Victory kick missed

A MISSED conversion attempt in the third minute of stoppage time at Basingstoke on Saturday meant Hampshire missed out on a first Twickenham final in the County Shield.

In a rugby match that paired two unbeaten pool winners in a southern semi-final, Hampshire were never able to get on terms with their rivals.

Twice, however, they got to within a point of Oxfordshire.

After 59 minutes, a Tim Osman penalty made it 17-16.

The Down Grange visitors then ran in their third try to widen the gap to 22-16 but, as Hampshire mounted another late surge, the gap closed again with Basingstoke hooker Matt Evans going over from close range to make it 22-21.

A successful conversion from Osman would have put Hampshire in the final at Twickenham this Saturday against Northumberland, who beat West Midlands 27-19 in the northern semi-final.

Osman, agonisingly, put his kick just wide and the chance was gone.

Evans, a second-half replacement, had the satisfaction, however, of scoring in his debut season for Hampshire.

The 82nd minute chance presented itself when referee David Grashoff yellow-carded Oxfordshire captain and No 8 Paul Hennessey for deliberately handling on the floor at a ruck as Hampshire threatened close to his line. A quickly-taken penalty allowed the Hampshire forwards to set up a maul and Evans was the man to touch down.

The chance of victory and a trip to headquarters looked unlikely for hosts Hampshire in the first half when they again struggled up front.

Captain Phil Osman and his talented back division, in which three of his brothers shared a formidable midfield, were forced to live off scraps.

Referee Grashoff, responsible for one or two interesting interpretations of the law, was reluctant to stop the Oxfordshire pack wheeling the Hampshire scrums to their advantage.

Oxfordshire, starting with the wind in their favour, had only an Andy Noyce penalty to show for their first-quarter domination.

Phil Osman's grubber kick after 20 minutes put Hampshire in the opposing 22 for the first time but all the threat came from Oxfordshire.

They increased their lead nine minutes before the turnaround with wing Martin Nutt going over after quick progress from a ruck on the Hampshire 10-metre line. Noyce improved the score to 10-0 before Tim Osman put Hampshire on the scoreboard with a penalty.

Still Oxforshire called the shots and, when Hampshire offended at a five-metre scrum, a penalty try and conversion opened the gap to 17-3.

A Tim Osman break in midfield allowed wing Neil McGovern to round the cover and touch down for a Hampshire try in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time and Tim Osman's conversion brought the home side to within seven points of the visitors.

Phil Osman's astute kicking with the wind in the second half brought a calculated number of knock-ons and Hampshire scrums in attacking positions.

Tim Osman missed his first kick of the match after 44 minutes but was on target twice in four minutes to bring Hampshire within a point of the visitors.

The second restart saw Oxfordshire run back from their 22 a Phil Osman kick into the corner for a second try from Nutt to put Hampshire 22-16 behind after 61 minutes.

Memories of a splendid third quarter from Hampshire faded as the exchanges evened out before the grand finale.

Steve Buttle completed his third county championship match as replacement and a third Basingstoke player, Simon Appleby, was denied a second full 80 minutes only by a wrist injury that forced him off for the final 10 minutes.