Havant named a side with three changes in the forwards. Will Maxfield came in at loose-head and Armandus Morgan replaced injured Brandon Vince at Tight Head. Ross Parkins returned to the second row, his first match since the Canterbury classic. Behind the forwards, Tom Gwyther moved back to fly-half from outside centre with Joel Knight playing after missing the Guernsey game. Barnes made two changes from the side that beat Westcombe Park last time out with hooker Adam Musa starting with Dan Robertshaw moving to the bench (Barnes rotate their two hookers). Paul O’Dell came in on the wing.

Barnes kicked off in lovely sunshine playing from right to left, watching from the stand, and took territorial control early on. Havant had regular ball but they found it hard to break out. Ben Holt put an early ball in the air – Barnes would struggle badly against high balls for most of the afternoon – and then won a scrum, giving Sam Trodd the chance for an early run. A penalty to the visitors was kicked to touch on Havant’s ‘22’ but the lineout maul was turned over by Havant.

In the early stages Dylan Evans took an excellent high ball under real pressure and Ben Holt tested out the opposition defence with his trademark sniping runs, when Havant did have the ball. On 8’ Tom Gwyther put in a good kick to halfway which relieved pressure although play had mostly been between the Havant ‘22’ and the 10m line.

From here however, Barnes upped the pressure and would score a trio of tries over the next fifteen minutes as a reward for their effort. The first came after a Havant penalty was conceded in the midfield, which was kicked to the 5m line by fly-half Will Nicholson. The scoring began with a touchdown from lock forward Caelen Stanton from the lineout after several attempts to get over the line. Nicholson converted to make it 0-7 on 12’. Soon after Dylan Evans called a mark, kicked, and the ball was returned giving time for Jack Colbourne to feed Sam Trodd who went on a terrific 40m run. The move continued through the forwards with Angus Southon punching a hole, before the ball found its way to Will Perry who made ground but came up short of the try line. With penalty advantage Havant kicked to touch and had their first 5m lineout. Ross Parkins took the lineout but, after a number of drives, the ball was knocked on. This was Havant’s first real attacking move.

Barnes then scored the second of their three early tries. A Havant lineout was stolen and their back-row moved possession to the centre of the field. From here a straightforward back’s move gave Barnes the space to send through right wing Jacques Birch who touched down under the posts. Nicholson converted, making it 0-14 on 22’. Three minutes later Birch scored again after a midfield turnover which was immediately sent out to the wing. Again, Nicholson converted. It was now 0-21 on 25’ and Havant needed to start playing.

Havant picked up their game and started winning quality ball as well as pressurising the visitors into handling errors, a theme that would continue for the rest of the match. A knock-on and then a penalty gave the team a chance to kick for touch and win a lineout, 8m out from the try-line. The messy lineout was secured and Wes Dugan and Craig Durnin got Havant closer. Joel Knight got to 1m out and then a Havant player was held up (couldn’t see who). Backchat reversed a penalty advantage that Havant had been playing with and Barnes escaped.

On 32’ Havant, becoming more penetrative with the ball, won midfield possession and full back Dylan Evans (who improves with every game) found space on the right and put wing Sam Trodd in the corner for the host’s first try. Joel Knight converted to make it 7-21.

Havant now upping their game again, secured a penalty through a Joel Knight turnover and Jacob Knight kicked to the corner. While that move came to nothing, Havant soon had a good attacking scrum in midfield (the scrum was solid throughout) and, on the stroke of half-time, a straightforward back’s move with a half-break from Joel Knight, sent Dylan Evans in for a score. Joel Knight converted again to make it 14-21 at half-time.

Supporters enjoyed over fifty points in the second half.

An early high ball was taken well after the restart by Dylan Evans. He passed on to Jacob Knight who kicked through expertly to the Barnes ‘22’. Ben Holt and Craig Durnin were on hand to pressure the Barnes ruck and win a penalty which Joel Knight kicked to make it 17-21 on 43’.

Soon after the restart, Barnes were on the attack and created space for wing O’Dell who got close and won a penalty which was kicked to the corner. A superb tackle prevented a try but a swift pass on the outside to a free Adam Musa, the Barnes hooker, gave him the opportunity to squeeze in, controversially, at the left corner. The conversion was missed with the score now 17-26 on 47’.

From here however, Havant would use their power game and play at a pace to score the points that would win them the match. They feasted on frequent Barnes’ errors. They were rewarded with three tries in ten minutes through Sean Shepherd, Jack Colbourne (who’s direct running punched regular holes in a tiring defence) and Will Perry. Sean Shepherd’s try, on 50’, came from a sharp half-break by Tom Gwyther between the 10m line and the ‘22’, expertly feeding Havant’s flying hooker, who touched down close to the posts. Ollie Sowerby came on for Will Maxfield, with Pete Austin replacing try-scorer Sean Shepherd.

The second of the three came from Jack Colbourne, not long after making an excellent 25m break. Havant turned over lineout ball and, after a few attempts to gain ground he was on hand to take the ball and just stretch over to score. Barnes were needing to force the game, were still making errors and had to contend too with an energetic Harrison Young, on for Craig Durnin. Havant then scored a really high-class try. A Barnes lineout was taken by Havant with the ball fed to the hungry Havant backs. Jacob Knight broke free and fed brother Joel who made a great break too, at pace, and threw a lovely, floated ball to Will Perry. With work to do, he forced his way over the line. All three tries were converted by Joel Knight with Havant now twelve points clear. Suddenly from being nine points down on 50’, Havant were 12 points clear at 38-26 on 60’. Tom Gwyther, continuing his excellent form since Christmas, had to leave the field with a shoulder problem and Colin Sisk replaced him.

Barnes still threatened and from a 5m scrum scored through wing O’Dell with Nicholson converting to bring Barnes to within five points of Havant. Havant replied with a smart Will Perry finish for his second, again converted by Joel Knight, making it 45-33 on 66’.

Things were about to get tougher for the hosts. A Havant yellow card for a high tackle, given to Colin Sisk, somewhat harshly in the view of the crowd, gave the visitors breathing space. A second high tackle and a penalty gave the visitors field position too and from a 5m scrum Barnes threatened the Havant line, with replacement hooker Dan Robertshaw touching down. Crucially, the conversion was missed making it 45-38 on 72’.

A second yellow card – to Armandus Morgan - then left Havant with thirteen players on the pitch. What followed was an outstanding piece of mature, thinking rugby with Havant securing possession for four minutes through low-risk, pick-and-drive, close contact play from the forwards. Havant gave the visitors nothing to feed on at all. They looked a really good side in the way they secured the game. With Colin Sisk returning, a second Joel Knight penalty confirmed a superb Havant win with a mention for a superb Sam Trodd tackle on his opposite number, preventing what seemed a certain score. Doug Miller

After the game, Head Coach Will Knight said: ‘When this team plays with confidence and aggression they are a match for any side in this league. After a slow start, I am delighted with the way we responded’.

Other League Results
Bury St Edmunds 69 – 14 Guernsey
Esher 41 – 34 Old Albanians
London Welsh 22 – 21 Canterbury
Oundle 71 – 21 Oxford Harlequins
Sevenoaks 14 – 44 Dorking
Westcombe Park 19 – 25 Henley