Romsey 2s 5 Andover Vets 49
On a glorious sunny day Romsey and Andover produced a game to honour the passing of two of the players dads in recent weeks. The fathers of ex Romsey player Steve Rogerson and former 2s captain Kev White were given a thunderous round of applause pre match before the game began.
Both teams started scrappily with many balls being dropped which allowed Will Harrison and John Gray to get to know their opposite numbers in the front row early on. A well worked move between new centre pairing of Jay “glass shoulder” Hodges and Tyler “Simone Biles impersonator” Beardsley gave Romsey a position deep in the opposition territory but over eagerness at the breakdown allowed Andover to clear their lines. With Alex Watts and Baz Newman providing pace out wide Romsey were on the attack again and from a penalty Nick Creal’s accurate pass gave Ian “the Pittsburgh punisher” Milanak space to rampage over for his maiden try for the club.
Unfortunately, this roused the opposition, who all play regularly, some at level 7, into action but determined tackling from aging locks Tristan Pattison and Jamie Whatley kept the marauders from north of the Test at bay before they sneaked over for a try. With Oli Coburn stretching the full back shirt following a cruise and Sam Newman stretching his legs Romsey were back on the attack again but were met with a resolute defence. After 20 minutes the game halted to allow the players to take refreshments on and for the opposition who had been facing a lineout in their 22 were allowed to kick off from half way and a miscommunication meant they now had a lineout 5 metres from the home sides line. From this a bemused home team conceded a try to make the score 5-12.
Romsey then made some changes to give fresh impetus to the match. Matt Campbell, having been cajoled on to a rugby pitch for the first time ever, looked like a man who had played countless times, tackling anything that came near him and earning himself the man of the match award. Alfie Lawrence showed his class again but was only allowed a cameo appearance due to being needed in the upcoming week. Sonny Hillier looked good until a nasty leg injury forced him from the park, a similar fate happening to Simon “cow wrangler” Garraway.
Just before half time veteran scrum half Gav Harbour took a nasty knock to the head and this was one of the reasons the home team then began to struggle.
With curry and beer oozing out of each pore a man who shall remain nameless tried to replicate his solid performance from the previous week but the effects of a late night were showing and a missed tackle allowed Andover to increase their lead. Bill Smith again showed that he still has great speed but the problem with playing with old people who occasionally play touch as opposed to a side that trains regularly together is that they were quicker to the breakdown and were able to turn the ball over.
Despite the sterling efforts of the aging Jamie Glanville and elderly Kev White in the back row, Andover’s more youthful squad began to exploit the vastness of the Romsey pitch but the Romsey team never gave up with the score line of 5-49 not reflecting the effort and determination put in from a scratch side.
Team: Harrison, Gray, Milanak, Whatley, Pattison, Creal ©, White, Glanville, Harbour, S Newman, B Newman, Beardsley, Hodges, Watts, Coburn
Subs: Lawrence, Hillier, Campbell, Garraway, Smith, Scott
This week sees the 1st team host Eastleigh 2s at Ganger Farm kick off 1500 with them going overseas on the 19th to Ventnor.
The next 2s game is on 30th November when we welcome Ellingham & Ringwood 3s/vets.
