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 he charged through the centre for his second score. The conversion made it 15-apiece on the hour-mark.

Kent’s scrum came to the fore with a huge shove, and as Denham shrugged away tacklers on 73 minutes, the right-wing found Dutta on his inside for the winning try.

Kent Director of Rugby Taff Gwilliam said: “We changed the dynamics at half-time, found a better kicking game, and narrowed the point of attack.

“With just one training session prior to the game we looked a bit disjointed early on, but we grew throughout, with the combinations meshing together as the match progressed, and finished a much improved unit.”

Kent: Aiden Moss (Canterbury), Andy Denham (Blackheath), Jake Hennessey (Blackheath), KK Orelaje (Westcombe Park), Joe Ratcliffe (Westcombe Park), Frank Reynolds (Canterbury), Jacob Buckley (Westcombe Park), Archie Holland (Blackheath), Ryan Jackson (Bishop’s Stortford), Danny Herriott (Canterbury), Rafael Dutta (Westcombe Park), Tom Stradwick (Blackheath), Jesse Liston (Eaton Manor), Harvey Furneaux (Canterbury), Nick Cooke (Westcombe Park).

Reserves: Alex Witchell (Blackheath), Billy Young (Canterbury), Rory Marsh (Barnes), Mo Pangarker (Medway), Tom Williams (Canterbury), Sam Evans (Worthing), Lewis Hollidge (Canterbury).

*Kent’s campaign continues this Saturday against Somerset at Medway with a 2pm kick off.