UNDER 16 REPORTS, SEASON 2010/2011
Gosport & Fareham 5 Tottonians 60
Tottonians travelled down the M27 for the second weekend in a row, this time to take on Gosport and Fareham in a friendly match.
Gosport kicked off but were soon on the back foot, when a clearing kick from Todd Arnison was chased down by Josh Jewell. This led to a sustained period of pressure on the
home side line and although they mounted a resolute defence, eventually Matt Watts found a gap in the lines and forced home from close range, with Todd Arnison adding the
conversion, 0 – 7. Gosport came back well from the restart and spent several minutes on the attack. However, a good run out of defence by Ed Norris eventually led to a lineout in
opposition territory and after incisive breaks by Mike Nguyen and James Adam, Jack Hillman was left with an overlap to score in the
corner, 0 – 12. Tottonians found themselves at the wrong end of a series of penalty decisions as we came to terms with the referee’s interpretation of the breakdown and Gosport were eventually able to take
advantage with a run and score from a tap and go, 5 – 12. Eventually, we our play and the traffic was essentially one way for the rest of the match. The next score came after Ciaran Allen
was bundled into touch just short and the home side’s lineout throw went straight to James Adam, who took advantage to score unopposed, 5 – 19. Sam
Elson made a good break from full back into the Gosport half, but although they managed to regain possession, Reece Wilkinson charged down the clearing kick. This set the platform for
Jonno Hibert to make a break down the wing and following good work in the loose by James Spencer, Mike Nguyen outpaced the defence to end the
scoring in the first half, 5 – 24.
The home side were flagging after the break and first Josh Jewell, then Ed Norris had the honour of making guest appearances in a Gosport shirt. The first score of the second
half came when a sustained period of pressure allowed James Spencer to cap a fine match performance and record his first try for the club, 5 – 29. Several good runs by
Jack Palmer took the ball back into scoring range and forced a hurried clearing kick from the Gosport full back, straight into the arms of our full back, Mark, who out-sprinted
the covering defence and scored under the posts, 5 – 36. More good work in the loose by Phil Overthrow and James Hucker meant the pressure was
soon re-applied and it wasn’t long before more spaces opened up and Todd Arnison scored again, 5 – 43. Andy Robinson took the restart and
together with James Adam, drove the ball up field once more. Gosport were able to wrestle the ball free from the ruck, but their relief was short-lived when a fine tackle by Cameron Smith forced a five metre
scrum. The home side’s problems were compounded when foul play saw them reduced to fourteen men. Dom Benham was on hand to score from the resultant tap penalty, 5 – 48. The restart
went straight to Matt Watts and then straight back up the field for another score by Dom Benham, with James Adam taking over the kicking
duties, 5 – 55. The final score came after Totts' prop Rob Gibson,showed fly half skills to pick up a pass on his boot laces and free Matt Watts
to score under the posts, 5 – 60. A defending player ran full tilt into the post while trying to prevent the score, so the referee decided to bring an early end to proceedings. Although requiring
prolonged medical attention and a trip to the hospital, the injured Gosport player was able to leave the pitch on his own feet.
Overall, this was a very comfortable win against a side that displayed plenty of aggression, but little direction. The main take home message to the players from this game should be that the referee is in charge and that it is vital to adapt
straight away to his interpretation of the game.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 13th March 2011
Winchester & Havant Barbarians 22 Tottonians 40
With the sun shining after the morning’s rain, Tottonians took on a combined Winchester-Havant barbarians side on the main pitch at Havant. Playing in front of a grandstand obviously inspired the
players, because as poor as last week’s performance had been, this time the boys seemed up for the game.
Although Winchester had the early territorial advantage, they were somewhat fortunate to take the lead when a speculative kick forward bounced back off the post and into the arms of an on-rushing home player, who dotted down under the posts,
7 – 0. However, Tottonians were soon on the attack, led by strong tackling from James Adam and Jack Palmer. This provided the platform for the
three-quarters to sweep the ball left and right across the pitch, with James Adam eventually taking advantage of a gap in defence to score under the posts. Ryan Martin added
the two points, 7 – 7. A pick up and drive from the base of the scrum by Andy Robinson allowed our backs to show their running skills once more, with Sam
Elson providing the finishing touches with a mazy run, 7 – 14. Just when Tottonians were looking like gaining control, a mistake in mid-field allowed Winchester to regain possession and touch down in the
corner, 12 – 14. With both teams now evenly matched, there was a period of closely contested rucks and mauls in midfield. The home side looked to have created an overlap, but Mark
robbed the ball in the tackle and sprinted clear from halfway to score under the posts, 12 – 21. Despite good work in the forwards by Jack Hillman and Josh
Jewell, Totts were adjudged to have offended at a line out and Winchester took a quick tap penalty to close the first half with another score in the corner, 17 – 21.
The second half saw the visitors quickly on the attack. A fine run by Richard Collis down the right wing was repulsed, but good work by Jack Palmer and
Cameron Smith tied up the home side full back as he looked to clear. James Tilley scored from a darting scrum half run. Ryan Martin had left the field with a
recurring injury, so Todd Arnison stepped up to add the extras, 17 – 28. A moment’s indiscipline saw us reduced to fourteen men for ten minutes, and Winchester took advantage of
the extra body in the forwards to drive over from a rolling maul, 22 – 28. However, with the man restored, Tottonians were once more in control and good work by James Tilley and
Josh Jewell allowed Ciaran Allen to take advantage of space on the right wing to score in the corner, 22 – 33. Winchester were beginning to flag
under the pressure. Matt Watts almost burst through some tired tackles and although he was brought to ground, Tottonians were now clearly in command. Joe Cross outran the
defence to make what was to be the final score, with a try under the posts, 22 – 40.
Last week’s performance was a disappointment, but this week the team showed what it is capable of, when players rise to the challenge. This encounter was won by Tottonians exerting pressure in every part of the pitch and providing a platform for
our backs to demonstrate their running skills.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 6th March 2011
Tottonians 13 Alton 24
This was our third meeting of the season with Alton, but the first league meeting. So, after two close defeats in friendly matches, hopes were high that we would be able to prevail when it really
mattered.
Unfortunately, we went into this match missing all of our experienced flankers and the lack of quick tackling and pressure was to prove costly. This allowed the Alton players to cross the gain line unimpeded and only fine tackling by
Sam Elson, Will House and Mike Nguyen prevented the visitors from making further inroads. Somewhat against the run of play, Totts broke into
the opposition half and Ryan Martin took advantage of an offside to slot over a penalty, 3 – 0. Alton were soon back on the attack and the few half breaks that came to the home side
were quickly closed down. Eventually the pressure told and the Alton No.8 was able to slip a tackle and score under the posts, 3 – 7. After a brief period of pressure by the home side after the restart, Alton
intercepted a pass and were held up over the line. The relief was short-lived as the visitors broke from the base of the five-metres scrum and scored in the corner, 3 – 12. The only bright spot in the first
half came when Matt Watts broke out from defence on a charging run, only to outrun his support which allowed Alton to regain possession.
Alton kicked off the second half and Andy Robinson was able to make a break down the right wing. Although he was forced into touch, Tottonians turned over the line out and Todd Arnison
was able to take advantage of confusion in the defending ranks to touch down in Co-op corner, 8 – 12. The home side enjoyed a brief period of pressure after the restart, but our inability to stop Alton’s runners
before they gained momentum cost us once more and the visitors were able to extend their lead by driving over from a five-metres scrum, 8 – 19. Further misunderstanding in the home side ranks allowed Alton to quickly
increase their lead with another score in the corner, 8 – 24. With twenty minutes remaining on the clock, there were fears of a rout. Fortunately, the players regrouped and some good tackling by
Jack Palmer, Ryan Martin and Josh Jewell stemmed the tide and took play into the visitor’s half. A clearing kick was well-fielded by
Cameron Smith and his run set up a ruck twenty metres out. As the ball squirted out the side, Josh Jewell pounced on the loose ball and scored a consolation try in the corner,
13 – 24.
This was an eminently winnable game, but poor tackling and lack of pressure on the first phase ball cost Tottonians dearly. Too often we relied on last-ditch tackles to bring down opponents who had already built up a head of steam.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 27th February 2011
Fawley 38Tottonians 0
Although we were missing a large number of players because of half term activities and injuries, we still mustered a squad of twenty-two players for our visit to near-neighbours, Fawley.
Totts exerted good pressure from the opening kick off, but it was soon apparent that Fawley were the stronger team. After a series of driving mauls, their fly half broke through a couple of ineffectual tackles and scored under the posts,
7 – 0. The visitors again mounted a period of sustained pressure after the restart, but the home side's left winger, who was to prove a real handful, broke away from his own half and only a superb last ditch tackle by
Ryan Martin prevented the score. Despite repelling this attack, the pressure was still on and the same player broke through once more. This time it was Todd Arnison who
chased back to make the vital tackle. However, Fawley were not to be denied and from the breakdown they shipped the ball out left for a score in the corner, 12 – 0. Despite the warning signs, Tottonians again allowed
the left winger too much space and he outpaced the defence to score under the posts 19 – 0. There was some fine individual tackling from Totts, notably by Dom Benham and
Sam Elson, but our defence lacked organisation. This was exemplified when a wayward clearing kick went straight down the throat of the right winger, who accepted the gift and ran in an easy try to end the half
24 – 0.
The half time talk obviously had an affect and Totts were clearly much more organised after the break. We were somewhat unlucky to go behind when Fawley were allowed to continue a drive despite a Tottonian player lying injured next to the maul.
With several of the defenders distracted by their stricken team mate, Fawley were able to take advantage of the gaps to score and increase their advantage to 31 – 0. Fortunately, although Andy
Robinson required several minutes’ treatment, he was able to leave the pitch under his own steam. But this left Totts depleted in the forwards and while the team was reorganising, Fawley took advantage to score another try
38 – 0. Tottonians were clearly energised by events and came back strongly. As the rain started to pour down, we organised a series of strong drives downfield and were unfortunate not to register some points. The
last twenty minutes of the game were keenly contested, with strong tackles coming in from both sides, but neither side was able to record any further scores.
There were a lot of positives to be taken from this encounter, with several of the newer players gaining valuable game experience against strong opposition. There was hard tackling on both sides, but the game was played in good sporting spirit in
the fine traditions of the game.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 20th February 2011
Tottonians 53 US Portsmouth 3
Although the recent wind and rain had abated, the treacle-like consistency of the bottom pitch suggested that this league encounter against US Portsmouth was going to be a battle of the
forwards. Fortunately, Tottonians had not read the script and served up a feast of running rugby.
Matt Watts fielded the opening kick off and made good ground up the wing. The ball was quickly cycled out to Ryan Martin who put a good tactical kick into the corner. A fine
chase by Cameron Smith wrapped up the opposition full-back and from turnover ball at the ruck, James Tilley scored on the blind side 5 – 0. On a
rare foray into the home twenty-two metres area, the visitors were able to catch their opponents offside in front of the posts and elected to take the points, 5 – 3. However, any hope of a USP comeback were soon
snuffed out when an attempted drop goal by Ryan Martin bounced back off the post and nicely into the hands of Andy Robinson who popped the ball up for
Dom Benham to score, with Ryan adding the points, 12 – 3. From the restart, Tottonians were soon on the attack. Good driving play down the centre by
the forwards led to the ball being rapidly passed down the line. Although Josh Jewell was held just short, Cameron was on hand to take the off-load and score,
17 – 3. The next score came straight from the kick-off when James Spencer fielded the ball and passed to Todd Arnison, who simply broke a couple
of tackles and outpaced the defence to score under the posts, 24 – 3. Another series of good interplays between the backs and the forwards resulted in a ruck on the USP line. The ball was quickly spread wide, where
Jack Palmer drew the full back and popped a pass for Josh Jewell to score under the posts, 31 – 3. Good work in the forwards by Rob Gibson
and James Hucker freed up Mark for a quick dash down the line. Although he was knocked into touch just short of the line, Totts robbed the line out and
Jack Hillman was on hand to finish off the driving maul, 36 – 3. The visitors were finally able to secure the ball from the restart and looked almost certain to score, when the ball
was somehow ripped from the Portsmouth player’s hands as he was in the act of touching down. Swift work from Cameron and Mark created a ruck on the half way line and a deft
break and dummy from Ryan released Todd for a kick and chase, that ended with a score under the posts to finished the first half at 43 – 3.
To their great credit, Portsmouth looked a different team after the break. Whereas in the first half they had waved the Tottonians through on several occasions, they came out determined to make a game of it. Although they were pinned back inside
their own twenty-two for long periods, they tackled with determination and kept the home side at bay. With twenty minutes of the second half gone and no further score, referee Ian Collis decided to enliven proceedings with a surprisingly
agile back flip in front of the spectators, who showed their appreciation in the traditional manner. With the evidence on video, we can look forward to the replay on YouTube! Meanwhile, Totts decided it was time to reassert our authority on the
pitch. A typically graceful run by Mike Nguyen took the ball fifty metres up the field, and Matt Watts was at his shoulder to take the pass and score in the corner,
48 – 3. Another fine break by Mike led to a ruck and an over-eager defender being pinged for offside. Andy Robinson took the tap penalty and
burst through the tiring defence, before giving Dom Benham the honour of making the final score 53 – 3.
This was an excellent performance by a Tottonians' side that was by no means at full strength. In attack, good controlled possession by the forwards was quickly passed along the back line to give the wingers many more opportunities than they
could have expected in the sticky conditions. The attacking threat may have been limited, but nobody shirked any tackles against some big opponents and our line remained intact throughout.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 13th February 2011
Tottonians 14 Alton 19
Tottonians took on Alton in a friendly match at Testwood. The pouring rain and driving wind made conditions difficult for the players and the spectators — hence the brevity of this report.
Although this was a friendly match, where both teams took the opportunity to use their full squads, it was keenly contested throughout. The opening period was fairly even with good tackles by Ed Norris and
Mark on the wings stopping dangerous incursions by the visitors. The deadlock was broken when an unfortunate knock-on of the slippery ball was pounced on by Alton to score under the posts, 0
– 7. Totts were soon back in the game when good tackles by Reece Wilkinson and Jonno Hibbert set the platform for strong runs by Fraser Wiles
and Dom Benham that eventually led to Reece scoring in the corner. Ryan Martin landed an excellent conversion from wide out to even the
scores, 7 – 7. The restart kick from Alton went flying along the surface like a greased piglet, eluding the grasping hands of our defenders. By the time we had recovered our bearings, an Alton attacker had infiltrated
our lines and touched down to bring the half to and end at 7 – 14.
If anything, the intensity of the rain and wind increased in the second half, such that much of the game was confined to a battle between the two sets for forwards. Eventually, Totts gained the upper hand when a good driving run by
James Hucker was held up just short, only for Jack Palmer to dive over from the base of the ruck and level the score to 14 – 14. With time running
out, the Alton fly-half put up a speculative kick that sliced off the side of his boot before being caught by the wind. With everyone searching through the rain to see where the ball had gone, the Alton winger found it dropping into his arms and
gratefully ran in the winning score, 14 – 19.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 23rd January 2011
Portsmouth 70 Tottonians 12
Tottonians came up against our strongest opposition of the season in an away friendly at Portsmouth. The game was split into three twenty-five minute periods to provide the opportunity for
additional coaching in the intervals.
The opening period started well for the visitors, with some fine tactical kicking from Ryan Martin, creating opportunities for both Jonno Hibbert and
Joe Cross. Andy Robinson and Matt Watts led some strong forward drives and Todd Arnison created a good
chance with a clever chip over defence. However, there was no doubt that Portsmouth were the stronger side and despite some particularly fine tackling by Dom Benham and Fraser Wiles,
they turned their dominance into points with three tries in the opening period, 17 – 0.
It was a similar story after the break, with Tottonians largely on the defence. Reece Wilkinson, Rob Gibson and Josh Jewell all put in
some try-saving tackles, but it was only a matter of time before Portsmouth extended their lead. However, Matt Watts led a rare foray into the opposition twenty-two metres area and although he was held up just
short, Mark ran the clearing kick back for a fine debut try, with Ryan Martin adding the extras to bring the second period to a close 29 – 7.
Tottonians started the final period well, with a good tackle by Phil Overthrow disrupting the home side attack and eventually leading to Todd forcing Portsmouth to concede a
five metres scrum. Good control was rewarded when Ciaran Allen took the ball from the base to score in the corner. By now, however, the superior size and strength of the Portsmouth side had drained the
visitors’ defensive reserves, and they were able to score with a succession of powerful forward drives and sweeping three-quarters moves.
The final score of 70 – 12 suggests a slaughter, with Portsmouth being the stronger side by a distance, but this was not a totally one-sided game. For much of the match, Tottonians matched their opponents in
the mid-field battles and could well have finished closer if a few decisions had gone our way.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 9th January 2011
Tottonians 12 Fordingbridge 30
From the opening kick off, Tottonians exerted good early pressure on our visitors. Cameron Smith returned a clearing kick from Fordingbridge and the ball found
its way out to Joe Cross on the left wing, who was bundled into touch just short of the line. Fordingbridge looked to break from their twenty-two, but a wayward kick went straight to
Jack Palmer who was held up just short of the try line after a good run. Totts were left to rue these early missed chances as Fordingbridge gained in confidence and drove the ball up-field with a series of pick and run drives, that
ended with good ball movement along the backs and a score close to the posts, 0 – 5. The home side came back strongly, with Todd Arnison being held up just short, but we were not
to be denied. Although 'Bridge took the five metres scrum against the head, a loose pass was pounced on by Jack Hillman for the score, with Ryan Martin adding a good
conversion from out wide, putting us in front 7 – 5. Again Fordingbridge regrouped and were soon exerting pressure on the Tottonians' line. A penalty shot was missed, but they ran the resulting drop-out back for a
score in the left hand corner 7 – 10. Unfortunately, Ciaran Allen had to make way at scrum half after being raked at the bottom of a ruck and while we were still sorting the
positions out, his opposite number took advantage of the confusion to score a breakaway try to end the half 7 – 15.
The second half was evenly contested for the first fifteen minutes with Dom Benham deputising well at scrum half and Sam Elson putting in some fine tackles at
full-back. There was no doubt that Fordingbridge were gaining the upper hand, with their scrum half orchestrating much of the play. After the visitors’ forwards cleared out a ruck, he span the ball wide and created an overlap for the left winger
to touch down in the corner, increasing our deficit to 7 – 20. Fraser Wiles put in some strong tackling in the forwards, but Tottonians were now playing much of the game on the back
foot. After a period of pressure in our own twenty-two metres area, an attempt to run the ball out from defence was punished with an interception try, 7 – 25. To our credit, we kept our heads up and continued to take
the game to the opposition and Andy Robinson drove over from a tap penalty to claw back seven five points, 12 –25. This seem to galvanize Tottonians and good work by
Stuart Morton and James Spencer kept the pressure on, but with the home side having to chase the game, Fordingbridge were able to take advantage of turnover ball to score the
final points and close this encounter at 12 – 30.
There is no doubt that the better team won on the day, but if Tottonians had been able to take advantage of the early pressure and had not been unlucky to lose a key player early on, the result could have gone our way.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 28th November 2010
Swanage & Wareham 26 Tottonians 7
Having travelled to the far east of our territory last week, this Sunday we ventured into deepest Dorset to take on Swanage and Wareham. There was a sprinkling of snow in the hedgerows, but the pitch was in good condition and there was
scarcely a breath of wind. As this was a friendly match, we took another large squad of twenty-six and made sure that everyone played at least half the match.
Reece Wilkinson started the proceedings with an excellent follow-up from the Tottonians’ kick off and forced the home side into conceding a penalty. The resulting line out in the corner was won by the Swans and
cleared into touch, but the visitors were soon on the attack again and most of the game was being played in the home side's half. More good work in the loose by Reece led to a run by Jack
Palmer, who set the ball back for Ryan Martin to drive down the blind side. He was held up just short of the line where the Swans managed to break free. However, good tackling by
Josh Jewell and Fraser Wiles snuffed out any threat of a breakthrough. A loose ball was well picked up by Phil Overthrow on the move and he set
the ball up for Andy Robinson to take it on and find Joe Cross in space. He out-paced the defence on the left wing and took the ball under the posts for the opening score, with
Ryan Martin adding the points, 0 – 7. This should have been the cue for Totts to press home our advantage, but a tendency to stand off at the breakdown, plus a lack of quick support for
the runner, allowed the hosts back into the game. The momentum of the match changed and we spent the last fifteen minutes of the half defending our line. Resolute defence stopped most of the attacks, with Ed Challis
putting in some hard work at fullback. Eventually the pressure told, resulting in a Swanage score from a forward drive on the stroke of half-time, 7 – 7.
Tottonians swapped more than half the side at the break to continue our policy of developing the potential of all the players in the squad. Inevitably, this led to some disruption in the team’s cohesion and despite good runs by
Matt Watts and Todd Arnison, we were soon on the back foot. From a five metres scrum, the home side’s fly half put in a clever kick to the right wing where the Swans' player won the
race to the ball, 12 – 7. Dom Benham and Cameron Smith put in a series of strong tackles, but most of the team’s effort was directed into defending
our line, rather than making any serious assaults against the opposition. Swanage are too good a team to be kept at bay through defence alone and there was an air of inevitability about their next score, that followed a five metres scrum and drive,
19 – 7. Nevertheless, Totts kept at the task and we were rewarded by some good work at scrum half by Jack Budd. Several strong runs up field by Will House,
Andy and Matt. Too often however, these individual runs lacked the close support that would have turned them into scoring opportunities. When this was coupled with a tendency to
take the ball face-on into contact, it meant that good ball was consistently being turned over by Swanage in the loose. They took advantage of one such turnover to mount a series of pick and run drives, that concluded with the final score of the
game, bringing the total to 26 – 7.
The score line records a defeat, but this was an encounter where our primary aim was to provide further game time for the less experienced members of the squad. In this sense, the day was highly successful.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 21st November 2010
Rushmoor 5 Tottonians 61
Tottonians opened the league campaign with an away trip to play Rushmoor, a team formed from a combined Aldershot and Farnborough (our hosts) squad. The weather was cold and breezy, but
conditions underfoot were excellent. So, with only a couple of players missing, it was an ideal day to put our early season preparations to the test.
Dom Benham captained the side and led by example from the start, ripping the ball free in the tackle and setting the visitors on the attack. Rushmoor managed to clear the ball into touch, but good lineout ball
was passed rapidly along the three-quarters in a flowing move that sent Joe Cross over in the left corner for the first score after five minutes, 0 – 5. This set the tone for the
opening period. A fine run from his own half by Andy Robinson set up a ruck which was cleaned out by Will House and gave good ball to the backs. More crisp passing put
Stuart Morton over the line to the right of the posts, with Ryan Martin adding the extras, 0 – 12. Another phase of quick movement by the backs and
excellent mauling by the forwards set up a ruck forty metres out. Ciaran Allen spotted a gap on the blind side and raced through for another score, 0 – 17. The theme continued after
the kick-off and it was not long before Matt Watts took the opportunity to force over from close range, 0 – 22. The set pieces were also working well, with
Will House and Jack Hillman dominating the lines-out. The front row of Rob Gibson, Jack Palmer and
Matt Watts were consistently winning ball against the head. Sam Elson was unlucky to see a jinking run end in a knock-on ten metres out and although the home side secured the ball and kicked for
touch, Dom Benham charged down the ball and was on hand to score, after Andy Robinson was held up just short, 0 – 29. To their credit,
Rushmoor did not give up the fight, but they were helped when Tottonians started to look to personal glory and stopped the swift passing that had been reaping so many rewards. As a result, the last ten minutes of the half passed without further
score and with the home side starting to mount a comeback.
The half time team talk set the Water Lane Lads back on the right road, and from the kick-off Jack Palmer took the ball up the pitch and set up good ball. Quick passing through the backs released
Todd Arnison to outpace the defence and score in the left corner, 0 – 34. Reece Wilkinson took the ball from the restart and combined with
James Hucker to take the ball into the Rushmoor half. Fast ball from the ruck was passed to Jonno Hibbert, who combined well with James Adam
and Ciaran Allen. The latter completing the move with a score in the corner, 0 – 39. There was more of the same after the kick-off and this time Joe Cross
and Josh Jewell took the ball up to the try line. The home side stopped the move with an accidental high tackle, but Andy Robinson quickly took the tap penalty and dived over
the line, 0 – 44. More quick passing along the backs followed, when James Spencer secured the ball in the loose and freed Ryan Martin on the
right. He unselfishly passed the ball inside to allow James Adam to score closer to the posts, 0 – 49. Over-eagerness by Tottonians gave away several offside penalties in succession
and took the visitors close to our line. After being held up and awarded a five metres scrum, James Tilley robbed the scrum half and Ryan Martin cleared to touch.
Will House took the home side’s ball from the line out and a forward move saw Matt Watts put in a typical charging run from the halfway line. He was stopped just short, but was
able to pop the ball up for Andy Robinson to complete the try and for Ryan Martin to add the points, 0 – 56. To their credit, Rushmoor came back
strongly, but after losing the ball close to our line, Ed Norris took the ball down the left wing and into the home side's twenty-two. Rushmoor were able to win the ball back and kick for touch, only to see
Sam Elson run the ball back over the try line, 0 – 61. By now, Rushmoor were gaining in confidence and again took the ball into Totts' territory, with only a fine last-gasp tackle by
Cameron Smith preventing the score. However, the home side were not to be denied and from a tap penalty, they drove over for a well-deserved score to end the match, 5 – 61.
It was a real joy to watch good strong forward play combining with swift passing through the backs to put over a series of classic wingers’ tries. It wasn’t perfect — we need to keep the team ethic going throughout the game — but every player
made a significant contribution. This performance should give the players real confidence for the rest of our league fixtures. Many thanks to our hosts. Rushmoor never gave up and made us work throughout. Their post-match hospitality was in the
best traditions of the game.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 7th November 2010
Alton 17 Tottonians 10
This was our final friendly before the league fixtures start. The sun was shining, but a cold wind didn’t make handling easy. As has been usual lately we travelled with a big squad, so there was a chance to give some of the newer
players more time at the start.
The Alton pack proved to be the stronger in the opening exchanges and took the ball against the head in the scrums. They made use of the possession to make several good runs up the left wing, but strong tackles by Stuart
Morton and Ed Challis kept them at bay. Nevertheless, the Alton pressure started to tell and they were unlucky to be held up when they went over the line. The home side quickly regrouped from the scrum
and drove through the defensive line for the first score, 5 – 0. Good pressure from Sam from the kick-off forced an error from Alton, but again they took the ball against the head and
were able to drive the ball into Totts' half. Fortunately, Reece Wilkinson was able to rip the ball free in a maul and broke down field to relieve the pressure, before a knock-on in the three quarters gave
possession back to the opposition. Despite a strong tackle by Todd, Alton were not to be denied on this occasion and they passed the ball out wide to score in the left corner, 10 – 0. Alton
continued to dominate after the restart, but a quick break from Ciaran Allen almost put Stuart Morton through for a score. Although he was brought to ground, the ball was quickly
cycled right to Ed Norris on the opposite wing, where he nearly made it through before being forced into touch to end the half.
The second half started much more brightly for Tottonians. The kick off was gathered well and Ciaran Allen made a quick break from behind the maul to take the ball into the Alton twenty two metres area. Possession
was secured from the break down and our pack drove the ball over the line. Although we were held up on the first drive, good runs by Jack Hillman and Jack Palmer from the
resulting scrum freed up James Adam to dart over the line, 10 – 5. The visitors secured the ball from the restart and sent a clearing kick up field. Good chasing by
Cameron Smith recovered the ball and put Alton under pressure once more. This time, the home side were able to clear their lines, but the Totts' line out and scrum were now securing regular ball. Will House robbed the Alton put-in at a line-out on halfway and nice interplay between Rob Gibson, Dom and Sam put
Jonno clear on the right wing. He was tackled close to line but managed to stay in play, popping the ball up to James Adam to race down the wing for his second score,
10 – 10. By now the traffic was all going one way but with time running out, Tottonians were guilty of trying to force the ball over the line through the forwards, when a ball spread out wide might have been more
productive. With the visitors committing everything to attack, a clearing kick by Alton found our defence undermanned and the home side were able to take advantage of an overlap to score the winning try in the dying minutes,
17 – 10.
Although this will go down in the record books as a defeat, this was very much a training game for the whole squad. Our second half performance should provide encouragement for the first meaningful game in a fortnight’s time.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 31st October 2010
Tottonians 27 Andover 7
Tottonians took to the main pitch on a breezy and damp morning to entertain Andover. Our visitors arrived with a man short, so Ed Challis had
the honour of being the first to volunteer to even up the sides.
We had the bulk of the territorial advantage early on. Accurate throwing and support allowed Kieran Knight and Will House to dominate the lines out and
strong drives from the scrum gave Dom Benham the opportunity to take several balls against the head. Indeed, this combination proved key to the opening score. Good line out ball was turned
into a maul ten metres out from the Andover line and as the pack smuggled the ball out to the side, Dom took advantage of a gap in the defence to nip through for an opportunist try,
5 – 0. We lost last year’s fixture at Andover through a chronic inability to secure the restart ball and it looked like history was going to repeat itself today. The kick-off sailed into a gap and
while the Tottonians' players were deciding who should take charge, Andover’s forwards were on top of us and forced our defence to concede a five metres scrum. Totts won the ball against the head, but the opposition scrum half
hacked the loose ball forwards and Andover were adjudged to have got the vital touch over the line, 5 – 7.
The visitors started to exert more pressure and spend more time in Totts' half. Nevertheless, good handling in the backs created overlaps for both Todd and Jonno
to make quick breaks down either wing. In both cases however, a lack of close support as the player was tackled meant that scoring opportunities were lost.
The second half started with Stuart Morton and Phil Overthrow joining the Andover ranks as injuries further depleted the visitor’s numbers. To their
credit, both players gave a one hundred percent, with Phil gaining more valuable game experience and Stuart putting in two strong tackles on
Matt Watts. But the latter was to take his revenge when a strong run down the right wing by Josh Jewell was quickly recycled to Matt,
who drove over from twenty metres out, 10 – 7. Tottonians were now transferring the ball faster from the forwards to the waiting backs as we grew in confidence. A darting run from
Ed Challis took the ball close to the Andover line. Although the defence recovered the ball, a crunching tackle by James Adams won possession back. Quick
ball along the back line gave Joe Cross the opportunity to score in the left hand corner and although he was held up just short, Will House was on hand to
complete the scoring, 15 – 7. Andover were far from out of it and they came back strongly to force a penalty ten metres out from our line. As their biggest forward looked to charge through the
defensive line, an uncompromising tackle from Jack Palmer put him on his back. Andy Robinson made several strong runs from the base of the scrums and good
support from fellow forwards Rob Gibson and James Spencer kept Andover pinned inside their own half. The pressure told and this time
Joe Cross was not to be denied, as another flowing back move put him over in the corner, 20 – 7. By now, Totts were completely dominating play and a series of
probing runs by Sam Elson and Ciaran Allen allowed Matt Watts to claim his second try of the match as the Andover
defence opened up. James Adam knocked over the conversion to complete the scoring, 27 – 7. A touch of white line fever meant that Tottonians were
unable to add to the points tally, but the game ended with us camped on the Andover line.
This win was just the confidence booster the team needed to take into next month’s league games. We have a strong pack and a speedy set of backs. When we are able to link the two, we are a force to be reckoned with.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 10th October 2010
Fareham Heathens 10 Tottonians 0
Tottonians took a squad of twenty-six players to Fareham on an unseasonably hot and sunny day. As this was a friendly fixture, it was decided to split the game into three twenty minute periods, to
provide additional coaching during the breaks. It also meant that squad development was going to be the priority over playing our strongest side.
It was clear from the start that Fareham were going to try and use their big size advantage in the forwards to batter their way through Totts' defences. After five minutes, it looked like this tactic was going to reap rewards, as Heathens took
the ball upfield in a series of powerful runs. Despite appearing to drop the ball at the last minute, they were awarded a score in the corner, 5 – 0. Whereas in previous years Tottonians might have buckled under the
pressure, this current side was determined to give Fareham a hard game. With the tackles flying in from all sides, it is difficult to pick out individuals for special praise, but Cameron Smith was notable for
putting his body on the line as the last defender. Fraser Wiles and Rob Gibson also contributed sterling efforts in the loose that culminated in Fareham being robbed of the
ball as they were about to crash over the line for another score. Just before the end of the first period, Stuart Morton gathered the ball after Dom Benham forced a handling
error, and sprinted sixty metres up the wing before being forced into touch by a the last defender.
Multiple substitutions were made by Totts the break, but the committed defence continued from the visiting side. Full back Sam Elson followed up a fine clearing kick into the wind and was unlucky not to make
further progress, after an accidental offside in midfield. Fareham regrouped and drove forward, but this time it was Reece Wilkinson who broke up the attack. As he appeared ready to break free, he was brought
down by a dangerously high tackle that earned the Fareham player a yellow card. The strong wind made it difficult to clear our lines, until a good tactical kick by Ryan Martin was chased down by Richard Collis and taken into the Fareham twenty two. Unfortunately, a penalty was conceded for going over the top at the maul and Fareham were able to resume their assault on the Tottonians' line. Good work at the
breakdown by Andy Robinson stopped the home side in their tracks and the second period ended with no further score.
The final period started with a great drop-out from Ryan Martin that instantly put Fareham under pressure. Although the hosts put in a relieving kick, a fine take by Aaron
put the visitors back on the attack. Good drives by Matt Watts and Andy Robinson were rewarded with a penalty, that was put into touch five metres out. With
Will House and James Adams securing excellent ball all day from the line out, Tottonians could reasonably have expected to mount a strong drive on the try line. However, the
referee decided to ping them for not coming up to the line quickly enough and the opportunity was lost. Fareham took advantage of their good fortune to march the ball down field and score with the final play of the game,
10 – 0.
On the balance of play, Fareham probably deserved the win, but they were given a hard game by a Tottonians' team that was determined to make them fight for every inch of ground. The main difference between the sides was that we were unable to
secure quick ball from the breakdown, which meant that our backs had very little room in which to operate.
However, this was another match where the squad took a significant step forward towards, establishing ourselves as a hardened group of players.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 3rd October 2010
Tottonians 10 Vectis 12
After last week’s sunshine we were back to traditional rugby weather of driving wind and pouring rain. This meant the game was switched to Testwood to avoid too much early season damage to the
Water Lane pitches. Both teams had large squads for this friendly fixture, so both took the opportunity to give everyone a good run out.
Tottonians started by giving some of the newer players a start and our enthusiasm soon forced Vectis into a knock-on after good pressure from the kick off. To be fair, both sides were having difficulty holding onto the ball in the adverse
conditions. Vectis soon adopted the pragmatic tactic of keeping the ball in hand for a prolonged series of pick and run drives. Although the resolute Totts defence kept progress to a few yards from each phase, our visitors had enough possession
to keep the ball in our half for a sustained period. Eventually, the pressure told and the Vectis centre was able to scramble over the line from close range, 0 – 5. Although the island side secured the ball
after the kick off, strong tackling by Reece Wilkinson, Fraser Wiles and Ed Norris slowed their progress to the extent that Vectis were
forced to concede a penalty whilst trying to secure their own ball. Ryan Martin went for goal, but the strong wind carried the ball just wide of the posts. From the drop out, the visitors took advantage of our
one instance of poor tackling to free up their right winger, who outpaced our defence and scored under the posts for a converted try, 0 – 12. As our more experienced replacements were filtered into the team,
the tide turned. Good pressure by James Tilly on the opposing scrum half forced Vectis onto the back foot and Totts ended the half on the attack.
This change in momentum gathered force in the second half as our pack took control of the set pieces. A powerful scrum set the platform for several good runs by
Matt Watts and Mike Nguyen. Good close support meant that these efforts were not in vain, and after another run by Jack Palmer,
Jack Hillman took the ball up the blind side from the ruck and scored in the corner, 5 – 12. Vectis recognised that the contest was on, and upped their efforts. Both front rows were
fully committed to the contest and Rob Gibson and Jordan Price refused to let their opposite props dominate. This led to a few discussions with the referee, but the effort
was there for all to see. By now Totts were doing most of the attacking and forced Vectis into a hurried clearance. Sam Elson gathered a high swirling ball and with good support from
Stuart Morton, drove the ball back into the opposition's twenty-two. Another forceful run by Matt Watts freed the ball to be passed along the three quarters to Ciaran Allen,
who dotted the ball down over the line, 10 – 12. As the game was drawing to a close, Tottonians had one more chance to make the winning score as Joe Cross broke free. With
just the full back to beat, he chose to take him on but was stopped by a strong tackle and this allowed Vectis to clear their lines.
Although this result goes down as a defeat, in every meaningful way it was a far better performance and result than last week’s comfortable win. We were playing against an opposition ranked two divisions above us, who had turned us over in
frankly one-sided affairs in our last two league games. This was a good team performance in which the whole squad showed they can rise to the occasion.
Martin Palmer
Sunday, 26th September 2010
Blandford 12 Tottonians 50
Tottonians Under 16s began the season with a sunny autumn trip to Blandford. Unfortunately, our hosts are going through a bit of a lean time in terms of recruitment at this level and could only muster nine players at the start. Luckily, we now have our biggest squad for this cohort of players. So, even in the absence of a few of our normal stalwarts we travelled with a squad of twenty two, that included five making their debut for the Club, and were able to even up the sides. Given the circumstances though, this was always going to be more of a practice game than a strongly competitive fixture.
The opening exchanges largely took place in Blandford’s half as the Tottonians' pack took control. Dom Benham robbed the ball in the tackle and released
Matt Watts for a typical strong run up the centre that eventually led to Mike Nguyen being held up over the line. However, the relief was short-lived for Blandford as
Will House picked up from the base of the five metres scrum to score in the corner, 0 – 5. This good work was soon undone, however, when poor tackling after the restart allowed the
Blandford winger to break free on the left and score unopposed under the posts, 7 – 5. With our pack dominating the scrums and rucks, the backs were given a constant supply of ball. Too often however, the player on
the ball looked to make the individual run for glory, rather than pass the ball quickly into space. This inevitably led to players becoming isolated and the ball being turned over. As Blandford cleared their lines once more,
Sam Elson made a good run from the full-back position and set up a ruck close to the line. This time the ball was rapidly passed along the three-quarters and Mike Nguyen found
the space to score from close in, with Ryan Martin adding the conversion, 7 – 12. Sam Elson collected the restart and, with good support from the
forwards, the ball was quickly passed out to the backs by James Tilly to allow Joe Cross to score under the posts, 7 – 19. Although Totts
dominated from the restart, too many individual runners were either unsupported or elected to take the ball into contact rather than pass to the open man. This allowed Blandford more turnover ball than they could have expected and once again
their left winger was able to glide past some ineffectual tackling to reduce the arrears to 12 –19 at the half.
Strong words were said at half time and the team appeared more fired up after the restart. James Adam put in a storming run and the ball was quickly fed out to Richard Collis
on the right. Although he lost the ball in the tackle, Tottonians won the ball against the head in the resultant scrum. Will House looked to repeat his score from the first half, but learned that crawling over
the line on your hands and knees is not permitted. But Blandford failed to take the opportunity to clear their lines and Matt Watts hammered through the defence to score from a tap penalty,
12 – 24. From the kick off, Tottonians kicked into the space behind the winger, and were unlucky not to win the race to the line. However, the drop-out fell straight to Jordan Price
and quick passing through the hands released Jonno to score close to the posts, with Todd adding the points on this occasion, 12 – 31. The
tackling had now improved and Ed Norris, James Spencer and Dom Benham all put in strong hits to knock back the opposition. From a scrum
near the half way line good work between the half backs, Richard Collis and Ryan Martin, freed Joe Cross in the centre to score his second
of the game, with Ryan Martin resuming the kicking duties, 12 – 38. The game went through a scrappy phase as players were interchanged between the teams, and as the Blandford team
were readjusting themselves, Ryan Martin took advantage of the confusion to slip through several missed tackles for a score, 12 – 43. The final action of the game saw
Rob Gibson break free down the right wing. Good support from Will House and Phil took the ball close to the line and released
Jordan Price to touch down, 12 – 50.
Although it is always pleasing to start the season with a win, the result was less important than the chance to blow away the cobwebs of summer. Overall, we learned that when we put in the tackles and when we pass the ball quickly to the man in
space, we have the makings of a good team. But, we have to do this on a consistent basis from the kick-off if we are not going to be turned over by more organised opposition.
A final word — Blandford are a very friendly club who play on beautiful pitches in a glorious setting on the banks of the River Stour. They deserve to attract more players to their club and we wish them good luck for the future.
Martin Palmer