Bognor RFC 56 - 18 Sandown & Shanklin RFC

The Hurricanes travelled away to top of the table Bognor RFC this week, it was the first time many of the young Sandown & Shanklin side had ever played at the Bognor ground.

In blustery conditions the game didn't get off to the best of starts as the powerful Bognor side capitalised on a defensive mistake and made the perfect start with a try in the corner. After this defensive lapse the opposition regathered the ball and almost instantly score again in the corner, after slick hands managed to get a man outside the scramble defence.
After regrouping and managing to hold onto some possession the Bognor forwards infringed and J Carey slotted a penalty to get the Hurricanes off the mark. From the restart the home side claimed the ball and with some quick phases had conjured up another try. Despite a half being under pressure and behind on the score board, this belied some of the play that the Sandown & Shanklin showed in the first half, with M Barrett deputising well at scrum half.

After the break the second half started in similar fashion to the first, as the Hurricanes attempted to execute a standard exit from their 22, the conditions played havoc and the ball ended up gratefully in the hands of a Bognor player, who then cut his way through the defence and found his way to the try line.
This action seemed to galvanise the Hurricanes pack however, and after gaining field position and finally setting up a driving maul, forward drives from C Skelley and H Bagnall saw the Hurricanes just 5m out from the try line, Then after another carry from the ever reliable S Branston, hooker A Tyas scooped up the ball from the back of the ruck and was driven over the line for Sandown's first score over the line, with J Carey successfully converting. Bognor's indiscipline was starting to cost them and allow the Hurricanes to gain some much needed momentum. Although despite the infringements, Bognor scored two more tries, one coming after some inaccurate passing in midfield allowing the home side's fly half to hack through and touch down, and the second with slick hands putting their number 8 in the corner.
Sandown & Shanklin after the restart got back into the Bognor 22 and after several indiscretions at the breakdown by the home side, the opposition hooker was sent to the sin bin. From a resulting scrum and some slick forward drives the Hurricanes were again awarded a penalty 5 metres from the try line. The quick tap was taken and some quick handling saw flanker Z Chiverton over the line for the second try of the game for Sandown.
Bognor then managed to score a further three tries before the final whistle. However, despite the final score, the Hurricanes had played some good rugby at moments and with such a young and inexperienced side, will surely use this experience for future battles ahead.

This weekend Sandown & Shanklin entertain Millbrook at the Fairway. All support is welcome for 1415 kick off.

XV: H Bagnall, A Tyas, C Skelley, S Flux, C Perfect, T Baker, Z Chiverton, S Branston; M Barrett, J Carey, H Kirkby, D Graham, J Holmes, S Perfect, T Borrer; Subs: A Macpherson