Andover 43 Millbrook 12
It was an emphatic return to winning ways for Saxon Safety sponsored Andover last weekend as they comfortably overcame the challenge of newly promoted Millbrook, who themselves have had a promising start to life in Counties 1, including a good away win over high flying Chichester.
After two defeats this one could easily have been a banana skin for the 'All Blacks', but they were having none of it, dominating from the outset in most facets of the game and especially with ball in hand, terrorising the visitors all afternoon.
Andover had to ring the changes for this one with Alex Kane unavailable due to the birth of his second child, (all doing well and congratulations from everyone), and Bryn Waite coming into the back row for the first time this season, for skipper CJ Feirn, who returned to the centre, being unable to jump in the lineout due to a foot injury with Jake Kane taking Waite's full back birth.
Andover could have been excused for being a bit disjointed as a result, but far from it they immediately went at the visitors carrying strongly and winning penalties one of which Rich Retallick kicked to the corner.
Waite and Callum Barber Starkey combined well at the resultant lineout, for the hooker to go over for his third try in as many weeks.
From the kick off however Andover made their one big gaffe of the game, when a comedy of errors allowed Millbrook to crash over to level the scores.
From then on it was all Andover. Man of the match Roman Barton Knott and the returning Stan Pearson were outstanding, constantly breaking the gain line and setting up field position for waves of attacks.
From a catch and drive Pearson set up skipper Feirn to go over for a try converted by Retallick, before the same two players showed their defensive skills with turnovers at rucks as Millbrook tried to come back into things.
Pearson was again involved as Andover stretched their lead through a try from scrum half Sean Higgins.
Kane then put Andover in complete control with a fifty twenty two before superb phase play saw Nic Reed score a fine try converted by Retallick to give Andover a comfortable first half lead.
After the break with slope in favour Andover carried on as they left off.
Barton Knott was wreaking havoc with charging runs linking forwards and backs superbly.
Hampered by an injury to Higgins, Andover were forced to switch Waite to the nine role for the first time, but it mattered not as Andover soon stretched their lead when great hands from the dangerous Harvey Maloney sent Evan Roll away to score.
Millbrook put up a stubborn defence, but the hard running of Maloney, Stan North and Kane should have brought more reward as Andover wasted several chances.
It was left to big second row Tom Erskine to ease frustrations, charging straight through a ruck to score with Retallick adding the extras.
Millbrook came back at Andover after a harsh yellow card for James Fleet reduced them to fourteen with a well worked second try.
But the best was left to last when Callum Hollinshead took a superb offload from Roll to race sixty meters to score, with Retallick on target with the last kick of the game.
Afterwards Senior Coach Charlie Waite was full of praise for the team. ' We played very well today and there were some superb individual performances and some very selfless ones too. The team is really gelling as a group and we can have a look at the wider squad this week with our cup game away to Cobham. It's all very promising.'
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