Locksheath Pumas 2nd XV (10) v Petersfield 3rd XV (17)

It was nip and tuck, throughout with Field holding a narrow lead until the dying minutes of the game when Field number eight, Strong, scooped up the ball minutes and drove over to score a deserved try which secured the win.

From the kick-off Field’s young backs, led by fly-half A. Jemmison, showed a willingness to attack at every chance and the forwards showed a real hunger for the ball. But on their home turf, and not overawed by the pace of the Field game, the Pumas responded in kind, resulting in end to end stuff, with no quarter shown in the contact area.

Field opened the scoring after skipper for the day Hooper put in a ferocious tackle that resulted in the visitors gaining the ball. A series of slick passes between forwards and backs put the strong running centre, Orr, into a gap in the defences. Shrugging off a covering defender he touched down under the posts.

Petersfield extended their lead when the surging Ray was brought down inches short of the try line, but the evergreen Dave Cosway was on hand to snatch up the ball and score.

Despite falling two scores behind Pumas continued to attack, only to be denied, with a number of try saving tackles from Field full back W. Jemmison and club newcomer Langdon, who in attack ran with ball in hand to great effect.

But the increasing pressure on Langdon finally told and the Pumas winger outflanked the defence to score in the corner. With their tails up Pumas launched attack after attack, only to be frustrated by Field’s do or die defence, led by Hooper, the Jemmison brothers and Ward.

Finally however Field infringed and Pumas were awarded a scrum, the Pumas pack held Field’s drive long enough for their number eight to pick up and drive at the line. He put a lovely pass into the path of his sprinting centre who took it at pace and went over for the score.

At half time Colt’s prop Faulkner and second row Wakefield joined the Field pack, and another player new to Field, Willings, came onto the wing. From the restart Field’s front eight upped their game, driving Pumas forwards back in the loose and scrum, with Faulkner scrummaging above his weight and Wakefield dominating in the lineout.

With the match balanced at 10-12 Field’s flamboyant running backs cut through the Pumas defence time and again, with straight, strong running by team debutante Rushmer leading to two touch downs. However both were disallowed, the first for a knock on as the ball was placed, and for the second it was judged Willings had a foot in touch as he grounded the ball.

In the final quarter Pumas made a number of replacements, but their best efforts remained unrewarded.