PREVIEW – Andover (A)
After a much needed and deserved break across the club, all three sides are back in action this weekend as the 1st XV make the trip to North Hampshire for the first time in 17 years to face promoted Andover at the Goodship Ground.
MATCH: Andover v Tottonians
VENUE: Goodship Ground, Foxcotte Lane, Andover, SP11 0TA
COMPETITION: Regional Division 2 South Central
DATE: Saturday 26th October 2024
KICK-OFF: 2:00pm
ADMISSION: FREE
LIVE MATCH UPDATES: On our Twitter/X channel @Tottonians
OVERVIEW:
Yes, it has indeed been 17 long years – almost to the very day as that game was on 10 November 2007 – since the Hampshire All Blacks hosted Tottonians in a league game. And here we are again, new league but same Hampshire local derby feel.
Andover were promoted out of Counties 1 Hampshire last term as runners-up to Petersfield but have found life in this league a little tricky, despite recording two impressive home wins on the opening day against Guildford and then beating their East Hampshire promotion rivals in mid-October.
Down in 11th place with just the two wins from their opening seven games might not be the return that they would have wanted but, on home soil, they are two from four this year and won nine of their 10 there last term.
Just ask any old Tottonian who has been there, for we have won just twice in six attempts – the first in 1994 (Gary Nott two penalties and a drop goal in a 9-3 win) and then on the last visit there in 2007. 13 years between wins then, 17 years between the next one?
Maybe, as Tottonians travel north through the Test Valley with a three-point cushion at the top of the table and still standing tall with their seven from seven start to the campaign, having come through the nail-biting victory over Winchester a fortnight ago, thanks to Robbie Searle’s last kick of the game penalty.
November is a big month for Phil Osman’s side with this away game with Andover and then hosting Newbury next week before the clash of the unbeaten top two just over the Hampshire-Surrey border at Farnham in four weeks.
There is, and continues to be, plenty to be encouraged about – not just in the first XV but in the 2nds and 3rds too, all fielding strong XVs and having lost just a single game all season throughout the three sides and four if you include the Colts in their league too.
However, you know that with a record like Tottonians have, they travel with a target on their backs and they will hope not to slide down the notorious Goodship Ground slope on Saturday!
Kick-off is 2pm – please note the different kick-off time and also please note that Andover New Street FC are playing in the FA Vase on Saturday against AFC St Austell – their home ground is just down the road from Andover RFC so please get their nice and early to ensure you don’t get hampered by football goers – their kick-off is at 3pm though).
TEAM NEWS:
Once more, the deck has been shuffled with a number of players out or switching positions.
In the backs, Ethan Riley goes to full-back to accommodate the return of Harry Dolbear to scrum-half after his concussion protocol break. Dylan Kirk goes onto the wing so Connor Andrews takes the number six shirt.
In the forwards, Ali Ramus is back in the second row which moves Cam Flint to number eight as Nic Jansen is out with a knee injury.
On the bench, the Raqio brothers are back in unison and they are joined by Oli King, who has impressed in the second XV this season and returns to first team action for the first time in five years.
HISTORY and STATS:
Saturday will be the 15th league meeting between the sides since the first back in September 1990 and the head-to-head record is 6 wins each and two draws and the points tally is vastly in favour of the North Hampshire side 313-156!
That is probably because Tottonians went five matches from 1997 to 2004 in Hampshire 1 and London 3 South-West and scored just one penalty from the boot of Paul Goodall in the fourth of those five games in 2000 and conceded 179 points in the process with results of 0-64, 0-21, 0-47, 3-9 and 0-38!
However, Totts have won four of the last five meetings including a comfortable double in 2007/08 campaign, winning 32-20 away and 32-12 at Water Lane on 15 December 2007, the last league meeting between the sides.
For the record, the first ever league game between Tottonians and Andover was on 22 September 1990 in Hampshire Division 2 with Totts running out 16-12 winners, thanks to tries from Keith Searle and Jonathan Smith while Pete Fryatt converted one and added two penalties (it was still four points for a try back then!).
