Petersfield extend their unbeaten run in the Counties One Hampshire League to 17 matches.
It was a close call that the match would go ahead at Penns Place the pitches having received almost two inches of rain in the thirty six hours prior to 6.00 a.m. on Saturday. Hand forking of the areas of standing water by volunteers and the pitch was declared playable.

The sun came out as the players warmed up and the hundred and twenty guests at the pre match Farmers’ Lunch filled the balcony, club support and Havant followers swelled the spectators to over three hundred.

Havant wanted to continue their own unbeaten run since the New Year arrived with the news that due to injuries and availability they had six changes to their successful team of the previous weeks. Petersfield however were able to field an almost unchanged team with one late withdrawal in Prop Dan Sargent.

Petersfield started brightly with Havant competing at every breakdown and regularly threatening to break out of their half making several attacking runs into Petersfield’s twenty two where the hosts excellent defence stood firm. Petersfield back row and centres continually punched holes in Havants line and it was only because of the last pass to the outside went astray or the receiver ran into the opposition that it was a full twenty nine minutes before outside centre Matt McLean jinked through the defence on the left wing to score an unconverted try 5-0.

Just four minutes later a Petersfield driving maul had advanced into the visitors’ five metre area where Havant collapsed the maul and Field were awarded a penalty try a Havant forward received a yellow card. Number eight and player coach Liam Perkins was injured and replaced by the excellent Rhys Bowen with the half time score to remain 12-0.

The second half had Havant pressurising Petersfield and keeping the hosts in their twenty two by close pick and drives up the centre of the pitch after ten minutes Havant were awarded a kickable penalty which was successfully converted. 12-3

From the restart Petersfield were in possession and with great interplay between forwards and backs passed the ball to right wing George Davis who made several meters before passing inside for McLean to dance through Havant’s defence to touch down near the corner for Nick Blumlein to add the extras from a difficult positon near the touch line. 19-3

Almost before Havant could regain their composure and Petersfield draw breath from a line out Alex Duffus fed Will Mathews who cut a wonderful line to pass inside to Davis in space and at full gallop he covered over 30 metres only to be desperately tackled just short of scoring. He popped the ball up into the hands of his support for number seven Karter Whittock to dive over the line under the posts for his first try in Petersfield colours Blumlein converted the bonus point try. 26-3

The big hand on the coaches’ watches crept round for a further 10 minutes of sustained attacking pressure from the ever competitive Havant just failing to significantly breach Fields defence. Replacement centre Greg Jansen was yellow carded during this period and when restored Captain Matt Momber was forced to change places with a yellow card.
From a penalty line out on the right five metre Field attempted to maul across the try line collapsed as their feet became entangled quick hands had the ball spread from right to left where Blumlein executed a successful miss pass to Mclean who sashayed is way through the despairing Havant defence to score his third try and Blumlein’s third successful conversion 33-3

With two minutes remaining the hosts again had a right touchline penalty lineout where the ball was cleanly taken but again as much to do with the playing surface as technique the maul fell to ground, rapid recycling and setting up an organised maul the pack drove over for Jackson Clark to claim the try and Blumlein to convert on the final whistle. 40-3

Squad: 1. Jackson Clark, 2. Nic Wilde, 3. Sam Brown, 4. Zak Jenkins, 5. Franco Tomic, 6. Matt
Momber, 7. Karter Whittock, 8. Liam Perkins, 9. Alex Duffus, 10. Nick Blumlein, 11. Miles Sampson, 12. Will Mathews, 13. Matt McLean, 14. George Davis, 15. Joe Knowles, 16. Harley Orr, 17. Rhys Bowen, 18. Greg Jansen.

Next week Petersfield First XV have a rest weekend while Havant play Eastleigh and Portsmouth visitsecond placed Andover who won convincingly on Saturday and maintain their fourteen point disadvantage from Petersfield.