Alton Rugby Football Club

A Win at Last!

Sat 12 Oct 2013, 15:00

Southampton

18 - 33

Alton

This was a must win game for Alton following the heavy defeats of the previous 2 weeks.

Alton started well, some would say too well; within 5 minutes of the kick-off they were 10 points up! At a scrummage Southampton put in a good drive but Alton hooker Oli Whitehead clean heeled the ball, a quick passing move released outside centre Bart van Herwijnen with Simon Ford collected the further 2 points. The Alton confidence led to another attack and the home side were adjudged to be offside, Ford neatly slotted home the resultant penalty.

As is their wont Alton relaxed and the home side capitalised with a fine twenty metre forward drive which led to Alton being pinged for being offside.  On thirty minutes the visitors took a scrum against the head, moved the ball down their backline but a poor pass foiled a potential score. Southampton then collected a poor clearance kick hacked the ball forward and Alton were penalised for lying on the ball. Southampton opted for the scrum, cleared the ball to their backs who ignored Alton’s weak tackling attempts to score a converted try.

Honours were now even and the game became scrappy until Alton raised their game when following some flowing rugby Luke Parratt released winger Ed Lowman for an unconverted try. Further basic handling errors by the visitors prevented any addition to the score before half time despite their dominance.

Nine minutes after half time Alton broke out from their 22 but on the end of a fifty metre dash lost scrum-half Mark Crowther with a knee injury. Crowther was replaced by Mark Heffernan. The teams then exchanged penalties, the first to Alton for foot up, the second to the hosts for not releasing, the third to Alton for going over the top. Alton then chose to kick to touch when Southampton were penalised for lying on the ball. From the resultant lineout Heffernan scampered over, Ford happily accepting the two additional points.

Again the home side was penalised for lying on the ball, again Alton kicked to touch.  Bruce Oliphant soared into the air and the backs recycled the ball down the line, winger Fran Williams caught the double miss pass and ran in the bonus try. Alton continued to attack and although Southampton continued to attract the referee’s displeasure for a high tackle on Whitehead and for a sin binning of the centre for use of an elbow in the tackle, they were unable to score again. In fact the final say went to the hosts when an Alton pass was intercepted on the defensive 22 and although the visitors managed to halt the red and white charge the larger Southampton forwards were able to force the resultant maul down over the line.

Scoring: van Herwijnen try & Ford conv. 3 mins. (0-7); Ford pen 5 mins. (0-10); Southampton pen 7 mins. (3-10); Southampton try & conversion 21 mins. (10-10); Lowman try 28 mins. (10-15); Ford pen 49 mins. (10-18); Southampton pen 52 mins. (13-18); Ford pen 58 mins. (13-23); Heffernan try & Ford conv. 61 mins. (13-30); Williams try 63 mins. (13-33); Southampton try 75 mins. (18-33).

Elsewhere in Hampshire One Solent University continued their unbeaten record closely defeating United Services, Alton’s conquerors of last week.  Isle of Wight & Overton remain at the bottom, neither side having, as yet, won a game.

Next Saturday (19th October) Alton have a rest from league action and were due to play fellow Hampshire One team, Millbrook, in the Hampshire Bowl knock-out. However, Millbrook are already committed to an RFU Junior Vase game on 19th October and this game is now postponed until later in the season.

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