RUGBYPetersfield 10, Sandown and Shanklin 15
SANDOWN have reached the final of the Hampshire Bowl, after a disciplined performance away to Hamp-shire One side Petersfield.
The game kicked off with the Hurricanes forwards under pressure from their large opponents but they held firm, forcing errors and allowing the Island side to produce speedy counter attacks.
From one such play, skipper Joe Rees found a gap in the covering defence and powered his way through for a score under the post, which was easily converted by Will Baxandall. Going seven points down did not deter the hosts and, after a period of sustained pressure, their big number eight crashed over the line and this was followed soon after by a penalty.
The second half followed much the same pattern as the first, with the hosts dominating the possession and territory stats but their attacks lacking the penetration to get through an organised Hurricanes’ defence.
But the game started to turn in Sandown’s favour when prop Ricky Harris was brought on to compete in the tight with the bigger Petersfield forwards.
With a stronger scrum, Baxandall was given the platform to release the stronger, faster Sandown backline and soon this produced a penalty, which Baxandall duly converted.
The breakthrough came when scrum half Joel Carey began an eight-man move which ended in a great try from Baxandall, which he could not convert.
The game finished with Petersfield gallantly trying to get the score they needed to take the game into extra time but the Sandown defence remained strong to the end.
The side will now face London South West 3 leaders Gosport and Fareham in the final.