Hurricanes Take Win As New Milton Crumble

Saturday saw the Hurricanes make their first away trip for the 2024/25 Hampshire Counties 1 season, across the Solent and into the New Forest to renew another rivalry from the past against New Milton RFC.

Last week, the Hurricanes came from behind to defeat St Jacques, setting them up for a tough test against fellow promoted side New Milton. With momentum from their win against Ellingham, the Hurricanes aimed to continue their good form.

Conditions were perfect for rugby, with sunshine, a dry track, and no threat of rain. Sandown kicked off, putting early pressure on the hosts through set-piece dominance and strong defensive line pressure. After missed opportunities, New Milton cleared their lines, but a stolen lineout led to Number 8 Michael Barrett ripping possession from the opposition and sprinting under the posts for an early score, converted by Burr, 0-7.

Disaster soon struck for Sandown as captain Sam Rees was taken off with a suspected broken wrist, later confirmed. Young prop Ben Booth also left the field with a neck injury, leading to a reshuffle, with Sam Thomas and Hugo Jolliffe entering the game. Despite the disruption, Sandown capitalised on New Milton’s two yellow cards. A lineout secured by Damian Seder allowed the ball to be spun wide to winger Ash Smith, who scored. Burr missed the conversion, leaving the score at 0-12.

Strong tackling and breakdown work from Sam Thomas and Ben Kulik kept New Milton contained, despite their wide attacking attempts. Sandown’s territorial pressure paid off, and after multiple phases, Barrett offloaded to Newton, who charged in for another try. Burr’s conversion extended the lead to 0-19.

New Milton rallied before half-time, camping on Sandown’s five-metre line, but Sandown’s determined defence held firm, clearing their lines at the break. The second half mirrored the first, with New Milton struggling to break through Sandown’s defence. Eventually, a break from Barrett led to a Burr penalty, increasing the lead to 0-22.

A late mix-up at a New Milton lineout gifted Zak Chiverton an easy try, sealing a 0-27 bonus-point win for Sandown. Young Harry Thomas made his debut, contributing well down the wing. Despite injuries, Director of Rugby Keith Wallace praised the team's phenomenal defensive effort. 

The Hurricanes now prepare to face Portsmouth RFC at home next Saturday.