Strong first half showing sees off Basingstoke

This match was expected to be a real test for Ray Smart’s side, and that proved true on several fronts, as they faced a decent Basingstoke outfit, whilst also battling testing conditions at Les Ozouets Campus.

With the Garenne Stand pitch at Footes Lane being adjudged not suitable for two men’s matches due to the weather conditions, it was remarkable the game was able to be played, and it was testament to the character of both teams for battling through.

St Jacques had the benefit of the downhill slope and the strong wind behind them in the first half, and they put this to good use. After several slow starts in recent games, coach Smart couldn’t have been more pleased to see his side be switched on from the off as they ran in three first half tries.

Matt Lomas had an early opportunity to put the Vikings into the lead, but he pushed the penalty kick just wide. He would soon put that right.

The home side had been working into the Basingstoke half with strong attacking intent, and they were making progress towards their line. The Vikings forwards causing much of the early damage, but it was Lomas who crossed the whitewash on the left wing after 11 minutes, following a dominant scrum by the home side.

Basingstoke were up against it early on, but they defended resolutely and caused several mistakes from the Vikings. Gearoid Lee went close to scoring for the home side, but was adjudged to have dropped the ball whilst attempting to score.

St Jacques did soon extend their lead however, this time through man-of-the-match Liam Welch. The black and yellows turned over the ball in a lineout and managed to drive back Basingstoke to near their line, before Welch showed great power to force his way over the line. Lomas converted.

The lead was soon extended once again, as the Vikings put pressure onto the visitors. From another close scrum, the home side produced a dominant drive before Dale Rutledge quickly distributed to the waiting Joe Le Roux who forced himself over in the corner.

St Jacques hunted a bonus point fourth try before the break, but the visitors defended with tenacity to keep them out.

Whilst Basingstoke had been up against it in the first half, they knew they had a chance to get back into the match if they could take advantage of the slope and the wind in the second period.

They started brightly in the second half as the Vikings were forced to defend deep in the mud, as the visitors went on the charge. They scored their first try through Alfie Rowley after he managed to find a way through the home defence.

Liam Welch then scored the try of the match, after Vikings won clean lineout ball just outside the Basingstoke twenty-two. He received the ball on the run and burst through the would-be tackler before sprinting all the way over the line. Bonus point secured and the try converted.

Basingstoke continued to attack the Vikings and were playing some good rugby in the conditions. They scored their second try through Jake Jagged, and their tails were up.

The Vikings were holding a 14 point lead as the game drew towards the end, but the visiting side were not done with trying to close the gap. They got that chance after the ball spilled out the back of a lineout, and were quick to react to gather the ball, before Stephen Ansell drove over. The resulting conversion was just just wide, meaning they missed out on a losing bonus point.

This was truly a game of two halves, played by two good sides, but fortunately for the Vikings it was them who prevailed in this brilliant encounter.

Ray Smart’s side go second in the league table, with two big games coming up against US Portsmouth next weekend, before making a trip to the league leaders Sandown & Shanklin, who have played a game more than the Vikings.

This is going to be an important period for the Vikings, but one they can take confidence into after a good home performance.