After a bright start the 2’s …

Only 15 men from Petersfield seconds ( including 4 third team regulars ) made it over to Fawley ( top of the table ) for a match in wet and windy conditions.

Petersfield started the game brightly and reasonably structured and balanced play between the forwards and the back kept Field on the front foot. Judicious use of the wind behind with the hefty boot of Alex Groves was also employed to good efect repelling any advances Fawley made into the Field territory once possession had been surrounded from some good defensive work by the visitors. Field dominated the play in the first twenty minutes of play. Nonetheless some errant tackling in the centre enabled Fawley to score first, who were wining scrums almost at will irrespective of who was putting the ball in.

Field kept at it but never quite managed to find the final pass or break through to get on the score board. Having defended close to their try line very well Field were to concede a scrum which the collapse of which left Field down to 14 men.With the resultant uncontested scrum, and being the last play of the half, Field failed to kick the ball into touch from their own try area deciding to pass the ball unsuccessfully and gifting Fawley a try to lead 10 - 0 at the half.

Both teams, and especially Fawley, knocked the ball on many times, and Groves took advantage to force his way through to score for Field. However to return the favour Field were often too eager to ship ball poorly when preservation of possession would have been the better option. Frantic play was however interspersed with many forays forward, some good lines of running, and determined efforts breaking the gain line.

It was however only a matter of time before the 14 men were to succumb to the extra man and space afforded to a full strength Fawley side .. with 18 men the hosts found their stride and were to ease to a 51 - 5 final score. Despite the score line and superior numbers captain Alistair Golding ensured heads never dropped with the Field lads and the winners admitted after the game that they thought during the first 20 minutes they were were going to struggle and admired the commitment shown to the end from the losing team.