Third win in a row for Gosport and Fareham

In a bit of a departure from recent matches we arrived at Farnborough in glorious sunshine. It may have been freezing but the sun was out and the pitch wasn't a bog...hmm, a dry(ish) pitch...but the boys love playing in the muddy conditions...fingers crossed for this one then.
After being beaten earlier in the Cup by Farnborough A, the boys were looking to redress the balance a little and, when they saw a few familiar faces in the Farnborough squad, it added to the determination that they were going to make this their day, their game, their third in a row.
In a scene reminiscent of the Armageddon slow motion walk...or maybe closer to this one...they strode out onto the Farnborough turf. They were ready.
Harvey kicked off for Gosport and Fareham. Farnborough immediately went on to the attack using their forwards to get the ball to the 22m line before knocking on. First scrum of the game. Now this was going to be interesting, what happened here could prove pivotal to the rest of the match. The Farnborough pack certainly had the size and weight advantage over ours. Ollie P took Scrum Half duties and rolled the ball into the tunnel. Dylan hooked the ball back as Farnborough started their shove...the pack moved back. The Second Row pairing of Alex and Josh steadied themselves and, after the pack had absorbed the initial push they countered with their own...just enough for the pack to edge forward and roll the ball back...phew!
Farnborough picked up the ball after a knock on in the centre of the pitch and the ref played the advantage. They carried the ball from half way to the Gosport and Fareham 22m but our defence held firm and they lost the ball forward. Harvey recovered it, side stepped a tackle and noticed the acres of space behind the advancing Farnborough team. He hoisted a kick deep into their half, it was now a race between him and their full back. The full back got there first and hit the ground, Harvey wrestled the ball from him as the Farnborough backup arrived. He popped the ball back into the waiting hands of Alex who sprinted for the line, breaking the first tackle...almost a clear run...but then he was snagged from behind but still managed to make 5m with a player hanging on to his shirt (and this is why we don't grab shirts boys - it doesn't work!), off loaded the ball and...knock on! Noooooo!
Still, we weren't even 10 minutes in and things were looking promising.
Farnborough won their scrum and took the ball to half way before it was won back in a lovely piece of counter rucking with Alex taking it along the left wing before switching play back to the right, through the hands of the backs to Joe who stepped inside bringing a defender with him before being wrapped up by a Farnborough player. The maul was formed just 5m out. The ball was smuggled back to Luka who rolled round the edge, taking the ball and a defender over the line for Gosport and Fareham's opening and well deserved first try after 10 minutes of hard rugby.
Harvey was on kicking duty and slotted the conversion beautifully between the posts.
The second try followed 5 minutes later. Gosport and Fareham had kept up their good defensive work and countered Farnborough's excursion into the Gosport and Fareham half with some excellent passing and strong running and the ball was soon back in the opposition half. The pass was received about 10m out by Harvey who accelerated hard through the massive gap that had opened up in right in front of him before slamming the ball down in an overly flamboyant one handed try...only joking, it was very nice...but two hands next time please!
Just before half time Gosport and Fareham scored their third try of the half. The opposition had once again made it into our territory and were keeping the ball among the forwards, inching forward with a maul. Suddenly it was ripped free by Alex who was pulled to the ground but the forwards managed to ruck over him freeing the ball. The ball went along the line...Ollie W, Alex B, Harvey and ended up in Joe's hands on the half way line. Joe saw the opening he needed and stepped on the gas and, slipping two tackles he headed for the posts. By the time he reached the 22m he'd left his chasers behind, dabbing the ball down for a straight forward conversion from Harvey.

HT: Farnborough 0 - 19 Gosport and Fareham

The second half kicked off and immediately settled into a hard fought period of attrition in the middle of the pitch. Both teams rucking and counter rucking. Defences holding strong against the occasional foray into the opponent's half. Then, in the 34th minute Farnborough dug the ball out and made break down the wing. Switching back to the centre and 10m out they put the ball in the hands of their forwards who crashed over the line for Farnborough's first score of the match.
So, 5-19, was this going to be the start of a second half comeback by Farnborough or would Gosport and Fareham be able to hang on to their 14 point lead for the remaining 15 minutes? The clock was ticking...
Farnborough got close. An attack broke down just metres from the Gosport and Fareham line, the defence held strong forcing Farnborough to concede a penalty. Harvey cleared the ball into touch giving the team a little breather. Another big scrum in midfield and the Farnborough Number 8 broke with the ball. Alex B and Alex combined well to stop him, the ball was smuggled back but Alex B and Max smothered the Flanker and Alex S wrestled the ball from him. Suddenly the ball came loose, kicked through toward the Gosport and Fareham line...but the whistle has already gone, the ref had been playing advantage. With Farnborough hastily retreating 10m, the penalty was quickly taken...Joe saw the space on the left wing and accelerated hard. By the time he hit the 22m there was only going to be one winner. A last ditch attempted tackle as Joe cut back toward the posts saw him in the clear as he slowed to touch the ball down in the 44th minute for the team's 4th try of the day. Robert did the honours of converting the try from in front of the posts.
We had to wait just four minutes for the next score. A scrum inside the Farnborough half. Despite initially being in retreat, the forwards steadied themselves and held the scrum, feeding the ball back to Ollie P who did extremely well off loading it as he was hit by the opposite scrum half. The ball went down the line...Robert to Luka to Alfie who straightened up his angle, committed the defender before popping the ball out to Joe. Once again, Joe took advantage of the space on the wing, a graceful, arcing run put him outside their last defender and, with Harry E hot on his heels, he dabbed the ball down for his third of the day with just a couple of minutes left to play.
Farnborough attacked from the restart. With a minute to go, their prop rolled over the line...only to find the outstretched arms of a Gosport and Fareham player between the ball and the ground. Farnborough won the scrum in the last minute, breaking through the defence before grounding the ball for a converted try.
And that was it, the last play of the match, the full time whistle went.

Farnborough 12 - 31 Gosport and Fareham

Well done boys!