Articles
SOLENT BARBARIANS WIN PORTUGESE TOURNAMENT
By Richard V Isaacs
Six years after lifting their last European silverware, the reformed Solent Barbarians Rugby Club triumphed again when they ran through the XXIII Torneio Internacional De Rugby Algarve 2009 competition without conceding a single point.
The 31-man strong squad, comprising players from seven different clubs from around the south-east Hampshire region, made light work in their eight-team tournament in Loulé, being crowned champions with consummate ease, which was even more surprising given the state of the participants the previous evening!
Having marked the commencement of the competition with an impeccably observed minute silence for recently deceased co-founder Paul Cannon, the former Southsea bar manager who was the driving force behind the incarnation of the Solent Barbarians in 2000, the men in light blue ensured they marked his passing in the perfect style.
Starting their Pool B matches against the hosts in this tournament of just 15 minutes one-way per match, Matt Morgan opened the scoring when he was driven over from a line-out and added a second score moments later when he raced around the Portuguese defence.
Omeed Matini, the powerful Havant prop, completed the scoring when he picked up from the base of the scrum and bulldozed his way to the line with Josh Whitehead from Gosport & Fareham kicking all three drop-kick conversions to claim the 21-0 triumph.
Oxfordshire-based Witney provided the opposition for the second match but they were similarly swept aside by the confident Barbarians. Player of the tournament Wes Dugan benefited from impressive work by Morgan to race through under the posts before Louis Bristow was on the end of a good passing move for the second.
Dugan added an impressive second after Portsmouth back-row Richard Herring piled through the indifferent Witney defence to complete win number two by 24-0; Whitehead and Bristow adding conversions.
Near-neighbours Chichester were next to be slain as three early tries was enough to see off the veteran Sussex outfit. Simon Gregory, Wes Dugan and John Peart were on the scoresheet although Daniel Gates should have added a fourth only to drop the ball over the line. However, the Barbarians showed signs of fatigue as Chi responded well only to be repelled with some decent defending, taking a 19-0 win.
66 points scored without reply was a good start but tougher tests were to follow in the semi-final when the first team of Witney stood in the way, having finished second in their pool and the Barbarians suffered an indifferent start with dropped balls and wrong options.
However, it was only a temporary blip when Morgan picked up his fourth try of the day to open the scoring and the floodgates opened with Graham Butterworth, Richard Herring and another from the flame-haired former Havant man made sure of the 22-0 triumph; Steve Clunie kicking the conversion.
A place in the final against a very good looking Rugby Club Mairenas from Seville in Spain, who defeated Chichester in the semi-final, was their reward and the Barbarians knew that they would be sorely tested against the Spanish second division team.
And so it proved. Only a strong move from a scrum broke the deadlock in the 20-minute final with Jamie McLaughlin snapping at the base to cross the whitewash and the triumph was completed when Herring broke on the blindside to cross. Clunie added the additional points and the trophy was secured.
Chief organiser Graham Butterworth declared himself very happy with the whole event and particularly pleased to have brought home the silverware to partner the previous triumphs in Bulgaria in 2002 and 2003.
“It was a terrific effort from the players who have responded well to the call to reform the Solent Barbarians after a six-year absence,” he said, “and we are really happy to have carried their tradition of playing good rugby while making new rugby friends across Europe – and, of course, winning the tournament.”
By Richard V Isaacs
Six years after lifting their last European silverware, the reformed Solent Barbarians Rugby Club triumphed again when they ran through the XXIII Torneio Internacional De Rugby Algarve 2009 competition without conceding a single point.
The 31-man strong squad, comprising players from seven different clubs from around the south-east Hampshire region, made light work in their eight-team tournament in Loulé, being crowned champions with consummate ease, which was even more surprising given the state of the participants the previous evening!
Having marked the commencement of the competition with an impeccably observed minute silence for recently deceased co-founder Paul Cannon, the former Southsea bar manager who was the driving force behind the incarnation of the Solent Barbarians in 2000, the men in light blue ensured they marked his passing in the perfect style.
Starting their Pool B matches against the hosts in this tournament of just 15 minutes one-way per match, Matt Morgan opened the scoring when he was driven over from a line-out and added a second score moments later when he raced around the Portuguese defence.
Omeed Matini, the powerful Havant prop, completed the scoring when he picked up from the base of the scrum and bulldozed his way to the line with Josh Whitehead from Gosport & Fareham kicking all three drop-kick conversions to claim the 21-0 triumph.
Oxfordshire-based Witney provided the opposition for the second match but they were similarly swept aside by the confident Barbarians. Player of the tournament Wes Dugan benefited from impressive work by Morgan to race through under the posts before Louis Bristow was on the end of a good passing move for the second.
Dugan added an impressive second after Portsmouth back-row Richard Herring piled through the indifferent Witney defence to complete win number two by 24-0; Whitehead and Bristow adding conversions.
Near-neighbours Chichester were next to be slain as three early tries was enough to see off the veteran Sussex outfit. Simon Gregory, Wes Dugan and John Peart were on the scoresheet although Daniel Gates should have added a fourth only to drop the ball over the line. However, the Barbarians showed signs of fatigue as Chi responded well only to be repelled with some decent defending, taking a 19-0 win.
66 points scored without reply was a good start but tougher tests were to follow in the semi-final when the first team of Witney stood in the way, having finished second in their pool and the Barbarians suffered an indifferent start with dropped balls and wrong options.
However, it was only a temporary blip when Morgan picked up his fourth try of the day to open the scoring and the floodgates opened with Graham Butterworth, Richard Herring and another from the flame-haired former Havant man made sure of the 22-0 triumph; Steve Clunie kicking the conversion.
A place in the final against a very good looking Rugby Club Mairenas from Seville in Spain, who defeated Chichester in the semi-final, was their reward and the Barbarians knew that they would be sorely tested against the Spanish second division team.
And so it proved. Only a strong move from a scrum broke the deadlock in the 20-minute final with Jamie McLaughlin snapping at the base to cross the whitewash and the triumph was completed when Herring broke on the blindside to cross. Clunie added the additional points and the trophy was secured.
Chief organiser Graham Butterworth declared himself very happy with the whole event and particularly pleased to have brought home the silverware to partner the previous triumphs in Bulgaria in 2002 and 2003.
“It was a terrific effort from the players who have responded well to the call to reform the Solent Barbarians after a six-year absence,” he said, “and we are really happy to have carried their tradition of playing good rugby while making new rugby friends across Europe – and, of course, winning the tournament.”
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