RUGBYIW 77, Nomads 0
THE IW completed their league campaign in style, recording an emphatic victory over Nomads at the sunkissed Wootton Recreation Ground.
This result leaves the IW in fifth place overall in Hampshire League Two, with seven wins and seven defeats, a satisfactory mid-table position after an injury-hit early season.
Strongly favoured over the already-relegated Nomads from Portsmouth, the IW struggled early on to maintain continuity, but Nick Puckett’s close range try after 14 minutes opened the floodgates.
Though some opportunities were squandered, generally the IW performed well at the set piece and in broken play, and some fine tries were created.
Six tries in all were recorded in the opening half, as Nathan Tombleson, Gareth Paisley, new scrum-half Gaz Fowler, Dan Taylor and Neil Brading added to the tally.
Paisley converted three and added a penalty on the stroke of halftime for a 39-0 advantage.
IW idled somewhat in the third quarter while Nomads offered increased resistance.
However, the home side soon roused themselves, not least thanks to the efforts of Lymington Precision Engineers man of the match Martin Newnham.
Nick Puckett added three further tries, the last of which was a spectacular long-range effort but outshone by an even more remarkable try from his brother Andy.
Ali Gates and Ian Rock also scored late on, while Paisley added four further conversions for a satisfying end to the league campaign.
Coach David Metcalfe said he was pleased with the performance, describing it as comfortable.
Tomorrow (Saturday), the IW first and second teams host Alresford at Wootton Rec with a 3pm kickoff, preceded by a vice-presidents’ lunch.
IW: Browne, Gates, Taylor, Peters, Paisley, Brading, Fowler, Puzey, Newnham, Jennings, Church, A. Puckett, Tombleson, Thomas, N. Puckett. Subs: Brown, Simpson, Rock.