After last week’s fireworks, the Field faithful turned out at Penns Place on Saturday wondering if their team could put a rocket across the bows of Old Georgians, another side firmly set mid-table.

At the sides’ last meeting the loss of twinkle-toed Irishman, Ben Wakefield, to a serious ankle injury had knocked the fight out of the team and they had slumped to a 62-12 defeat.

The omens for Field were good going in to the weekend; the Red Team had won two out of their last four matches, Wakefield was free of his surgical scaffolding and starting rehabilitation and the Old Georgians had lost a four of their previous games. On the debit side, however, was the ever-changing line-up; Coach Alder was able to pick another solid squad, but nothing helps success like consistency.

Field came out of the blocks quickly but, after a brief sally into their opponents 22, were required to turn attack in to defence as Old Georgians came back at them, scoring the first of their three first half tries after 8-minutes.

It took until the half-hour mark for OG to land another blow, but the visitors were well ahead on the judges’ scorecards in the preceding period of play. Field worked hard but there was little of the rampaging breathless rugby that had seen them sweep aside Andover last week.
With minutes to go, Field were gifted a penalty just inside the visitors’ half courtesy of some chopsing by an unwise OG player. Field’s lineout in the OG 22 had been under pressure all half, but this one was gathered cleanly and the home side set about threatening the OG line. After several phases, with play creeping across the pitch, Franko Tomić found himself with the last few hard inches to go and the lanky lock drove under the massed defence to score. Nick Blumlein’s trusty boot added the extras.

From the restart, Field were back into defensive mode but were able to clear their lines thanks to a penalty. Arguably, Field were guilty of naivety in relation to time management and, in their desire to even the score, gambled the penalty on a lineout on halfway. Unfortunately, things went badly awry as OG not only stole possession but then beat the Field defence to score their third try. With missed conversion was the last play of the half and the sides went in at 7-19.

Unfortunately for Field, the second half was more of the same, aside from a mad ten minutes during which Field ran OG ragged and scored twice more; Tom Land with the tries and Blumlein the extras – one an excellent kick from the touchline. By this time, though OG were already on 31-points, to which they added a penalty and their sixth try, unconverted, to end the second half and the match.

Meanwhile, over on Pitch 2 at Penns, Field’s 3rd XV came second to Southampton’s 2nd XV in their Hampshire 4 encounter. The score, 5-39, belies the excitement of an entertaining match in which both sides had opportunities which only one side converted.

The Leagues take a break next week, so the Senior players can catch their breath and put their efforts and focus in to their training.

On 26th January, the 1st XV return to Penns Place for the third home match in a row, this time against the second-placed team, Battersea Ironsides. On Saturday, the Ironsides inflicted only the second defeat so far this season on runaway league leaders, Winchester.