The First XV away at Portsmouth RFC’s Hilsea Rugby Camp and at Penns Place the Second hosting Farnham IV in a Counties Five North League match and the Thirds a Farnham invitation XV. The First XV won 15-50 at Portsmouth including a hat trick of tries for hooker Sam Brown, the Seconds 124-0 and the Thirds 31-21. The First and Seconds completed their league campaigns undefeated while since Christmas the thirds played and won most of their friendly fixtures.

At Rugby Camp a physical Portsmouth side took an early lead after being held in their own twenty two for five minutes only to breakout and through powerful running and slick passing score an unconverted try in the left corner. 5-0

From the restart Portsmouth took the ball into Petersfields half and a miss pass to their left wing was intercepted by Petersfields Greg Jansen who received a yellow card for a deliberate knock on. For the following ten minutes while Field were down to fourteen players Porstmouth aggressive attacked Petersfield defence which held firm Jansen was restored and in a well worked centre, winger combination Petersfield breached the host

defence for the move to come to a halt with a penalty against the host. Scrum half Alex Duffus
tapped the penalty and passed to fly half Nick Blumlein who passed to centre Matt McLean for back row Karter Whittock set up a ruck where McLean pounced on the ball and dived over the line to open Petersfields account with an unconverted try 5-5

Hooker Sam Brown was next to score off a ruck fifteen metres out and dashed for the line shrugging off two would be tacklers to dot down under the post for Blumlein to convert. 5-12

Fullback Sam Dawes winger Toby Colwood and centre Matt McLean combined to advance fifty metres up field for McLean to cross the line under the post for a converted try for the half time score to be 5-19

Petersfield first half play was a scrappy affair not helped by too many penalties not least being marched back ten metres on three occasions for back chat to the referee. Portsmouth were more disciplined despite being fired up by the presence of several former Portsmouth players in Petersfields squad.

Early in the second half a lineout on Petersfields left inside the twenty two was taken by Franco
Tomic and the ball went through eight pairs of hands to the right wing and back to the left where in mid field the sprinting full back Sam Dawes made 40 metres to see he was being closed down. Hooker Sam Brown once again deceived the opposition by his pace took Dawes pass and charged twenty five metres to score in the left corner an unconverted try. 5-24

Brown added to his try tally soon after the restart taking above his head a long miss pass from Nick Blumlein powered past two defenders to score his hat trick try in the left corner for Blumlein to execute a difficult conversion 5-31

Portsmouth were not fazed by Petersfields try scoring and spent the next ten minutes pinning the visitors in their own half. Eventually with some excellent long passes and jinking runs they pulled Field defensive line apart for their left wing to score a deserved but unconverted try. 10-31

From a scrum ten metres out from the hosts try line Petersfields superiority in the forwards gave a platform for scrum half Alex Duffus to thread his way through the host defence to score close to the post a converted try. 10-38

Portsmouth then advanced their score through their excellent and mobile backs who again pulled Petersfields defence apart for the host to score an unconverted try in the right corner. 15-38

Petersfield replied from a Duffus tap penalty and five players passing the ball to find second row Zak Jenkins at speed in the five metre channel with twenty five metres to run. He dotted down as he was tackled but manged to stay in field for Blumlein to take an excellent conversion into a strong crosswind 15-45

Alex Duffus scored an excellent try from a scrum and taking the ball round the short side touched down near the post for Prop Jackson Clark to be offered the conversion which was unsuccessful final score 15-50.

This match was an example of a strong team playing below their own high standards pulling together to bring about a further bonus point win and post 98 league points out of a possible 100 The coaches were satisfied with the win though emphasised that the players will have to up their game when they meet Weybridge Vandals in the Papa John Cup on Saturday at Penns Place KO | 15.00

FirstXV squad
1.Jackson Clark 2. ⁠Sam Brown 3. ⁠Dan Sargent 4. Zak Jenkins 5. ⁠Franko Tomic 6. ⁠Matt Momber 7. ⁠Karter Whittock 8. ⁠Rhys Bowen 9. ⁠Alex Duffus 10. ⁠Nick Blumlien 11. ⁠Toby Colwood 12. ⁠Will
Mathews 13. ⁠Matt McLean 14. ⁠Greg Jansen 15. ⁠Sam Dawes 16. ⁠Dan Luff 17. ⁠Ryan Wilkie 18.
⁠Miles Sampson Water technicians: Joe Knowles and George Davis.