All Tourists must have Travel Insurance that will cover 2 days of Rugby.

Personally I use www.insureandgo.com (0844 888 2787)

They do single trip for around £6 you might want to call them to get cover for Rugby.

This is a must have, please do it!!

On another note could everyone please pay Will £10 a.s.a.p. This is to cover the club ties we will be giving to the Tournament organisers and the teams we play.

If everyone pays there will be plenty left over which will be used to buy beer and cider for the coach so we don’t go thirsty as soon as we get on the coach (probably when we get on the boat, the first boat that is).

Not long now, 29 sleeps

Tour Committee

More images in the gallery

A total dominant performance confirmed promotion for The Isle of Wight RFC, as they emphatically gained revenge for their earlier season defeat to Kingsclere.

From the first minute, as Nick Puckett won the chase to touch down a Williams chip, the hosts had the upper hand in all departments. Their second try was soon to follow as full back Stu Browne recovered a high ball to set up a quickly recycled ruck. Quick hands by the backs released Lymington Precision Engineers Man of the match, Chris Williams for the first of his three tries. Paisley added the conversion.

Kingsclere responded with a penalty from some 30 yards, but a break from a scrum by Neil Brading, supported by Adam Leal allowed Gareth Paisley to crash in the corner. This was soon followed by a confident Island side counter attacking, releasing Ian Rock to score.

From the ensuing kick off Williams dazzled the Kingsclere defence as he ran in from half way. Paisley again added the conversion.

It was then that the visitors had their most productive territorial play, pinning the Island on their line, but tough, robust defence hammered them back, turning over the ball at a scrum. The first half scoring was completed when Will Peters crashed over following a 5 meter scrum.

The dominance continued second half as recycled ball allowed Rock to claim his second. Full back Browne then added his name to the score sheet. Throwing two dummies to cross under the posts. One way traffic continued as Rock claimed his hat trick, then Adam Leal broke free to run in from half way.
Quick thinking by Williams and Paisley at a 22 kick, allowed Paisley to chase the kick, pick up and score. Williams then broke blind from a half way scrum to be supported by flanker Sandy Wilson to score. Williams then completed his hat trick before James Curran completed the scoring.

The Island now focus on completing the season by winning the division over the next couple of weeks.

IWRFC: S Browne, I Rock, N Brading, W Peters, G Paisley, C Williams, C Cotter, N Puckett, A Leal, A Thomas, D Church, O Boulter, D Jennings, M Newnham, I Puzey, N Tombleson, S Wilson, J Curran.

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A late try gave the Island second team a dramatic victory at sunny Wootton Rec. The scrappy and stoppage-filled nature of the game would not have impressed any neutrals watching, but the closeness of the exchanges and the wholehearted endeavour on show was more impressive.

Andover fielded a big pack, while the Island side was built primarily on pace and youth. Neither side could get the upper hand early on, though the Island held their own with Chris Byrne and debutant Josh Wright impressing in the early skirmishes. When the Island secured clean ball, they looked dangerous and scored the first try. It stemmed from a sizzling break by scrum-half Sam Tyson, who was able to offload to the outstanding Neil Harrison who spun out of a tackle to score. Kieran Leahy missed the conversion.

This concession seemed to galvanise Andover, who laid siege to the Island line. In this period the home defence was magnificent, making a succession of big tackles to keep their line intact, not least Drainmaster man of the match Tom Love and Andy Jones. However, from another series of Andover phases they squeezed over the line for an equalising try. The conversion was missed, and the Island faced the second half with the sun on their backs and optimistic of regaining the lead.

Continuity was hard to come by in the second half, a combination of handling errors, strong defence and the referee’s whistle dominating matters. The Island lost captain Rob Lilly to injury in this period, but were able to overcome this setback and continue to compete well. Both sides forced penalty opportunities while the scores were level, Andover dropping one short, while Leahy and Gary Warvill missed one each.

As the second half went on, the Island began to gain an edge in possession and forced Andover back. Lymington Precision Engineers man of the match Warvill was constantly probing and almost put replacement Steve Sellick in, but the winger was foiled by good cover defence. Other chances were created but went begging, and it appeared that stalemate was to be the Island’s lot.

It was the seventy-eighth minute before the Island finally won the game. They secured good ball in the Andover 22, and a brilliant blindside pass by Warvill found unnoticed fullback Leahy, who was able to get outside his man and score in the left corner despite some desperate cover tackling. Leahy proceeded to strike a post with the conversion, before the referee allowed time for the kickoff. Hearts were in mouths as Andover recovered the restart and battered away at the Island defence in an effort to save the game, but the hosts had defended magnificently for the whole eighty minutes and were not to be denied.

On Saturday the Island seconds host Chineham at Wootton Rec, while the firsts are next in action at Locksheath Pumas on Saturday 20th.
IW: Leahy, Gates, Salter, S Gilpin, Collinson, Warvill, Tyson, Byrne, Love, Lilly, Downer, J Wright, Jones, Frost-Jones, Harrison. Replacements: Finn, Paterson, Brodie, Sellick, Deas.

A possible slip up avoided and another win towards the League title, is the way this game played out, as a determined Alresford side made the leaders work hard for their victory.

With most of the possible weather conditions thrown at both sets of players, causing a slippery ball and underfoot conditions, it was a credit to the players that the ball was moved about so much.

From the start the Island asserted their forward pressure, playing up the slope, pinning back the home side. Only rushed opportunities or spilt ball seemed to prevent the visitors from scoring. It was some thirty minutes before their first points, via a Gareth Paisley penalty, were on the board. This was to be the only score of a frustrating half for the Island.

Turning round, the visitors tore into their hosts, driving them back time and again, yet could not cross the line. Instead two Paisley penalties were their only reward. An interception by the Alresford centre who then chipped ahead led to the first try conceded by the Island since December.

With Chris Williams controlling the game a standoff and the forwards with Sandy Wilson, James Curran and Lymington Precision Engineers Man of the Match Martin Newnham to the fore up front, the Island continued to pressure Alresford back in their own 22 and kill off the game.

Although not the prettiest of wins, with some 10 1st XV squad members unavailable, it was a win for the depth and determination of this club to achieve their goal of the division title.

Next week The Island entertain Kingsclere at 1st XV level and the 2nds play Andover 4ths, Kick offs 2-30pm at Wootton Rec.

IWRFC: S Browne, D Gilpin, G Paisley, W Peters, A Gates, C Williams, C Cotter, N Puckett, S Wilson, J Curran, D Church, A Thomas, D Jennings, M Newnham, D Metcalfe.

Every game is a ‘must win’ game in order for the Island to remain top of Hampshire two so it was pleasing to secure another clean sheet as well as the win away to Chineham. Playing on a sloping pitch the Island had the advantage in the first half and went straight to work with some excellent driving play from the kick off. To the fore were Ollie Boulter and Martin Newnham with some big carries that put the home side on to the back foot. Early pressure and astute tactical kicking from Baldwin had the Island inside Chinehams 22. From a scrummage, No 8 Tombleson picked and drove through tackles a neat off load to Ian Puzey allowed the prop to power over for the opening score which went unconverted.

The signs were ominous for Chineham as the Island’s scrummage got into it’s stride and the lineout began to function smoothly. From a lineout on the home side’s five metre line the ball was spun wide in a neat set play that saw Will Peters roll back the years, picking a great line to wrong foot the defence and score the Island’s second. At this point it was one way traffic as Chineham were unable to maintain possession or field position and Baldwin added a penalty. The Isle of Wight’s third try was another team effort scored following good play in the loose from the forwards. Cotter at 9 fed the ball left and again a set piece neatly executed this time created space for the pacy Williams to score in the corner. Baldwin converted. The final try of the first half was a forward effort as a rolling maul sucked in the home defence and Leal pounced to go over for a well taken try.

Turning round at 30-0 to the good the Island were prepared to defend as Chineham now had the advantage of the considerable slope, however it was the Island side who dominated territory and possession in the second half. Key to this was an action packed performance from Adam Thomas whose selection on the blindside allowed him to give an epic performance in both offence and defence, earning him the Lymington Engineers man of the match award. To their credit Chineham defended admirably and only conceded one try to substitute James Curran, who scored under the posts with an athletic dive. Baldwin converted. Two clear scoring opportunities were squandered as the Isle of Wight’s concentration slipped toward the end of the game. Overall, another satisfiying performance on the road and good preparation for Saturday’s rearranged fixture away to Alresford.

IW 1st XV : Browne, Williams, Gilpin, Peters, Paisley, Baldwin, Cotter, Tombleson, Leal, Thomas, Boulter, Church, Puzey, Newnham, Jennings, Rock, Curran.