Mariners 2nd XV clinch the double over Fawley
Fawley 2nd XV 17 – 27 Lymington Mariners 2nd XV
On Saturday Lymington Mariners’ 2nd XV travelled to Fawley RFC to tackle theirs whilst both clubs’ first XVs battled at Woodside Park.
Led by the indefatigable Captain Jack Sparrow Legs Dovey, a team made up of young talents-in-the-making, a scattering of veteran ex-talents and eventually Anthony Hoyles, Lymington entered the fray determined to do the double this season over their local opponents.
From the kick off Fawley had the better start with their significantly heavier and more experienced pack dominating the scrum and tight play. The game was only a few minutes old when they crossed the line to go 5 points up. However the Mariners soon caught up with the pace and went ahead when Craig Esterhuizen scored his first of a brace of tries. Having, by his own admission, had a shocker the previous game he was back to his finest on Saturday. One can only assume the temporary lapse was due to his becoming a British citizen, but he had obviously got back in touch with his inner South African by this game. So, with Brian Hill dissecting the posts with the conversion Lymington took the lead and held on to it for the rest of the match.
Lymington’s second try came courtesy of some quick thinking by the team’s two veteran carrot tops and a clinical finish by the team’s newest member Jason Donnelly who’s pretty boy looks will surely see him join the first team’s Glee club if he becomes a regular. From a penalty 5 metres out, whilst everyone else stood around having a scratch and a breather Justin Bloomfield took the quick tap spinning the ball blind to Lee Thomas who in turn drew the Fawley winger before releasing young Jason into the corner.
The match then had a 20 minute period of no scoring as the battle between both packs levelled out – Fawley stronger in the scrum but Lymington’s pod work and superb long driving mauls in open play bringing balance. Ollie Westall, Adam Harris, Aaron Lopez, Chris Baker, Anthony Hoyles, James Norris and Jack Dovey worked tirelessly to keep the ball alive and present the backs with momentum and quick possession. Centre Ben Mansbride even got a turn on the flank and revelled in the contact looking like he’d prefer a lower number shirt on every week. The referee was also kept busy which led to a lot of broken play and swings in territory and possession. With the last play of the half Lymington won a line-out 10 yards out, secured clean ball and again the two strawberry blondes connected. This time though Lee Thomas threw an audacious dummy, side-stepped back inside and despite the best attempts of the Fawley no.6 to stop him managed to extend all twelve and a half feet of his Wookie arm to it’s limit touching the ball down in a cloud of whitewash. With the conversion missed the half-time whistle went with Lymington now holding a 17-7 lead.
For the 2nd half Fawley sportingly loaned Lymington a prop as young Aaron Lopez understandably continued to struggle against much bigger and more experienced opposition. With the pace and fitness of the Lymington pack though it was no surprise that uncontested scrums wasn’t to be in the home team’s favour and their generosity was no doubt tinged with some self interest.
In a turning of the tables it was Lymington who had the brighter start to the second half. With some neat handling between Donnelly and James Bell from inside their own half Craig EsterSmith took possession and flew down the right wing, side stepping through one defender after the other before touching down under the posts. Brian Hill slotted the additionals and the Mariners sailed into clear water with a 24-7 lead.
However to their credit Fawley were simply spurred on by this setback and came at Lymington with real intent and renewed purpose in their play. Their forwards combined well in the maul to push into Lymington territory and score a try of their own.
Lymington’s backs continued to make good ground with founding father of the club Jason Ludlow, leading the charge. Before retiring hurt he made one notable crash into Fawley’s red zone only to be crushed by one of the rather large defending props. Instead of releasing the tackler and rolling away the prop handled the ball with such disregard for the laws that Jason could be heard exclaiming from across the pitch ‘stop cheating, sir, he’s cheating!’ The Fawley prop informed Jason that ‘it’s only cheating if you’re caught’, which he wasn’t…
However a penalty was shortly awarded to Lymington deep in Fawley territory and Brian Hill stepped up to kick the three points only to be ushered away by Lee Thomas who felt the spirit of 2nd team rugby was to run such possession. However, from the quick ruck formed from the tap Brian finally got his hands on the ball and in an act of defiance drop-kicked to the posts. Both Lee and Brian watched the ball sail high, Brian praying it was on target, Lee in disbelief. Fortunately it went through the posts for three points but it was enough to earn him ‘dick of the day’ as well.
With the clock ticking down both sides fought to score last. Brian redeemed himself slightly with a barging prop-like run that put at least 2 defenders to the ground whilst Jason Donnelly, Mikey Jenner and Ben Mansbridge put in some big hits on their opposite numbers. However it was Fawley who got the last word with another power play from their pack to take them over the line. The final whistle went, the score 27-17 to Lymington but rugby was the real winner of the day as a great game played in the right spirit was witnessed by all. Had he’s voice not gone super-sonic I’m certain captain Jack’s post match words would have been an inspiration to us all.
It is also timely to mention that it was the old guard of the second team that ran out clear winners of that evening’s pub golf tournament round old Lymington town. Chairman Ludlow the winner by one shot, 12 under par.
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