Match report: Ellingham & Ringwood RFC outgunned but far from outclassed in 54-15 Regional Two South Central defeat by Chobham RFC

A tough afternoon on the road saw Ellingham & Ringwood fall to a 54-15 defeat at high-flying Chobham – but there were still positives to take, particularly from the club’s emerging young talent.

The visitors made the trip for their sixth league fixture of the season, but were behind within three minutes when Chobham crossed for a converted opener.

Just two minutes later, the home side doubled their lead through winger Noah Jenkins, who intercepted a long pass from full-back Zach Morrish and raced away to score.

Unlike last week, Ellingham responded quickly. Fly-half Chris Jeffes combined well with his backs and stretched over the line to get his side on the board, though centre Lewis Reeves was unable to add the extras.

Despite flashes of attacking promise, Ellingham struggled to build momentum. Another interception saw Chobham’s fly-half Noah Williamson touch down for their third, before an injury to flanker Lewis Nicholl forced a reshuffle, with Andrew Lorton moving from the backs into the back row and James Wilding coming on from the bench.

The home side grabbed their bonus point in the 24th minute as second-row Benjamin Puttock powered over for his first of the afternoon, and it was 35-10 by half-time after a fifth converted try just before the break.

Ellingham’s second try came courtesy of captain and scrum-half Sammy Veneroso, who darted down the left touchline and dived over to score in the corner — a deserved reward for continued pressure and territory.

A spirited half-time message from head coach Keiran Spencer, which praised the dominance of the scrum and physicality at the breakdown, sparked a renewed effort after the break.

Chobham extended their lead through a second from Jenkins, but Ellingham hit back again through their pack.

A series of powerful scrums led to repeated infringements by the hosts, who were briefly reduced to 14 men. From a five-metre set piece, number

eight Stuart Pearce grounded the ball at the base to make it 40-15.

However, the visitors’ hopes of a late bonus-point push were dashed when Puttock crossed for his second in the final minute to round off the scoring.

While the result didn’t go their way, there were reasons for optimism — not least the performance of young full-back Morrish, who was named Ellingham’s man of the match by Chobham for several eye-catching counter-attacks and evasive breaks from deep.

Ellingham return to home soil next weekend for the visit of local rivals Wimborne, in what will be just their second fixture at Raymond Brown Memorial Ground this season.

Ellingham & Ringwood: A. Payne, P. Fraser, J. Ajiboye, J. Richardson, G. Randall, D. Smith, L. Nicholls, S. Pearce, S. Veneroso, C. Jeffes, O. Churchill, L. Reeves, Z. Leishman, J. Wilding, Z. Morrish. Subs: T. Johnson, A. Lorton, C. Frost.