Counties Two Hampshire rugby: Dominant Ellingham & Ringwood annihilate Alresford

Counties Two Hampshire
Ellingham & Ringwood RFC 81
Alresford RFC 22

ELLINGHAM & Ringwood were in frighteningly fine attacking form as they ran out 81-22 winners against Alresford at the Raymond Brown Memorial Ground.

Ellingham handed first-team debuts to Fraser Cockeram and Tom Musty, who both recently signed from Fawley, as well as Brad Thomas who also joined the club this season.

The hosts started well, and early pressure led to the visitors giving away a kickable penalty, which full-back Chris Frost obliged for three points.

Alresford fought back, but Ellingham broke from deep, with Frost running in a converted try. Shortly afterwards, some good work from the forwards allowed centre Will Jenkins to pick a good line and score.

Alresford then scored their first try after some surging runs from their forwards, but they failed to convert. However, they did successfully kick a later penalty.

With half-time moments away, Ellingham clinched the half’s final word. Repeated forward attacks preceded a decent move involving scrum-half Brad Evans and fly-half Andrew Kingswell, with Jenkins smashing through to score and Frost converting for a 24-8 lead.

In the second half, Ellingham let loose, and their free-flowing rugby saw them run in a further nine tries. Ted Johnson, playing at flanker, was the first to get on the score sheet, quickly followed by Cockeram, with the first of his four tries on his debut, to earn himself the player-of-the-match pint. Chris Frost converted both tries before centre Chris Seaby burst through several tackles to get another converted try.

Cockeram then scored his second and third tries, one of which was converted by Frost, before debutant Thomas came on and instantly made an impact when smashing over following a rolling maul.

Winger Ollie Plater got in on the act to score his first try for the club before the visitors fought back in the last 15 minutes with two converted efforts.

Just as the first half ended, Ellingham wrapped up proceedings with Seaby running the length of the pitch to score his second before Fraser grabbed his fourth after bursting through four defenders and kicking the conversion.

Ellingham & Ringwood: T. Sampson, L. Reynolds, A. Payne, R. Ticehurst, M. Skeates, F. Cockeram, T. Johnson, A. Lorton, B. Evans, A. Kingswell, O. Plater, C. Seaby, W. Jenkins, J. Morrish, C. Frost. Subs: M. Johnson, B. Thomas, T. Musty.