Isle of Wight II 34-12 Ventnor II
A well contested and sporting local derby second team clash saw hosts Isle of Wight victorious at Wootton Rec.
IW have struggled to field a second team in recent times but raised 15 players and fielded an experienced side for this encounter, with several players making their first appearance for some time. They showed their credentials from an early stage, as half-backs Alex Augustus and Aaron Young orchestrated play, while Andy Brown and Arid Design man of the match Nathan Tombleson carried with vigour. A spell of pressure looked to have been absorbed by Ventnor, until good decision-making close in resulted in hooker Dan Tennant crashing over. They soon added a second try, as Ian Puzey applied the finish to another patient move.
The Rangers were reduced to 14 men for the rest of the first half, due to an injury in the first team match on the adjacent pitch. It seemed not to matter - Ventnor competed strongly but the IW forwards had the edge in the scrum and in general play. It was from a scrum in midfield that their third try arrived, as Augustus went blind and timed the pass well to supporting wing Finlay Lockhart. The flying Scotsman raced in and celebrated his score on his return from a serious injury over two years ago.
IW continued to dictate terms, playing some flowing multi-phase rugby, and it was Dan Stirrup who reached out to score his team’s next try, proving that class is permanent. He converted, and a fifth try was soon to follow. This was probably the pick of the bunch, as IW ran the ball from well inside their own half and produced a series of offloads before Young raced in under the posts. He added the extras and IW led 29-0 at half-time.
The second half was much more even on the scoreboard and in general play, though increasingly stop-start, as Ventnor gained some traction up front and IW tired, despite a stellar 80 minutes from Island Healthcare man of the match Karl Davey. Another player who caught the eye with some strong carries was Prince Mutsinze, and he burst through for his first try for the club to extend the lead to 34 points. The visitors kept trying and dominated the closing stages, as the previously excellent IW defence showed signs of fatigue, while Lockhart was shown a yellow card as the referee’s patience wore thin. Two tries took the bare look off the scoreboard, but it was Isle of Wight’s day. Congratulations to forward James Harris who showed up well on debut.
IW: Stirrup, Hanson, Puzey, Brown, Lockhart, Young, Augustus, Davey, Tennant, Thorne, Mutsinze, Harris, Wynyard-Wright, N Joyce, Tombleson. Replacements: Vickers, Warvill, Newnham.
Thanks to Katharine Overton for the photographs!
