Bournemouth away! Another first for Havant, having never played Bournemouth in the league until this season.

The unavailability and injury list must be unprecedented in our league history with 11 players plus, missing. Havant to their credit fielded a strong, tough and uncompromising side that battled a good Bournemouth team buoyed by their win last week against Camberley.

The game however started with Havant on the back foot, finding themselves going backwards in the scrum, with the referee quite happy to dish out the penalties.With ten minutes gone Havant trailed 9-0 Grant Hancox cultured boot doing the damage.

Havant’s first real attack on fourteen minutes showed Bournemouth that it was not going to be all one-way traffic. A lung busting run from captain Joel Knight resulted in a try, the conversion meant it was a two point game at 9-7.

A couple of minutes later Hancox again punished Havant’s inability to keep on the right side of the referee, 12-7.
The game ebbed and flowed with neither side looking to give an inch.

It was on thirty minutes that Havant took the lead for the first time. Joel Knight at his marauding best punishing weak tackling as he crossed the line for his 2nd try of the afternoon. Also his 100th league try in Havant colours. The conversion put Havant 12-14 up.

Minutes later another sweeping back move saw Ben Holt run almost the entire length of the pitch for try number three and a half-time lead.

Half-time Bournemouth 12 Havant 21

Bournemouth came out all guns blazing at the beginning of the 2nd half. Attack after attack was repelled by the boys in blue and white hoops, Havant’s defence was immense. Finally after battering Havant for ten plus minutes Bournemouth made the break through. 17-21.

Calm heads were needed and with the scrum still struggling it was going to be a tense thirty minutes although to be fair veterans Luke Marks and Armandus Morgan steadied the ship. Six minutes later Reuben Knight found his way through a sea of red and black shirts for Havant’s bonus point and eased the pressure. Joel Knight adding the extras, 17-28 Havant’s lead.

Back came Bournemouth, The big number 8 causing Havant all sorts of problems making meters on every carry. Again Havant kept them out with great ‘D’.

Sixty-three minutes and Bournemouth found room out wide for their 2nd try converted by Hancox, the score now 24-28.
The last seventeen minutes Bournemouth again came knocking on the Havant door but it was firmly shut, this really was a class show from Havant in the art of defence.

It was also getting a little feisty on the sidelines with the banter bordering on abuse (very non rugby!).
The final whistle brought to an end an exciting advert for level 5 rugby. Also relief for the faithful on the sidelines.

Full-time Bournemouth 24 Havant 28

Will Knight's thoughts after the game
"‘Thanks to Bournemouth, that was a really enjoyable game. They came out hard and put us under pressure in the first few scrums and their goal kicking was exceptional. But the lads are really good at problem-solving and were able to work out a way to counter the Bournemouth pressure at the scrum.

When we got chances we were very clinical and scored 4 really good tries. Bournemouth showed how much they have been improving and kept coming at us for the whole 80. But we held our shape defensively and managed to get the win."

Footnote... Was good to see James Wise back in the 1stXV after a serious knee injury well over a year ago.