RUGBY

Weybridge Vandals 43pts Andover 10 pts

With injuries and unavailability Andover travelled to Walton-on-Thames to face Weybridge Vandals, a team who had only won one league game like Andover Back row Rob Sutherland made his 1st XV debut and there was a return for James Cranswick, who first played for the club over ten years ago and only returned to playing for Andover at the end of last season for the Hinds XV.

Even with key players missing, Andover felt confident of taking a result against the Vandals, and the first half looked as though this could happen.

Despite Vandals taking the lead with a penalty, Andover drew level when Rich Woodley slotted one himself.

Martin Wassell was then able to crash over the try line with Woodley converting for a 10-3 lead.

Discipline proved to be Andover’s weakness and Vandals took advantage of this by scoring two more penalties before half-time.

Andover felt they were playing some good rugby and knew they had to reduce the penalty count if they were to have a chance of walking away with the win. # This however, did not change and Vandals were able to again take the lead with another penalty.

Andover received a penalty themselves, but the resulting kick was wide of the posts.

Vandals were reduced to fourteen men after they had a man sent to the sin bin – a decision that seemed a bit harsh, considering their penalty count was not that high.

Again, Andover gave away yet another penalty that was kicked by the home team.

Andover went through several phases of play, which resulted in winger Jody Morgan being able to touch down over the line, but he was adjudged to have put his foot on the touchline before grounding the ball.

Vandals came back at Andover and crossed the line for their first try. Another try quickly followed and it looked like the home team were now starting to add a lot more pressure.

Andover lost Cameron Jobson-Wood to the sin bin in the last ten minutes.

The young back row who is in his first year of senior rugby was told that he brought down the maul and had to go, but the frustrating thing for him was that he was not even involved in the said maul – a decision that summed up the game for Andover, who felt that they were not even able to compete in the rucks for the ball.

With Jobson-Wood gone, Andover then lost centre Dan Pearson to injury leaving Andover with just thirteen men. Vandals took full advantage of this and scored two more tries before the final whistle.

Next week Andover travel to Folkestone in Kent in the RFU Senior Vase Competition.

Other results: Havant III 34 Andover 17; Andover 39 Overton Vets 0.