Basingstoke 1st XV were crowned Hampshire Cup champions at Down Grange last night, pulling away from New Milton after a tight opening in front of a huge home crowd. Four tries in each half proved enough for the hosts - Simon Appleby and Matt Wise scored twice apiece before the break, while Matt Mairs, Sam Clarkson, Alfie and Oscar Rowley rounded off the scoring to seal a 42-8 win.
Playing under floodlights for the first time this season, there was a real event atmosphere around the club well in advance of kick off. Boosted by a huge turnout from the club’s age group section, both sides were up for the contest with a tight opening, typified by big carries and even bigger tackles.
After sustained pressure from the ‘Stoke forward pack, the dam eventually burst – on his 300th appearance, Number 8 Appleby latched onto a Clarkson pick-and-go, bursting over the line to put the hosts into a 5-0 lead.
New Milton reduced the deficit to two points with a penalty kick a few minutes later, before a yellow card to scrum half Liam Kent-Jordan gave the visitors a numerical advantage. A rejigging of the ‘Stoke back line saw the visitors put a grubber in behind, where the bounce of the ball evaded the retreating ‘Stoke defence and the ball bounced into the hands of New Milton’s Aidan Cross, making the score 5-8.
Surged on by the baying home crowd and the return of the influential Kent-Jordan, Basingstoke had their mojo back. A quickly taken Clarkson tap penalty saw Basingstoke a metre short of the line, with Matt Wise on hand to score, before a brilliant Oscar Rowley break off the succeeding kick off saw Basingstoke back into the New Milton 22, where the forward pack went about their business for Appleby to power over for his second, putting ‘Stoke 15-8 to the good.
There was time for one more score, with arguably the try of the day created by the tight five forwards. Quick hands from Steve Ansell and Adam Richards put Wise through a hole, where the lock displayed real pace and great footwork to step inside and cross from 25 metres out.
With 12 points in it at the half, New Milton started the half trying to build scoreboard pressure on the hosts. Two efforts at goal went wide and Basingstoke survived, before ‘Stoke had a spell of their own, where Ansell’s beautiful pulled pass put Matt Mairs through to go in under the sticks untouched. Will Green’s conversion was good, extending the score to 19 points.
Clarkson’s score with a strong carry off the back of a scrum ten metres out ended the game as a contest, as the bench was emptied to provide fresh impetus against a tiring New Milton defence.
Two scores came late in the game put the icing on the cake - fly half Rory Kerr’s 45 metre touch finder off a penalty gave Basingstoke the perfect attacking platform, with skipper Alfie Rowley linking well with his brother Oscar to claim Basingstoke’s seventh. The roles were reversed shortly afterwards, the captain turning provider to put his brother through a gaping hole, with Oscar stretching his legs to go the distance from 30 metres out, making the score 42-8.
That proved to be the game’s last act, the final whistle blowing shortly afterwards to send the crowd into delirium. After some celebrations on the pitch, Captain Rowley was presented with the Hampshire Cup by Hampshire RFU Competitions committee member Richard Isaacs to round off a successful season for the club.
