LES Quennevais Sharks’ fairy-tale success story, of not having lost a Hampshire game in either Bowl or Plate competition for the last two seasons, is over.
Away to Millbrook in the semi-final of the Hampshire Plate on Sunday they were twice in front, three times behind as they went down 33-21.Afterwards captain Nick Durbano said: ‘I’m gutted, especially as I tore my calf muscle ten minutes into the game and should have gone off, but couldn’t, as we had so little cover on the bench.’Our No 8, Roy Le Lievre, was ill, and couldn’t travel over so we had to readjust even before the game started.
Even so, we had a good first ten minutes and our threes were all over them.’After we scored, I really thought we were up for it, but the longer the game went on, the more penalties the referee gave against us.’I know it’s not the done thing to criticise referees, but for the first ten minutes we played really well, and deserved to go in front.
In the end, though, the penalty count just killed us.’In the threes Millbrook were offside so many times, because they knew our threequarters were much better than them.
But the referee never picked it up.’As it was, their No 10 controlled the game.
He sat back deep and kicked.
He didn’t pass the ball outside once.’It was upsetting, because at home we would have beaten them.
And the score flatters them.
I know if you lose, you lose, but even with ten minutes left we were only a score behind and with one converted try we would have gone through on number of tries scored.
In the end, though, they pulled away.’Perhaps at times we were a little naive, and we’ve got to learn how to kill off a game.
Fair play to Millbrook but fair play, too, to my lads.
They did everything I asked of them.’Full report in today’s JEP
Article posted on 2nd March, 2004 - 12.00am
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