SANDOWN and Shanklin kicked off 2023 in fine style in a must win top of the table clash against Bognor at The Fairway.

                     COUNTIES 2 HAMPSHIRE — HURRICANES 28, BOGNOR 18 
The hosts got off to an enterprising start, playing down the hill and with the wind at their backs, a series of penalties provided them with a line-out seven metres out from the try line. 

The resulting catch and drive led to captain, Zak Chiverton, dotting down to open the scoring, with the conversion missed in the challenging conditions for accurate kicking.

Bognor fought back and, after having enjoyed the lion's share of territory in Sandown's 22, they eventually got their first score of the game from the wing. 

The tricky conditions led to numerous handling errors on both sides, sparking a real battle of attrition in each side's 22. 

Bognor managed to repel a series of Hurricanes penalties from close range, but Anthony Burr managed to stick one over the posts to put the hosts 8-5 up.  

However, Bognor wore down the hosts' defence again and, after a series of carries close to the Hurricanes' try line, they eventually scored out wide just before the interval. 

Sandown were playing up the hill into the prevailing wind in the second half, with Bognor starting it as they did in the first half — looking to wear down the Hurries defence.

Bognor came up against strong resistance until they finally scored a penalty to extend their lead to 13-8.

The Hurricanes worked their way back into the game, with notable line-out work by Damian Seder, and a Bognor tackler was sin-binned.  

Chiverton elected for the scrum on the Bognor five-metre line — driving the Bognor pack backwards — and quick-thinking scrum-half Tom Marriott was alert enough to dot down, converted by Burr, to put the Hurries 15-13 in front, which swung the momentum back in their favour. 

Following the Bognor kick off, Sandown scored again from a superb sweeping move — flanker Jacob Jordan broke a tackle and found Michael Barrett, who offloaded smartly to Marriott, who passed wide to debutant Max Fletcher to sprint over in the corner, 20-13. 

No sooner had the sin-binned Bognor returned to play, than one his team-mates was yellow-carded.

The Hurricanes made the most of their good fortune when the pack pushed the opposition back, which allowed Marriott to link up with Fletcher again to score his second, to make it 25-13. 

In the dying minutes, Bognor scored again, to make for a nervy finish for the hosts.
But another Burr penalty at the end make the game safe and denied Bognor a vital losing bonus point.

The Hurries' director of rugby, Damien Marriott, said afterwards: “We made it very difficult for ourselves in first half, when we had the weather conditions in our favour

"We attempted to play a little too much, which resulted in putting ourselves under pressure. 

"However, in the second half, the boys really pulled it out of the bag — fighting against the conditions and the hill.

"It was an incredible turnaround to secure victory."