Good Away win
30 Jan 10 Fareham Heathens 5 v 33 Petersfield 1st XV
Strong away win at Fareham Heathens
PRFC's Visit to Cams Alder and Fareham Heathens RFC disproved the myth that Props went bog snorkelling at the Heathens home ground, recent investment in drainage improvements to the pitch having paid dividends to the visitors.
The first half was error strewn from both sides with yet again, Petersfield fumbling and taking wrong options inside their own twenty two. Despite this, Field started with a try from scrum half Wayne Butcher. Taking the blind side option from a pop pass from No. 8 and captain Ian Palmer, he rounded the opponents and touched down almost under the posts which was improved by Andy Barnes' conversion after five minutes play.
But ‘Field asserted none of the control and authority they had shown in the last three games and Heathens took advantage of Field’s comedy of errors. Inside their own twenty-two, Petersfield managed to spill the ball and Heathens claimed a well-worked try after twelve minutes. Fortunately for the visitors, Heathen's nominated kicker was off target, a problem for them on four further occasions throughout the game.
To make matters worse for Petersfield, in the first act of this disorder, influential fullback Ben Martin, in trying to redeem matters, received an injury to his right shoulder and was replaced by Nick Lewis. It took another twenty minutes of stalemate, with Petersfield's error count mounting, before fly-half James Flett hungrily grabbed a pass and charged the opposition defence. Whilst the loyal ‘Field support almost expected it to be a fatal error, the lad’s skill, strength and some luck got him through and he touched down to score Field's second try. With the score at 5 - 12 to the visitors as halftime neared, ’Field were awarded a penalty almost in front of the posts, which inexplicably, Master Barnes was unable to convert.
Petersfield started the second half with the low sun behind them and what little wind there was in their favour. After ten minutes of concerted attack by the visitors, often countered well by a home side determined not to lie down and take a beating, Palmer cleared from a good platform at a ruck some ten metres out and crashed over in a melee of bodies to claim a converted try. However in so doing, he received a groin injury that was to have him replaced, some five minutes later, by veteran back row Derek White.
A further period of possession by Fareham resulted in another failed penalty attempt by the hosts. From the drop out a failed clearance kick, taken when the home side closed down Flett, resulted in a scrambled clearance by the brave Lewis, but the follow through was cynically snuffed out by one of the opposition who contrived to have Lewis run into the point his elbow.
Referee Pennell, who had had a day of what at best could be called eccentric interpretation of the current laws, failed to award either a penalty or a card to the offending Heathen and Lewis was sidelined with no replacement available. In compensation Flett again contrived to rescue the situation by audaciously dummying the defence to score a converted try close to the posts.
With less than ten minutes to go, Todd, who had been determined, skilful and unmoveable at prop together with his front row colleagues, was replaced by the reliable Butcher. The big man immediately attracted the displeasure of Mr. Pennell for an apparent high tackle and was promptly yellow carded. On and off the paddock in thirty seconds, thus beating even Nick Todd’s record. With only thirteen men on the park, Petersfield, defying all game mechanics promptly upped their game. Barnes, in the dying moments of the game, quickly snaffled up a short pass from a clearance kick and ran in a try, which he converted.
With the clock running down, some strong defence by the visitors denied a determined Heathens any chances to improve their score, but Petersfield will be glad of the two points they have taken from a difficult fixture. Positives are the defence line, after the early disruption, which held up well and coach Barnes gave the man-of-the-match award to Kiwi Charlie Hoff for holding the centre together so well.
Petersfield’s next match is unusually on Sunday in the first round of the Hampshire Bowl against Farnborough, who will be looking to gain revenge for the league defeat three weeks ago and with four of ‘Field’s backs out injured or away and two regular backrows down, ‘Borough will fancy their chance. The match kicks off at 2.30 pm and is preceded by Petersfield RFC U15s playing Trojans with a Sunday Roast Carvery slipped in between the matches – lovely grub.
