September 6th 2025

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Match Report:

After a testing previous season and relegation from Level 6, Saxon safety sponsored Andover looked for a strong start to the new campaign, with new energy drawn from a strong pre season training effort all round.

Andover kicked off against familiar old foes Eastleigh and proceeded to delight fans and coaches alike with a wonderful display of flowing rugby.

Receiving the first line-out of the season, both sides traded possession in the early stages of the game, before the all blacks struck with the first significant possession of the match.

From open play on halfway, the ball came to Man of the Match Callum Hollinshead who gave a deep pass to full back Bryn Waite. Quick hands from Waite, who terrorised the visitors all afternoon, to captain CJ Feirn put winger Evan Roll in space. He stepped inside one defender and held off another long enough to offload back to Waite on his outside, who stepped inside the final defender for Andover’s first try of the season.

Minutes later Andover continued their charge. After a stolen line-out from Hollinshead , great runs and smooth hands from the Andover backs gave winger Evan Roll two defenders to beat and he went past them with space to spare, for Andover’s second try.

Next an incredible counter attack to Eastleigh’s five meter line from winger Charlie Deaval, followed by tough running and silky hands from Andovers forwards, put Hollinshead in for the third try of the day.

Soon, after a fine run from the halfway, Waite dummied a defender and offloaded to Stan North for the 4 try bonus point before half time.

Eastleigh, far from down trodden, finished the half by battling down the field to claim a converted try of their own.

Andover returned in the second half with the same tenacity as before the break. A well worked lineout and set maul sent veteran prop Nic Reed driving over the line for Andover’s firth try of the day.

With continuous pressure through strong running and smooth handling, North and Roll gave Andover their sixth and seventh tries of the day.

To finish the game Andover went end to end with the same strong running and smooth handling as before, giving debut winger Isaac Demesi the chance to step past the final defender and show his electric pace to register eighth try of day, with the ever reliable Rich Retallick converting six times to make the final score Andover 52 Eastleigh 7.

View Paul Campbell photos from the match here.