A FINAL-MINUTE try at Down Grange enabled Hampshire to start their County Championship Plate campaign with a 26-23 victory over Dorset and Wilts.

Having surrendered a 19-9 lead and dominance to trail 23-19 against a redoubtable Dorset and Wilts side, galvanised by a quadruple substitution to reinvigorate their pack on a hot, sapping Saturday afternoon, Hampshire's tired troops dug deep in the closing stages.

After seeing his centres try to do too much on their own by running well-blocked lines, the experienced head of skipper Ross Stirling kept the ball within his supporting forwards to build up patiently through the phases.

Various Dorset and Wilts infringements in the rucks and mauls meant referee Steve Harland gave play back to Hampshire when their attacking moves broke down only metres short of a score.

And the pressure finally told, following a strong driving maul and a ruck, when the ball was spread out from the forwards and Dorset and Wilts had left many gaps for Hampshire to exploit.

Full-back Richard Buck was able to pass out to wing Ryan Morgan, who scampered over and touched down under the posts to give inside-centre David Byett an easy conversion to seal Hampshire's success.

Relieved Hampshire coach Martyn Humberstone said afterwards: "Ultimately, it's a win and we needed to do that if we are to stand a chance of going through and topping the group - but we made it hard for ourselves.

"At times we played very good rugby, especially in the first half. When we spread the ball wide, we have the pace to punish teams.

"But our mistakes allowed them back into the game. We switched off and got lazy to let them get their two second-half tries.

"But it was a huge positive that we kept going for the full 80 minutes and didn't want to lose.

"As a team that's only had three training sessions together, that was pleasing to see. The team spirit in the dressing room and on the pitch was good."

Given the tournament's scheduling at the end of the long league season, and the impact that has on players' availability, neither side could boast their best 15 players.

Yet the talent on show still made for an entertaining match, with running rugby prominent in the opening 40 minutes when referee Harland did not doggedly implement the new Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) the International Rugby Board (IRB) are trialling.

When he did in the second half, both sets of players' unfamiliarity with the new laws and their interpretation saw the game become far more error-strewn and bitty.

Their impact slowed the game down - not speeded it up as the IRB would hope.

As the game got under way, Dorset and Wilts scored most of their points through the boot of the impressive Liam Gilbert, of Salisbury RFC.

Gilbert struck after just a minute to put Dorset and Wilts 3-0 up and, although Hampshire lost first-choice fly-half Andy Ashwin to injury, the home side forged ahead when elusive runner Oge Ofuasia scored out wide on 16 minutes.

A difficult conversion wide out was nailed by David Byett to put Hampshire 7-3 up. It soon became 7-6 when Gilbert took advantage of Steve O'Brien's cynical trip of wing Tom Buckingham, for which the Jersey man was sin-binned, to post another penalty.

Impressive Hampshire inside-centre Byett restored the gap when Jon Wood's off-load sent him through under the posts from eight metres out. Byett converted his own score to make it 14-6.

Byett missed a penalty on 32 minutes before Gilbert again reduced the arrears to leave it 14-9 at the interval.

Hampshire started the second half strongly, attacking down the flanks, and swift Portsmouth wing Ofuasia beat three men with a jinking run to make it 19-9 after 41 minutes. Byett bagged the conversion effort.

Soon after came Dorset and Wilts' mass replacements and the impetus began to shift their way after Byett missed a penalty.

Two converted tries came within four minutes, scored by Gilbert and in the 61st minute by wing Phil Carr, after the ball had passed between four sets of hands in a thrilling breakaway down the right flank and then back inside.

As the clock ticked down, it appeared the 23-19 Dorset and Wilts advantage would hold firm.

But Hampshire's collective desire engaged one final, last-gasp effort to win.

Humberstone summed up: "There's lots to work on, but we have something to build on, and a win under our belts."

Hampshire are next in action on Saturday at Trojans RFC in Eastleigh, against Sussex, for their second group two match.

Hampshire: Richard Buck (Tottonians); Ryan Morgan, Steve O'Brien (both Jersey), David Byett (Basingstoke), Oge Ofuasia (Portsmouth); Andy Ashwin (Winchester, rep Jon Wood (Portsmouth) 15min), Andrew Byett (Basingstoke); Shane Murphy (rep Neil Young (both Basingstoke) 48min), Tom Boland (Winchester, (rep Martin Pearse (Rosslyn Park) 76min), Tom Wells (Havant); Ross Stirling (Basingstoke), Ian Thatcher (Barnstaple), Chris Williams (Basingstoke), Martin Pearse (rep Russell Osman (Old Albanians) 48min), Luke Richardson (Tottonians).