‘There’s a real sense of camaraderie’ – miserly Gosport & Fareham RFC maintain winning start to Hampshire Premier season

Gosport & Fareham RFC kept their third clean sheet of the Hampshire Premier season to maintain their 100 per cent start to 2021/22.
Dom Holling scored two tries and kicked two conversions as Gosport & Fareham defeated Eastleigh 2ndsDom Holling scored two tries and kicked two conversions as Gosport & Fareham defeated Eastleigh 2nds
Dom Holling scored two tries and kicked two conversions as Gosport & Fareham defeated Eastleigh 2nds

After beating Locksheath Pumas 28-0 and Chichester 2nds 38-0, Gosport trounced Eastleigh 2nds 36-0 away to record their fourth straight bonus point win.

The only points they have conceded so far came against Sandown & Shanklin in a 25-13 win on the Isle of Wight in their second game.

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Head coach Mark Pollard’s side, though, are only top on points difference as Bognor have also rattled up four bonus point victories. Havant 2nds, also 100 per cent, are just a further point adrift.

Gosport had their latest win as good as wrapped up by half-time, having scorched into a 29-0 advantage.

They bagged six tries in all with skipper Dominic Holling (2) leading the way and other scores coming from Ben Smith, Simon Trivett, Toby Woodford and Ash Wakefield.

Holling kicked three conversions and missed the other three.

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‘The first 10 to 15 minutes were tough but then we got into our rhythm and flow,’ reported Pollard.

‘It was absolutely fantastic to get the bonus point wrapped up by half-time.’

Gosport have hit the ground running after being demoted from London 3 South West at the end of the Covid-scarred 2019/20 campaign.

Pollard said: ‘It’s roughly the same squad as before, but there’s a few extra players who have come back to the club.

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‘There’s a real sense of camaraderie around the team. They’re all enjoying their rugby and it’s easy to coach them when there’s that sense of feeling and fighting for each other on the pitch. Winning also helps!

‘It’s a start I would definitely have liked and one I will take. We just want to push on and win as many games as we can.’

Last time out two teams were promoted from Hampshire Premier into the London Leagues. The one big change this season is that 2nd XVs can now go up - previously, the likes of Havant 2nds and Eastleigh 2nds were capped at Hampshire Premier level.