the attack to score a try through Sam Olie. Morgan’s conversion from out wide hit the upright and bounced out. Thje score was now 28 – 13.  Jansen was then able to come back on so Portsmouth were now 15 again.  Portsmouth then got a second yellow card for Tom Hare. This was shortly followed by a yellow card to the Bournemouth No.8.  From the ensuing penalty Portsmouth had a 5 metre lineout which saw Olie Bowles drive hard for the line and he managed to cross for a good try or so we all thought but the Referee had other ideas as he ruled that the ball had been touched down first on the wrong side of the try line.  Bournemouth then had another player yellow carded and from another 5 metre catch and drive Portsmouth did this time cross for a try scored by Fooks. With Morgan’s conversion on target the score was now 28 – 20 and Portsmouth were looking for another score to further close the gap and get at least a losing bonus point but their efforts were curtailed as the full time whistle went.  

Portsmouth battled gamely throughout the match but all too often poor handling let them down  Olie Bowles had probably his best game since joining us during the season.  He made a thorough nuisance of himself through out the match but especially in the second half.  It is worth noting also that with Andy Barnes back helping with the backs coaching that is beginning to show the benefits although it would be so much better if more of the squad attended the training nights,  Todays referee will also be officiating next weeks fixture against Havant 2’s . Lets hope we have a better understanding of his decisions.

This result sees Portsmouth still in 7th. place, just 2 points above Alton in 8th but with a game in hand.  Elsewhere Jersey continued their dominance with a 0 – 81 defeat of Trojans.  Eastleigh beat Basingstoke 34 – 19 and Winchester beat Havant 2’s 32 – 12.  Special mention must also be made for Ian French who on Saturday notched up his 351st appearance for Portsmouth 1st XV at prop  Not only is he now in his forties but he lasted the whole game against Bournemouth 2’s. He did get mentioned in last weeks match report that has still not surfaced yet,

Next weeks fixture v Havant 2’s will be proceeded by a Past Players Lunch with just over 100 attending so there should be a good crowd there to give their support..

TEAM: FINN PARRY, BRAD ATKINS, IAN FRENCH.

MAX CLARKE,(C) OLLIE SIMPSON,

ANTHONY FOOKS, OLIE BOWLES, ELLIOTT WORRALL,

CAM MCGUIGAN, TOM HARE.

SAM OLIE, SIMON MORGAN, GREG JANSEN, CONNOR CHARLTON,

JASHAN SOLANKI.

BENCH: RYAN BOSHER, BEN GORDON, JORDAN CRACKNELL,

Andover vs Portsmouth, Saturday 4th February 2023, Counties 1 Hampshire League

Match Report by Jim Dixon

Andover 50 – 10 Portsmouth

This Saturday was officially a rest day but due to the Competition Committee re-arranging postponed fixtures Portsmouth found themselves with this fixture and several 1st Xv players missing due to either making other arrangements or due to injury.  Andover had already got a fixture v Havant  2’s so they just had to change their opponents.

With a team made up of  7 second team players plus the remaining 1’s regulars the squad looked somewhat different to the usual one. The main point of interest was prop Ian French making his rare appearance for the 1’s and in so doing celebrating his 350th. appearance in all 1st XV competitions.  Last week he was playing for the Vets which he says is played at a much more leisurely pace!

Andover soon had Portsmouth defending their own try line and only good defence kept the line intact.  In fact they should have scored a couple of times but good tackling by the visitors made them rush the final pass and twice the ball went into touch.  However  pressure did tell eventually and a penalty for offside saw Andover convert from the 22 giving them a 3  –  0  lead.  Portsmouth went on the attack from the re-start and camped on the Andover line but although they crossed the Ref deemed the ball held up giving the home side a goal line drop out.  However a penalty to Portsmouth saw Simon Morgan take a kick at goal from near the touch line which he duly converted so the score was level at 3 all.  Andover were soon back on the attack and they gained a penalty for Portsmouth not releasing after the tackle which saw them re-take the lead 6  –  3.  This was followed shortly after by another penalty which saw them stretch their lead to 9  –  3.  Morgan then got a yellow card for a bad tackle so Portsmouth were down to 14 for ten minutes.  A further penalty to Andover saw them take the score to 12  –  3 and the half time whistle went shortly after.

Morgan came back on after a couple of minutes of the second half. Andover were now playing with the benefit of the considerable slope in their favour. 

With the benefit of a heavier pack and some quick runners they soon scored the first try of the match taking their lead to 17  –  3 as the conversion missed.  A second try soon followed taking the score to 22-  3. A yellow card to Andover was followed by another try and the conversion made the score 29  –  3.  a 4th.try took the Andover lead to 36  –  3.  Portsmouth were not subdued by the score line and took the ball deep into the home side’s 22.  There they pressed hard to add to their tally and eventually from a 5 metre scrum, No.9 Cam McGuigan took the ball from the No.8’s feet and dummied to go open. He then quickly took a dart on the blind side to cross for Portsmouth first try. Morgan converted a difficult kick and the score was now 36  –  10.  Andover hit back with another converted try, to take the score to 43  –  10.  In the dying minutes of the match they scored their final try under the posts giving them a 50  –  10 victory.

With Andover’s bigger and mobile pack Portsmouth were always going to have to work hard to contain them but  they did keep going right to the end.  But eventually all that defensive work took its toll as fatigue began to set in in the last quarter.  However they should all be proud of their efforts.  

Next week sees a resumption of normal league fixtures and Portsmouth are on the road again, this time to Bournemouth for a fixture against their 2nds. 

Lets hope that some of the injured players are available for selection together with today’s other absentees.

This result sees Portsmouth stay in 7th. place .  Jersey remain top and still unbeaten after a 7  –  109 victory away to Petersfield.  Winchester are 2nd following a AWO against Bournemouth 2’s.  Alton beat Gosport & Fareham in a close match 20   –  18.  

TEAM: CHARLES SHEA, BRAD ATKINS, IAN FRENCH.

SAM FOSTER, OLLIE SIMPSON(C).

BEN GRINYER, JACOB GREGOIRE, ANTHONY FOOKS,

CAM McGUIGAN, SIMON MORGAN,

AARON COX, DUNCAN STEED, SAM OLIE, CONNOR CHARLTON. 

TOM SANDERSON.

BENCH: BEN GORDON, TIM STEWART, ALFIE WIGLEY.

Portsmouth vs Winchester, Saturday 28th January 2023, Counties Hampshire 1 League

Portsmouth 20 – 47 Winchester

Match Report by Jim Dixon

At long last rugby is back!

After the Christmas break and 3 games postponed due to either waterlogged pitches or frozen grounds we are hopefully back to normal.

Portsmouth got the game underway and Winchester gathered and kicked down field. Ollie Simpson caught the ball and made ground before passing to Jashan Solanki who made inroads into the Opposition half. A penalty against Winchester saw Portsmouth kick to touch. From the lineout Portsmouth spun the ball wide but lost possession enabling Winchester to take the ball back into the Portsmouth half. Play was then stopped as flyhalf Lee Chandler who had been caught in a double tackle, was lying prone on the ground with the Portsmouth physio attending. Eventually he was able to get up and was helped off the pitch. Cam McGuigan came on to fullback with Solanki moving to No. 10. Shortly after this Portsmouth then lost Bryn Rainford with a shoulder injury. His place was taken by Aaron Beesley. All this inside the first 5 minutes. Max Clarke moved from the back row to the second row. After a period of good defence with Portsmouth defending their try line, Winchester managed to move the ball to the backs and they scored near the touch line. The try was converted and they led 0 – 7 after about 10 minutes. It was then the turn of Portsmouth to go on the attack and eventually Solanki crossed for their first try which Simon Morgan converted taking the score to 7 apiece. Winchester were soon back on the attack and Portsmouth then lost Aaron Beesley to a yellow card. Shortly after this prop Rhys Bowen had to leave the field with back spasms. Finn Parry who is normally a prop but was playing second row today moved to the front row and with Rainford coming back on he went to the second row. All this inside the first 25 minutes. Winchester then scored their 2nd try which was not converted to retake the lead 7 – 12 with just inder 30 minutes played. A penalty against Portsmouth for offside saw Winchester increase their lead to 7 – 15. This was followed by a penalty to Portsmouth from just close to the 10 metre line which Morgan again converted closing the gap to 10 – 15 and the half time whistle went shortly after,

The second half started with Rainford having to leave the field with more shoulder problems. Brad Atkins took his place. Winchester were getting a bit more dominant with their backs causing Portsmouth problems and they soon added to their score with an unconverted try taking the score 10 – 20. Another penalty to Portsmouth again saw Morgan convert his kick from just inside the halfway line to take the score to 13 – 20. A poor kick from the home side saw Winchester stretch their lead to 13 – 25 with their 4th. unconverted try. With Portsmouth defending heroically pressure told in the end as Winchester added to their score with another unconverted try taking the score to 13 – 30. With the game in the last quarter Winchester were now in full flow and with Portsmouth tiring after some good and prolonged defensive work Winchester scored another unconverted try making the score 13 – 35. A further unconverted try took the score to 13 – 40. A good run by Aaron Beesley saw him take the ball from his 22 to the opposition 22 before he was stopped by a good tackle. Portsmouth were still able to amount their own attack and they managed to work the ball upfield with Greg Hoolihan crossing for their 3rd. try. Morgan’s conversion was good and the score now stood at 20 – 40. Winchester had the final say with a converted try close to the posts taking the score to 20 – 47. In the closing minutes Portsmouth desperately tried to get a least a loosing bonus point 4th.try but to no avail as the final whistle went. Despite the score line Portsmouth showed some good attacking movements and harried and defended well but the early injuries disrupted the flow somewhat. That is in no way a critisism of the bench players who all played their part well. A fall off in intensity due to some heavy defending and a lack of fitness in the final 20 minutes were contributary factors.
Next week should have been a rest week but they now have the re-arranged fixture against Andover to play. Portsmouth will no doubt be hoping that todays injuries will be cleared up in time for this fixture. Portmouth2’s suffered a similar fate losing away to Winchester 2’s 43 – 5 but Portsmouth 3’s recorded another good win against Eastleigh 3’s 40 – 14. Portsmouth still remain in 7th. place in the league table on 29 points. Jersey are still top and unbeaten after beating Alton 84 – 0. Winchester are still in second place having only lost twice this season.

TEAM:
RHYS BOWEN, GREG HOOLIHAN, RYAN MOORE,
BRYN RAINFORD, FINN PARRY,
MAX CLARKE(C) OLIE BOWLES, OLLIE SIMPSON.
TOM SANDERSON, LEE CHANDLER.
SAM OLIE, SIMON MORGAN, DUNCAN STEED,
JASHAN SOLANKI.

BENCH
BRAD ATKINS, AARON BEESLEY, CAM McGUIGAN.