RUGBYSandown and Shanklin Gentlemen 31, Bracknell Vets 19
BRACKNELL, three divisions above Sandown and Shanklin’s first team, brought a talented squad of veterans, including a large pack of South African forwards, to the Fairway on Saturday.
But Sandown and Shanklin were up to the task and beat them by 12 points.
They began slowly and Bracknell capitalised, scoring two tries in the first ten minutes.
But by midway through the hosts found their stride, with Perfect, Heelan and Wicks combining to allow Barrett to sneak through for a team try.
At 19-5 down at half time, Sandown had a lot to do but produced the goods.
Teenager Michael Booth made mincemeat of the heavy Bracknell forwards as he cut through tackle after tackle to score under the posts, and centre Dalloz set up Muir for the first his two tries.
Spa Systems man of the match Steve Smith grew in stature as the game progressed.
The young lock made a proper nuisance of himself on Bracknell line-out ball, as well as asserting himself during a collapsed maul.
Harrison Booth’s welcome return from injury allowed him to show his skills and searing pace from the back of the scrum, scoring the final try of the game, leaving Bracknell’s more mature forwards wheezing in his wake as his side eased to victory.
The Gents, who fielded players aged from 17 to 63, won seven of 11 fixtures this year.
Next season sees the side enter the Hampshire Merit Table. New, and old, players are welcome and can join via the club website, www.ssrfc.co.uk