Results

Counties 1 Hampshire Results

Sat 7 Mar 2026

Portsmouth RFC

20 – 19

(HT 5-12)

Andover RFC Ltd

Portsmouth RFC

Substitutes

Andover RFC Ltd

  • 15
    Waite
  • 14
    Yates
  • 13
    Roll
  • 12
    Feirn
  • 11
    demesi
  • 10
    Retallick
  • 9
    Higgins
  • 1
    Jones
  • 2
    Barberstarkey
  • 3
    Reed
  • 4
    Watson
  • 5
    Erskine
  • 6
    Bush
  • 7
    Hollinshead
  • 8
    Dixon

Substitutes

  • 16
    Earle
  • 17
    McGealy
  • 18
    Banks

Match Report

This was always going to be a close match and so it proved to be. With their 2 front line props out of action it was up to the front row of Alex Buck, Joe Bennitts and Adam Parks-Dare to make sure they held their own against a very large pack.

Andover got the game underway and No.8 Ant Fooks caught the ball and made about 15-20 metres before passing to Henry Brown on the right wing who also made ground. A kick upfield was fielded by Andover and a kick downfield which seemed quite ordinary initially, was caught by their left winger at pace and he ran through unopposed to dot down under the posts, the conversion was good and with about 2 minutes gone they took the lead 0-7.

From the re-start centres Sam Olie and Leo Wall took play upfield. From a Portsmouth lineout, Toby Wilson rose up to take a clean catch and with Fooks peeling off the lineout with the ball he raced through to score Portsmouth’s first try out wide. As Gareth Davies lined up to take the kick an Andover player run towards the ball, almost stopped and then ran on again to kick the ball clear. Although Davies hadn’t started his run up to take the kick, the referee judged that he had moved his upper body a fraction. So the score was 5-7. Shortly after this Portsmouth then lost Sam Floyd to a yellow card for a no arms tackle.

With his 10 minutes served Floyd was back on the pitch with no added score from Andover due in part to a very robust defence. As half time loomed Andover had pinned Portsmouth on their 5 metre line and set up about five 5 metre scrums, the last of which saw Portsmouth pushed up against the post on their try line. The Referee stopped the scrum and moved it away from the post but not before he had carded Sam Olie for a team offside offence. From the re-set scrum, Andover moved the ball wide realising that there was one less in the back line. Spinning the ball wide they crossed for their second try but the conversion hit the upright and bounced back out leaving the score at 5-12 as the half time whistle went.

The second half started with Portsmouth in good attacking mood. As the half progressed so Portsmouth were using their backs to greater advantage with good runs from full back Jay Chatham. Following a period of pressure, Portsmouth took a tap penalty which looked initially as if they were going right but suddenly changed direction to the left. The ball was spun across the backs and eventually centre Leo Wall sliced his way through the opposition and ran through to score out wide much to the delight of the home supporters. With Davies on target with the conversion the score was now 12 a’piece on 58 minutes.

With Portsmouth using their backs to great advantage, they forced Andover to give away penalties, one of which cost them a player in the bin for 10 minutes. From the resultant penalty Davies was again on target to increase the score to 15-12 giving them the lead for the first time in the match. They were also making the bigger Andover forwards run around and gradually they were tiring. Sam Olie took a ball deep in his half and ran through the opposition nearly to the Andover 22 before he got stopped. Second row Sam Foster then joined in the running theme and eventually the ball found it way to winger Callum Grahamslaw who score out wide. The conversion missed and the score was now 20-12 with 75 minutes gone.

Andover came close to scoring when their left winger raced along the touch line but desperate defence saw him just put his foot on the line. With two minutes left Andover did have the final say in scoring close to the posts which closed the gap to 20-19.

Portsmouth were in no mood to let this game slip away and good defence held firm. Then from a lineout Portsmouth won the ball and scrum half Dom Vugler kicked to touch and the final whistle went with the slenderest of margins.

In previous seasons they would have lost this game but the team has shown before that they can come back from a losing position. The scrum had been under pressure in the first half but didn’t give up, as game wore on they were holding their own and at times getting the shove on their opponents, The whole pack did very well throughout the match with the front row working exceptionally well. They are playing as a team rather than as individuals as the results are showing. This is the first time for a long while that Portsmouth have beaten Andover in both fixtures, having won 10-15 in the away fixture earlier this season.

This result sees Portsmouth still top on 70 points, Bognor are second on 63 points after beating Bournemouth 2’s 53-22. Basingstoke are 3rd after
an away win at Guernsey 2’s 26-36. They are on 61 points.

TEAM
ALEX BUCK, JOE BENNITTS, ADAM PARKS-DARE
SAM FOSTER(C). ELLIOTT WORRALL
TOBY WILSON, SAM FLOYD, ANT FOOKS
DON VUGLER, GARETH DAVIES
BRAD JEWER, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, HENRY BROWN
JAY CHATHAM

BENCH
BRAD ATKINS, BRYN RAINFORD, CALLUM GRAHAMSLAW