As the visiting ‘Field side arrive at Alton Rugby Club, the sun beats intensely overhead, reminiscent of the summer heatwaves just gone. With half the squad returning from last season, and half making their Petersfield debut’s, both nerves and excitement echo through the changing rooms as players lace up their boots and deliver words of encouragement.

After a comprehensive warm-up and an energetic pep talk from head coach Cam Thomas, the ‘Field starting fifteen took to their positions on the field ready for kick-off. The first 10 minutes of play oscillated between Alton and Petersfield possession, with each team trying to find their groove in the game. Alton stamped their dominance early, though, with the first try coming just 11 minutes in from the home side. Fortunately for ‘Field, the conversion was missed. 5-0 to Alton.

From then on, the first half belonged to the Red Belles, despite best efforts from Petersfield, who seemed to be struggling to find their rhythm as a team. The Belles demonstrated excellent passing technique and recovered well from tackles, while Petersfield held their defence superbly to deny Alton on several occasions, with a number of “held-up” decisions keeping the scoreline as it was. Notably, ‘Field’s fullback Kam Carty displayed excellent speed and endurance to prevent the Alton attack from breaking through on both wings.

Despite the visitor’s best efforts, Alton had taken the edge. By the end of the first half, the scoreline sat at 22-0; four tries with one converted. It seemed that Petersfield needed to bolster each other up and find their cohesion as a team for the next half, while Alton needed to hold on to their dominance without becoming too confident.

Although ‘Field trailed by four tries, they started their second half as if the scoreline was 0 - 0. The energy of the Rams seemed to have reset, with the forwards dominating in almost all of the scrums, passing looking quick and accurate across play, and the backs finding spaces to break through. This different side to Petersfield seemed to knock the Belles off-guard, with an excellent run from number 14 Lillie Mason breaking through the Alton defence and finding ‘Field’s first five points of the match. A narrow kicking angle meant that the try was not converted; Alton 22 - 5 Petersfield.

It seemed that this match, the first in the season for both teams, was as unpredictable as the English weather. Despite Petersfield’s encouraging rebuttal at the first of the second half, Alton continued to overpower the ‘Field defensive line, with legs starting to feel heavy and a couple of injuries reducing the depth of the available squad. Four more tries and two conversions from the home side took the score to Alton 46 - 5 Petersfield, with mere minutes left on the stopwatch.

In the face of defeat, Petersfield started to look like they had accepted the loss. Energy was running low, with several players subbed off with injuries and the heat still beating down. Both sides were flagging, 75 minutes of gameplay under their belts. This did not stop the Rams from holding on until the end, their spirits unbreakable. In a fantastic final play, ‘Field worked the ball around defenders and into spaces to reach the Alton 22, where number 10 Tegan Kinch used her agility and strength to break through Alton’s walls and give Petersfield a second try. Her kicking prowess gave the visitors another 2 points to bring the final score to 46 - 12.

Albeit not the start to the season that the Rams wanted nor expected, this game shone with potential. The determination and skill demonstrated on the pitch by the visitors represents all the hard work that has been put into training over pre-season, and is a good omen for the season to come, with this being some player’s first 80 minutes of rugby ever. The debutants from the Petersfield squad include Laura Pinder, Claire Glennon, Maddie Drennan, Naimh Shute, Soph Sinclair-Black, Sasha Ward, Francesca Ellis, and Lillie Mason. Notable performances from number 7 Sasha Ward and number 14 Lillie Mason earnt them both a player of the match award, as both teams congratulated and celebrated one another in the clubhouse post-game.

We now look forward to welcoming Horsham to Penns Place this coming Sunday 11th October in a bid to defend our home ground. Please come and show your support!

Try-Scorers:
Lillie Mason
Tegan Kinch

Conversions:
Tegan Kinch