Mariners in seventh heaven against Heathens

Saturday 13th November

Lymington Mariners, 49 – 3 Fareham Heathens II

Lymington Mariners’ league match against Fareham Heathens II team brought to life the phrase ‘a game of two halves’. The first period saw Lymington run in 7 converted tries to Fareham’s sole penalty kick to make the score 49-3 at the break. 40 minutes later when the final whistle blew neither side had added a single point more.

Despite the practically eventless second half the first half was more than enough to send the home supporters and players purring at some of the rugby on display – enough no doubt to minimise the sacrifice of missing England’s walloping of our cousins from the convict colony down under.

The order of scoring has already become a blur to this player who in his senior years did well just to keep up with play, but what wasn’t missed was the style with which the points came. Hooker, Ben Bradley-Watson grabbed a brace of tries. The first was from a perfectly executed line out move which saw Dom Ellis at second row release him, unchallenged, down the narrow blindside gap. Ben had even played Mystic Meg prior to kick off predicting he would score from the well practised manoeuvre. His second was one his trademark short bursts appearing from nowhere within a melee of defenders to find the whitewash.

Openside flanker Nick Bubb scored one, powering over the line following a well rehearsed back row move from a scrum 10 metres out. However the try was just the cherry on top of a magnificent performance from Mr. Bubb who was round the pitch like a greyhound all afternoon. Despite the opposition’s No.8 picking up from the scrum with almost boring regularity and in size terms making it look like another Harrison/Haye match up as he towered over Nick and out weighed him by several stone, just as in the boxing, it was the smaller quicker guy that came out on top.

Joe Rodway at outside centre also managed to grab two tries, both of which were the result of excellent link play between forwards and backs in a display of breathtaking running rugby. Keeping the ball alive through some superb off-loading in the tackle Joe twice found himself the recipient of the ball with just enough space for him to clinically finish the moves off. Jamie Banasik out with an injury is no doubt looking over his shoulder as the competition for the golden boot heats up.

In a similar display of total rugby with the ball moving through numerous hands it was Craig Esterhuizen at full back who benefited to cross the line and score his first for the club. This was followed by a typical solo effort from fly half Tom Jenvey who cut a line through the middle of the park from the half way line to leave the defending Heathens spell bound as he touched down between the posts.

Tom Jenvey also put on a master class of goal kicking as he turned all seven tries into seven points. Unfortunately this will be Tom’s last game for the club for some time as he escapes to some snowy mountain in Canada to be a chalet maid.

The second half was a completely different story as Fareham stepped up their defence, Mariners stuttered in attack and the referee was given little choice but to keep blowing his whistle.

The only thing of real note in the second half was the introduction of Mike Jenner who had an absolute stormer on the right wing. Every kick that came his way was caught with ease and run back with interest. He even found time to fold their freakishly tall second row in half with a chasing tackle that from the touchline he looked unlikely to survive in one piece.

The ‘Lymington Rivaaz man of the match’ award this week goes to Craig Esterhuizen. In the first half he continually joined the back line to create the overlap for the centres and wingers around him. In the second half when Fareham changed tactics by kicking most of their possession long Craig put on a display of counter attacking running that Ben Foden himself would have been proud of.