Positive coronavirus test means head coach Gareth Richards misses Portsmouth's London 3 South West season's best after seeing off Old Cranleighans

Portsmouth Rugby Club racked up their biggest London 3 South West victory of the season with head coach Gareth Richards absent after testing positive for coronavirus.
Returning Mark Ovens grabbed two tries in Portsmouth's win over Old Cranleighans. Picture: Keith Woodland (25012020-262)Returning Mark Ovens grabbed two tries in Portsmouth's win over Old Cranleighans. Picture: Keith Woodland (25012020-262)
Returning Mark Ovens grabbed two tries in Portsmouth's win over Old Cranleighans. Picture: Keith Woodland (25012020-262)

First-team manager Ian Alvey, third team coach Dan Wells and an assembled player leadership group took control with Richards unable to attend - and the result was a 36-5 home triumph at Rugby Camp over Old Cranleighans.

Richards revealed he briefly spoke to his players pre-match but insisted they deserved all the plaudits for claiming just a second league win in 11 league games so far.

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With the Portsmouth head coach singling out the first-team player leadership group - assembled at the start of the season - of captain Greg Hoolihan, Gareth Davies, number eight Aaron Beesley and Mark Ovens for standing up on the day.

Richards said: ‘I got to speak to the boys via FaceTime before the game and my first-team manager Whatsapp videoed for the second half so I watched as much as I could from home.

‘To be honest, it was very much player-led on Saturday. We set up a player leadership group right at the start of the season so first-team captain Greg Hoolihan, our fly-half Gareth Davies, our number eight Aaron Beesley and our full-back Mark Ovens, I believe, kind of shouldered the responsibility for the playing side of things.’

Portsmouth racked up the highest number of points they have managed in a single game this season with their thumping 36-5 success.

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Returning fly-half Ovens, who has missed the vast majority of this season through injury, grabbed two tries on his return.

Bradley Atkins, Beesley, Tom Hopkins and Scott Weatherhead completed the scoring as Portsmouth went over six times.

Richards, set to return in time for Portsmouth's pre-Christmas trip to Trojans on Saturday, added: ‘The manner of the victory as well was pleasing, by all accounts we played some really good rugby, the tries were good quality and I’m pleased - it’s not just a tight victory - it was a really good victory. We played for the full 80 minutes and put Old Cranleighans away.’

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