Hants Merit Table 2 - Petersfield 2nd XV (95) v Market House Pirates 1st XV (3)

With the 1st XV’s fixture away at Ventnor postponed due to flooding, it was the turn of Petersfield’s 2nd XV to take a deserved spotlight as they continued with their successful foray in Merit Table 2.

Field’s guests on Saturday, Market House Pirates 1st XV, are undoubtedly the new kids on the block. Formed last season, with the Market House Tavern in Gosport as their base, the Pirates excelled Merit Table 3 achieving immediate promotion to Table 2 along with Ventnor’s 2nd XV. So far in Table 2 the Pirates have not embarrassed themselves and sit in the top half of the table, above Ventnor.

First thing Saturday morning the match looked like it may have to be cancelled as the high winds of Friday night had brought down another set of posts. (This is the fourth set since Christmas and the Club’s second pitch remains unusable for matches after two months due to a complete lack of posts.) Fortunately, the management of the Club are a resourceful bunch and managed to rig a replacement from the battered remains held in the post-graveyard. More drama ensued as the visitors arrived a few players shy of a team, but this shortage was soon rectified with some players borrowed from Field.

After the excitement of the morning, the competition in the afternoon became something of an anti-climax. The Pirates began the half with the pitch topography and the stiff wind in their favour and the early exchanges looked promising until Wilkes scored their first of Field’s fifteen tries. From this point on, Field kept the scoreboard ticking over on a regular basis rocking up 47-points. With two-minutes to go before the break, the Pirates took the chance of a penalty wide on the right to break their duck with a very well kicked conversion.

The second half continued in much the same vein except that now the Pirates’ numbers dwindled due to injury and Field dropped players to match. Eight more tries followed for Field, but the 86% kicking record of the first half dropped off to just 50%. In all 10-points went begging from the boot and further tries also went missing as first Harrington and then Haslett failed to control the grounding of fly-hacked balls.

There were a number of standout performances from the red team; prop Kemp was able to show his power and pace, playing the game in the unfamiliar open space of the right wing. He ran in a couple of tries as a reward for combatting the agoraphobia normally faced by forwards played in the backs. Lewis was a happy hooker with his brace of tries, the pin-up of the Field front row was in the zone and imperious in attack, brushing aside tackles with ease.

In the backs the old-guard of Blanks and Higson also stood out. The former had some strong carries making valuable metres in attack - one of which was notable for an excellent pass out of contact to set up Field’s thirteenth try. The later had a great half at fullback, at one stage turning defence into a scoring attack with a lovely dummy and turn of pace.

It was Haslett who stole the show; almost 40% of Field’s score came from his four tries – scored though great service from his fellow backs and his electrifying pace - and eight conversions.

Captain Jamie Williams worked tirelessly to keep his team focussed, no mean feat considering the ease of the win, and also slotted a couple of conversions at the end of the game to demonstrate his all-round ability.
Field know that they won’t always have it as easy as this, but will have taken a valuable lesson away from this match in terms of clinical finishing and constant support.

As with the first team the seconds face an uncertain few weeks as the matches postponed since Christmas are rescheduled and played. However, if they are to pip the league leaders, Tottonians 4th XV, they know they will have to continue their winning ways through their last seven games.