Results

Counties 1 Hampshire Results

Sat 17 Jan 2026

Portsmouth RFC

36 – 25

(HT 17-6)

Millbrook RFC

Portsmouth RFC

Substitutes

Millbrook RFC

  • 15
    Mcgrath
  • 14
    Randell
  • 13
    Waterman
  • 12
    Kirkup
  • 11
    Skellen
  • 10
    Hemsley
  • 9
    McNeish
  • 1
    Drewitt
  • 2
    Young
  • 3
    Leggett
  • 4
    Fox
  • 5
    Whitten
  • 6
    Colling
  • 7
    Doling
  • 8
    Magda

Substitutes

  • 16
    McNeish
  • 17
    Derrington
  • 18
    Dutton

Match Report

I suppose it was a bit much to hope for a similar performance from last week as today’s opposition was going to be a tougher game and so it proved.

Portsmouth started out with great intent with Ant Fooks intercepting a lineout throw in the Millbrook 22 and raced through to score close to the touch line with barely 2 minutes on the clock. Gareth Davies was unable to add the extras so the score remained 5-0. Five minutes later, Millbrook closed the gap with a penalty taking the score to 5-3.

From the restart the ball was kicked deep into Portsmouth 22 and Callum Grahamslaw caught it and set off up field beating two defenders in the process with a neat bit of footwork. As he made ground he was able to kick the ball up field and another tap on the ball saw it cross the try line and Josh Howell-Williams was on hand to touch it down taking the score to 10-3 on 10 minutes. Portsmouth were then penalised for not rolling away after a tackle giving Millbrook another chance to close the gap which they duly did taking the score to 10-6 on 12 minutes.

From the restart Portsmouth took the game into the Millbrook 22. From a 5 metre lineout Liam Avis was able to secure the ball and he charged through to score their 3rd try – which Gareth Davies was able to convert from close to the touch line, taking the score to 17-6 on 22 minutes and that was the end of any scores in the first half. Millbrook were trying to slow the game down to suit them and Portsmouth seemed to be happy to oblige until the half time whistle with the score still 17-6 in their favour.

Millbrook got the second half underway and soon showed their intent with a 5 metre scrum resulting in a blind side break from the back of the scrum to open the scoring with a converted try which took the score to 17-13 on 47 minutes. That stirred Portsmouth into action and a 3’s move was finished off by Callum Grahamslaw who scored their 4th bonus point try on 54 minutes. This time Davies was on target and the score was now 24-13. There then followed a great bit of defence by Portsmouth when Millbrook appeared to have scored but, somehow, before the ball was grounded, Grahamslaw was able to tackle the ball carrier and turn him so he was on his back thus preventing a score.

Millbrook, however, were soon able to add to their score with a converted try taking the score to 24-20 on 62 minutes. 3 minutes later, Portsmouth set up a good bit of inter-passing between Greenslaw and Matipano and they scored a converted try taking the tally to 31-20. 2 minutes later, Millbrook hit back with their 3rd try taking the score to 31-25.

Another attack by Portsmouth saw Fooks break through but he was tackled just short of the line but luckily Archie Clemence had followed up and Fooks was able to throw up a pass to him for their 6th try taking the score to 36-25 with only a few minutes remaining. MIllbrook were penalised for not releasing the tackled player and eventually Dam Vuglar was able to clear the ball into touch and the final whistle went giving Portsmouth their 7th win on the bounce scoring 6 tries in the process for the second consecutive game.

This was without doubt a far harder game than last week and the pressure that brought was evident in the number of dropped passes and balls lost in tackles. There were also a few missed tackles which didn’t help. One good bit of news was that Sam Floyd played his first game today since the Basingstoke fixture in which he got an horrendous injury to his leg which left his bone exposed. It also led to the postponement of the game as they had to wait for an ambulance to arrive. That game has now been rescheduled for 31st January. Sam came through this match unscathed much to the relief of all concerned and is testament to the excellent work that was done in the hospital where he was treated.

This result sees Portsmouth move up to the giddy heights of second in the League on 47 points. Bognor remain top despite loosing to Andover 17-29.
Next week sees the 1’s travelling to Dorset to play Bournemouth 2’s, they beat Winchester 2’s 50-21. Bournemouth are 7th on 37 points.

TEAM
WILL ROLFE(C), BRAD ATKINS, LIAM AVIS
SAM FOSTER, ELLIOTT WORRALL
TOBY WILSON, SAM FLOYD, ANT FOOKS
DOM VUGLAR, GARETH DAVIES
CALLUM GRAHAMSLAW, JOSH HOWELL-WILLIAMS, SAM OLIE, ARCHIE CLEMENCE
TAWANDA MATIPANO

BENCH
JOHN PEARSON, LEWIS MURRAY, HENRI DAVIES