Hampshire Counties 1 rugby: New Milton lose at home to Eastleigh

Hampshire Counties 1
New Milton 10
Eastleigh 46

Milton played host to Eastleigh, a team just above them in the league in eighth.

The home side were hoping for victory, especially as prior to the match a lunch was held in the pavilion for the retired former players (vice-presidents) and the club’s sponsors.

All went well during the first half, but in the final quarter Eastleigh took control, finally outscoring Milton by eight tries to two.

From the kick-off Eastleigh were quickly into the Milton 22 with a series of scrums and line-outs. Milton's defence held but, from a line-out on the Milton 22, Eastleigh moved the ball well and scored.

Milton responded, creating pressure in the Eastleigh 22, their forwards working hard in the scrums to maintain possession. A penalty award allowed Eastleigh to clear the pressure but from the line on half way

Milton passed well, working towards the Eastleigh line, Dan Jackson was handed the the ball and drove through the defence to touch down.

Eastleigh responded immediately. A penalty award gave them a line-out in the Milton 22 which their forwards won pushing over for a try. Then from a Milton scrum in the Eastleigh half, flanker Jude Payne picked up the ball and ran for the Eastleigh tryline detaching himself from attempted tackles and scoring.

From the kick-off Eastleigh were awarded a penalty, and from a lineout in the Milton 22 their backs ran in a touchdown to make the half-time score 10-15.

In the second 40, Milton were subjected to pressure in their 22. They put up a good defence, but as they made clearances Eastleigh won their lineouts and the pressure resumed, it was not until the last quarter that Eastleigh scored their next try, and this was quickly followed by another.

Penalty awards to Eastleigh piled on the pressure, and a Milton sin bin allowed Eastleigh to use their fast running backs who passed well and went on to score three more, two of which were converted.

Positives for New Milton came in the form of two former colts which showed their class. Scrum half Jack Wale, playing his first competitive league game, was Milton's man of the match. Flanker Theo Mitchell-Innes, playing his first senior league game, came on as substitute and made an impact with his defensive play in the second half.

Team: H Chung, J Korbey, E Hynd, J Blair, B Steers, R Kendall, J Payne, D Jackson, J Wale, C Brown, J Eldridge, L Waugh, A Bolter-Jackson, M Moore, L Day, C Wood, R Pearce, T Mitchell-Innes.