A further bonus point win kept Petersfield unbeaten record secure into the last match of the league season on Saturday 6 April away at Portsmouth. Ellingham and Ringwood arrived having beaten Portsmouth the previous week, and according to their support, were fired up for their last league match of the season against the league leaders.

While over One Hundred past Captains and their guest enjoyed their pre-match lunch both teams took to the field to warm up when an unexpected hail storm was sufficient to whiten the pitch and to impact pre-match preparations. This phenomenon was to effect play three times in the match making the conditions testing for both players and supporters.

In the first half after Ellingham had started brightly and trapped Petersfield inside their five meter line from which Field turned over a maul ball for a relieving kick to position them in mid field Ellingham's visits to the host twenty two were limited by Petersfield's mobile defence and clever attacking tactics.

A great fullbacks try from Sam Dawes arriving on the right wing to loop his inside man and take an inside pass wrong footing the Ellingham defence to run round and score under the post a try converted by Nick Blumlein kick started Petersfield scoring. 7-0

Several minutes later team captain number eight Matt Momber bulldozed over the line for a
converted try 14-0

Franco Tomic next scored a converted try taking a pass at pace fifteen meters out and to the right of the post then took an angled route through the defence to score fifteen metres from the left touch which Blumlein coolly converted 21-0.

From a vistors clearance kick Nick Blumlein caught the ball cleanly and running on passed inside for a number of players to hold the ball for a few metres passing out to Seb Tuff on the left wing, Tuff looked to be on to a certain try when a desperate Ellingham defender tackled him ten metres out for the Field support to gather and the offload was pouched by Dan Sargent to rumble over for an unconverted try 26-0.

Ellingham next visited Petersfields twenty two where the hosts were adjudged offside and
Ellinghams right wing kicked a successful penalty.26-3

On the stroke of halftime a Petersfield scrum on the vistitors five metre line drove Ellingham
backwards and Field were awarded a penalty which Nic Wilde tapped and dived over for a try that Nick Blumlein converted from near the touchline. 33-3

At halftime a vicious hail storm arrived and passed through as the second half restarted. A brief window in the weather saw play recommence and the hail to return. A period of what might be described of chaotic play by both sides in wind driven stinging hail found Nick Blumlein on the left wing with a loose ball at his feet which he hacked through, chased and grubber kicked then in soccer style, dribbled to the try line to pounce on the ball to score an unconverted try 38-3

Prop Jackson Clark scored next having won the ball in a close encounter saw the right wing
undefended and sprinted as only props can do over thirty metres to score an unconverted try. 43-3

Petersfield emptied their bench giving the three replacements almost thirty minutes game time. From a clean take at the restart fullback Sam Dawes ran through and round the visitors to score a converted try 50-3

Nic Wilde obviously enjoying his role at blindside flanker added a second try to his personal tally an unconverted try 55-3

Ellingham and Ringwood had not backed off even with just twelve minutes to play and by rucking and mauling with some close passing advanced up the field to score a converted try 55-10

The final score for the host came from a spirited run by Karter Whittock supported by the lightning fast Seb Tuff for Whittock to dot down in the left corner which was excellently improved by Nick Blumlein. 62-10.

Post match injured player coach Liam Perkins was satisfied by the result though commented that it was some time before the team got out of second gear!

First XV squad
1. Jackson Clark 2. ⁠Sam Brown 3. ⁠Dan Sargent 4. ⁠Franko Tomic 5. Zak Jenkins 6. ⁠Nic Wilde 7. ⁠Karter Whittock 8. ⁠Matt Momber 9. ⁠Alex Duffus 10. ⁠Nick Blumlein 11. ⁠Seb Tuff 12. ⁠Will Mathews 13. ⁠Matt McLean 14. ⁠George Davis 15. ⁠Sam Dawes 16. ⁠Harley Orr 1 7. ⁠Ryan Morse 18. ⁠Toby Colwood

Meanwhile at Alton’s Anstey Park ground Petersfield Second XV dogged out a win 17-20 to also maintain their undefeated record and top their league by eleven points with one home game to play against Farnham IV on 6 April.