Basingstoke 79 pts v Tottonians 0 pts Home Weds, Dec 20th 2006 at Pack Lane

Report by courtesy of Basingstoke Gazette.

Basingstoke started this unique midweek game against a team two leagues below themselves as strong favourites, and after the same fixture last year had seen ’Stoke win by a margin of a hundred points over today’s opponents Tottonians, a decent sized crowd had come to watch what would surely be a ‘Stoke victory. The late kick of meant that conditions were poor, and for the first ten minutes of the game you could not see across the pitch due to the heavy fog. Things looked ominous for Tottonians when ‘Stoke scored within three minutes, from acting skipper Lambert. The second try came shortly after when on ten minutes ‘Stoke caught and drove a lineout up to the Tottonians five metre line, and then fed the backs who performed a rehearsed move and Rutherford scored in the corner to leave the score at 10-0. On 14 minutes, after relentless ‘Stoke pressure Tottonians finally got the chance to clear their lines. Lambert caught the kick and mounted a counter attack. He ran round two would be defenders to set up a 5 on 2, and Buttle was left with a one on one with the full back. He put a kick through which was carried over their own line by a Tottonians player to give ‘Stoke a five metre scrum. From the resulting scrum, Rutherford strolls through a gaping whole in the defence for his second try of the game. Humberstone made the conversion from under the posts to take the score to 17-0. On 16 minutes ‘Stoke forced a turnover in their own half and set up an overlap down the blind side, which new centre Swenson finished off with ease. The conversion was missed and the score remained 22-0. Then on 19 minutes second row Chris Williams goes through a whole on the fringe of a ruck, from 30 metres out, to score under the posts. Two more points were added by the boot of Humberstone to take the score to 29-0. On 26 minutes good retention of the ball and constant pressure earn ‘Stoke a penalty in Tottonians 22. Thy opt to kick to touch, and drive from the resulting lineout, then from two metres out Williams falls over the line for his second. Again the kick was missed and the score remained 34-0. Then two minutes into stoppage time relentless pressure from ‘Stoke brought the inevitable when the youngest of the three Northcote brothers (Tom) went over to take the score to 39-0.

Five minutes into the second half, ‘Stoke look to gain territorial advantage when they kick downfield deep into the Tottonian 22. From the lineout ‘Stoke earn a free kick which Dixon takes quickly. He’s stopped five metres from the line and Humberstone goes through a stretched defence for a try and makes the conversion to take the score to 46-0. On thirteen minutes a break by George Scott down the wing sets up another opportunity which was coolly finished by the other Northcote on the pitch (Robert), the conversion was missed and the score remained 51-0. After 7 minutes of constant pressure, ‘Stoke worked there way up to the Tottonian line and Rutherford Waltzed through a weary defence for his hat trick. Goodall made the conversion to take the score to 58-0. On 24 minutes ‘Stoke took a quick line out in their own 22, and good hands soon got them to the Tottonians line were Robby Northcote went over for his second. Goodall converted again to take the score to 65-0. ‘Stoke went on to score another two more tries, first from Swenson and the second from stand in captain Lambert both of which were converted and, at the end of a bitterly cold night the score board read 79-0 to ‘Stoke. It did not however tell of how well Tottonians had fought throughout the game and how they never gave up till the end.

Dixon added after “It was nice to score a few points and to put into practice what we have been doing in training over the past weeks. Fair play to Totts who made us work for the whole 80 minutes. We now need to focus on our league rugby after the break.”

Team: D. Lambert, K. Buttle (M. Goodall), A. Patrick, M. Swenson, M. Rutherford, S. Humberstone, D. Lillywhite, S. Lovegrove, A. Rowlands (J. Folan), M. Oliver (N. Young), G. Scott, C. Williams (K. Chapman), R. Northcote, J. Dixon, T. Northcote.