Hampshire Counties One rugby: Ellingham & Ringwood sink Portsmouth to secure first win

Hampshire Counties One

Portsmouth RFC 12

Ellingham & Ringwood RFC 23

ELLINGHAM & Ringwood defeated hosts Portsmouth 23-12 in an entertaining and, at times, attritional game of rugby.

The visitors put Portsmouth under pressure from the start following a succession of driving mauls from the forwards, with flanker Chris Hancock diving over for the first try of the game, Chris Frost, playing on the wing, narrowly missing the uprights to get the extra two points.

Ellingham continued to apply the pressure, and the home team gave away a penalty, which Frost slotted between the posts to extend the visitors’ lead.

Then, in the 17th minute, Portsmouth were caught offside, with skipper and scrum-half Sammy Veneroso asking Frost to kick to try and widen the points gap, which with he was successful.

The penalty appeared to spur the home team into action, and in the 34th minute, they applied pressure to the Ellingham defence. Their efforts were rewarded when flanker Liam Glazebrook ran through to score in the corner.

Portsmouth fly-half Hywel Gronow could not convert from out wide, leaving the half-time score at 11-5 in Ellingham’s favour.

Ellingham started the second half strongly, following some good interchanges of play in the middle of the pitch.

Forward and debutant George Randall, who came on for the injured Andrew Lorton, stormed through Pompey’s defence to score under the posts, showboating on the way with one arm held aloft a-la Alan Shearer.

Ellingham’s forwards collectively had a good game, and from a line-out in the opposition’s 22, following a thunderous driving maul, Ellingham flanker Dean Smith crashed over to score the visitor’s third try of the game in the 48th minute, which Frost was able to convert.

Ellingham made life difficult for themselves with second-row Connor Scott receiving a yellow card.

Portsmouth fought back, and in the 52nd minute, flanker Anthony Fooks crashed through to get the home team’s second try of the game, which fly-half Hywel Gronow was able to convert.

Ellingham strived to get a fourth try and earn a bonus point, but Pompey’s solid defence dashed their efforts, with Ellingham & Ringwood having to hang on at the end when replacement second-rower Mike Treloar was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.

Ellingham host Basingstoke on Saturday at 3pm.

Ellingham & Ringwood: A. Payne, P. Fraser, T. Sampson, C. Scott, A. Lorton, C. Hancock, D. Smith, L. Nicholls, S. Veneroso, T. Veneroso, H. Leigh-Watts, A. Higgins, C. Seaby, C. Frost, C. Jeffes. Subs: B. Carey, M. Treloar, G. Randall.