On a freezing afternoon at Test Park, Southampton were too hot for Andover to handle as they ran in ten tries to one.

With Captain Robbie unavailable, stand in skipper Josh Fearon led out an unfamiliar looking Saints side featuring Jordan Dashwood at 10 and Riccardo Scala at number 8. But the new look side worked well, with the forwards competing well at the breakdown and turning over the ball on a number of occasions and the side's offloading game making good ground and proving difficult to stop.

The first try came from winger Ryan Morrell after some slick handling from the back, who went round the outside of the defence before converting his own score. A second followed for Morrell shortly after, before Ian Budd joined in the scoring to give Saints a 21-0 lead.

Andover had moments of pressure, including being held up over the try line by an excellent defensive effort. But they did cross shortly after through a close range drive from a forward.

The bonus point was secured for Saints inside the first half as Tom Laycock and Ricco Scala both crossed. All conversions were successful, leaving the score 35-7 at half time.

The second half continued in much the same fashion for Southampton. Ryan Morrell completed his hat trick after a loose ball was popped up to him on the wing. He beat the defence on the outside to finish off an excellent individual try.

Tom Howells got in on the try-scoring action, running in a second half hat trick of individual efforts, his jinking runs proving impossible to stop. Gus Nye added another and Andover's frustration was becoming clear, with their captain criticising the ref after a try was scored which allowed Saints to restart after the conversion with a penalty for dissent - which itself was then marched forward ten as he still had more to say on the matter.

Andover had a few opportunities in the second half including a massive overlap on the right wing, but poor decision-making saw the opportunity wasted as the unmarked winger was left screaming for a ball he never received.

The final score was 70-7 which was a fair reflection of Southampton's dominance throughout the match. Overall an excellent team performance from Southampton. The forwards stole a number of scrums against the head and numerous turnovers at the breakdown. The backs played with confidence, keeping the ball alive and supporting each other well to open up the defence. Individually, Charles Wyld made some excellent carries and was unlucky not to get a try himself. Gus Nye was excellent in defence and regularly popped up in support in attack, which earned him a share of the Man of the Match award alongside Ryan Morrell.

Southampton Rugby Club

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