Portsmouth 14 - Swanage & Wareham 19
Aug
For Swanage & Wareham’s final warm up game before the league season starts next week, Swans travelled to Portsmouth to take on the London league 1 outfit.
With Portsmouth’s heavier pack for the first ten minutes Swans were under the cosh, but Swans defence survived. However a quickly taken penalty two minutes later had Portsmouth taking the lead with a try in the corner. 5 – 0. Almost immediately Swans reduced the lead as a penalty by returning fly half Mike Pope made it 5 – 3. Swans tried to keep the game open and scrum half George Jaques just failed with a drop goal attempt. Portsmouth missed with a penalty attempt from in front of the posts with 20 minutes gone, but Pope did not 5 minutes from the interval to give Swans a 5 – 6 half time lead.
At the start of the second period Portsmouth were guilty of a late tackle, and once again Pope landed the penalty 5 – 9. Playing against the wind Swans had problems in getting out of their own half and a series of penalty kicks by Portsmouth fly half took the home side into a 14 – 9 lead after 65 minutes. However Portsmouth were struggling with fitness as Swans moved the ball wide and a great break by Swans with 10 minutes to go, nearly put winger Charlie Rowberry in, but the ball was fumbled, but two minutes later scrum half George Jaques jinked his way over the try line for a converted try. 14 – 16. Swans were not finished yet and another offside decision against Portsmouth enabled Pope to add another three points from the resulting penalty, to give Swans their third victory from their three warm up games following victories against Trojans and Salisbury.
Swans team:- Wilcox, Rowberry, Brett, Cottrell, Chadwick, Pope, Jaques, Andrews, Elford(capt), Frampton, Burgess, Corsie, Wright, Large, Lewis. Replacements (all used) Seeley, Tomes, Sinclair Warren , Audley.
GAMES NEXT WEEK 4th September
Swanage & Wareham 1st XV v. Maidenhead league SW1(East) Home 3.00 p.m.
Swanage & Wareham 2nd XV v. Fordingbridge 1st XV friendly Home 3.00 p.m.
Swanage & Wareham 3rd XV v. Poole friendly Away 3.00 p.m.
Swanage & Wareham4th XV v. Poole friendly Away 3.00 p.m.
