Winchester Rugby Club’s men’s first team opened its campaign last Saturday with a resounding 3-21 away win against Wimborne.

The match was marred by persistent light rain and no fewer than 22 penalties awarded against both teams by the Wilts and Dorset Society referee.

The first three were against the home team, enabling Winchester fly-half Greg Sullivan to kick first to near half-way, then to the Wimborne 22, then to their 5-metre line. Fed from the lineout, Winchester winger Rhys Thomas touched down in the corner. Full-back Tommy Hare’s kick for the conversion failed, but Winchester were first on the scoreboard: 0-5.

It took Wimborne only four minutes to reply, with a successful penalty kick by fly-half Jack Mason: 3-5.

Sadly for Wimborne, that turned out to be their only score of the match. Winchester’s Hare slotted a further penalty, and the teams went into the sheds for half time with the score at 3-8.

Nine minutes into the second half, Winchester demonstrated that it was not only their backs who had handling skills, even in the wet, but also their forwards, as flanker Will Larkin scored their second try under the Wimborne posts. Hare’s conversion brought the score to 3-15.

While Winchester had been showing the strength of their well-drilled defence, which had been a major factor in their ending the 2023-24 season in second place, now it was time for their superior fitness to challenge the Wimborne defence, forcing the home team to give away yet more penalties. Hare kicked two more, and the match ended with a Winchester victory by 3- 21.

“The work we’ve done on strength and conditioning in the Army Training Regiment gym in Andover Road, as well as our evening training sessions and pre-season matches, as reported in the Chronicle last week, have paid off in spades” said senior coach Gaz Martin after the match.

“I’d like to pay a particular tribute to captain Matt Golding for his performance today, not just in the second row but also in his conversations with the referee in often difficult circumstances. And our five debutants, Harry Arkley, Will Larkin, Rory McGrath, Josh Pallet and Harri Thomas, slotted into the team brilliantly. Well done to them all.”

Winchester will kick off their first home match of the season this Saturday at 3 pm against Andover.