HE nearly died from a heart attack while playing for University of Southampton Medics in the first round of the Hampshire Gales Plate.

But on Saturday Mike Davis was at the Lordshill Rec in Southampton to see the teammates who helped to save his life win the competition.

The student medic presented the runners-up prizes to Millbrook after his team ran out 17-6 winners on a balmy afternoon.

Despite trailing 6-0 at half time, the well-drilled students never lost sight of the prize as their dominant forward pack edged them past and then out of sight of the Hampshire One team.

Winning captain Tom Marks was delighted.

"This caps a good season," he said. "We wanted this for Mike.

"It was never our game plan to take them on up front but that is what we ended up doing and it worked."

In front of a sizeable crowd, it was Millbrook who took the early initiative, soaking up the Medics' pressure before exciting young full-back Richard Colmer landed two penalties.

Millbrook winger Dave Lamb produced a try-saving tackle on his opposite number Olly Tavabie and the home side, who had agreed to the game being moved when the medics could not honour the original final date, went into the break six points to the good.

But it was the Medics who came out firing in the second half.

After one minute Millbrook scrum-half Alan Day was sin-bined for tackling a player when offside and from the resulting penalty flanker George Cooper rumbled over.

Marks missed the conversion but with Steve Wiltshire dominating the lineout the majority of the possession was going the Medics' way.

A push over maul was held up on 55 minutes but a minute later scrum half Dave Joughin ran in unopposed down the blind side after number 8 Brian O'Leary picked up at the base of the scrum and fed him.

Marks missed the conversion and by this time the Medics were turning down kickable penalty opportunities as they chose to kick the corners and drive from the resulting line-outs.

With 14 minutes remaining centre Sean Carravick put the game out of Millbrook's sight when he charged down a clearance kick in goal and dived on the lose ball to score.

Marks landed his final conversion attempt to make it 6-17.

Millbrook: R Colmer, M Phippard, D Geddes, L Davie, D Lamb, W Renwick, A Day, R Richards, C Dick, S Passingham, J Ward, J Frampton, S Bedwell, D Weaver (Cpt), M Mulcahy. Reps: B Smith, C Watkins, M Goodridge, R Prowting, M Colmer, R Goodridge.

University of Southampton Medics: D Pitt, T Marks (Cpt), S Nevitt, S Carravick, O Tavabie, J Friend, D Joughin, R Jameson, B Masters, L Bedford, S Wiltshire, S Mchale, C Beaves, G Cooper, B O'Leary. Reps: S Rees, M Hirsch, J Hollie, T Blincoe, D Boaden, J Richardson.

Man of the match: Steve Wiltshire

Ref: Richard James