DESPITE dull, rainy conditions and a below par performance Romsey returned to winning ways at the home of league rivals Alresford. 

Fly half Jim Lamont slotted an early penalty to get the scoreboard moving, but a charged down kick put Romsey back under pressure close to their line. 

A series of drives tested the Romsey defence and Alresford were eventually penalised, and Romsey were able to lift the siege. With Romsey’s scrum beginning to assert some superiority, Jim Lamont was able to kick another penalty after 25 minutes to make the score 6-0. Another three points before half time sent Romsey into the half time huddle with a comfortable but not conclusive lead.

After 15 minutes of the second half winger Will Davies scored after a concerted drive from a line out and a sniping run by scrum half Dan Penn Newman. The 14-0 lead looked ominous for the home team, but they responded with a spirited series of attacks and it was only thanks to some brave work by Alfie Lawrence under the Romsey posts that kept Alresford at bay. It turned out to be the turning point of the game. 

Romsey were frustrated in their quest for a bonus point however. Their forwards were winning the contest in the loose and at scrum time, but the line out was misfiring in the breezy conditions. This was making it difficult for Caine Latham’s side to sustain pressure. 

In the final moments of the game the evergreen Nick Creal poached a turnover and Penn Newman launched his backs. Substitute Ollie Wise, making his senior debut, scorched away for a final score to make the score 21-0.

Although the greasy pitch and slippery ball meant that a bonus point was always out of the equation, Caine Latham’s side were convincing winners on the day.