Kent 20 Hampshire 15: Bill Beaumont County Championship, Division 1 South report

Slow-starting Kent came good late on against Hampshire to win their opening match of the 2023 Bill Beaumont County Championship.

A fine second-half performance from Kent on Saturday saw them overturn a 15-3 deficit on 50 minutes with 17 unanswered points, including three tries, as they kicked off their Division 1 South campaign with a 20-15 victory.

Hampshire looked sharper in the early stages of the match at Medway RFC’s Priestfields ground and although limited to just three assaults in Kent territory in the opening period, scored from two of them.

Twice Kent were thwarted in the first ten minutes as, perhaps trying to over-complicate from a close-range scrum, ball was intercepted and danger cleared.

Hampshire’s first excursion uphill saw Havant hooker Sean Shepherd emerge from the maul, following a kick to touch, for a converted try on eleven minutes.

Andy Denham made ground on the right-wing for Kent, and there was a mighty drive from a lineout on half-way, but no reward until a 33rd minute Frank Reynolds penalty narrowed the gap.

However, as the interval approached, Max Fletcher of Sandown & Shanklin RFC pierced the defence for a second try and a 12-3 lead to the visitors at the break.

As the rain intensified, Winchester fly-half Tom Fieldsend added a penalty to his earlier conversion but it was to be the last time the visitors came close to scoring.

The introduction of Canterbury’s Tom Williams and Sam Evans at half-back injected more energy and pace into Kent’s game, and the amalgamation of some intelligent out-of-hand kicking, and a growing dominance at the line-out, changed the game.

On 56 minutes, Evans made ground, before sending Westcombe Park’s Nick Cooke across out wide on the right and it wasn’t long before