Although Alton were able to play at Anstey Park last Saturday for the first time in three months they could not have chosen a stronger opposition than Romsey.

Romsey are unbeaten in any league fixture this season scoring, on average, 45 points per game.  When Alton visited them back in earlier December they won 75 - 7. The final score line somewhat flatters Romsey and does not reflect the effort and commitment put in by the home side.

Alton got off to the worst possible start when some two minutes into the match indecision saw their full back, Tom Burgess, caught in front of his own posts. Romsey recycled the ball for Jack Grove to amble over with Jake Fulford securing the conversion. Alton then took the game into Romsey's half and were awarded a penalty some 20 metres out, unfortunately Mark Crowther's attempt, for some reason, never left the ground! Ten minutes later Chris Street finished off a strong backs' move by Romsey. Alton raised their game and for the next ten minutes kept the visitors' defence very busy with determined running from lock, Alex Hayward, and centres Mark Hosey, and James Crowther. Romsey were now setting a pattern of scoring every ten minutes, their third try coming when Romsey's Grove broke from the back of the scrum to score an unconverted try. Exactly to schedule and on thirty minutes Romsey scored their fourth bonus point try through Dan Penn-Newman, Fulford this time making no mistake in scoring an additional two points.

At half-time Alton introduced Richie Hemmens and Josh Smith from the subs bench, which toughened up both the attack and defence, this meant that they were able to spend most of the second half in the visitors' territory. Adopting a "pick up and go until stopped" cycle of play and with good support runners they made a lot of progress, in fact they were halted a yard or two short of Romsey's goal line on two or three occasions. Alton also denied Romsey any further score until the 79th minute when Romsey imposed their superior forward power, Tom Van Etten collecting the try and Fulford the conversion.

Referee - Peter Woodward (HRURS)

Alton's next and last league fixture of the season takes place on Saturday 2^nd April 2016 they visit their old friends and rivals Overton.