Smarting from their defeat away at Andover last Saturday, Petersfield First XV welcomed second-place Farnham RFC, unbeaten thus far, to Penns Place. This was the first time the two clubs had met in a competitive First XV fixture for over twenty years.

Coaches and players worked hard at training, fielding enough players to select three senior fifteens for home matches, a first for the club. The buzz of anticipation was palpable as over four hundred spectators lined the touchlines of the three adjacent floodlit grass pitches at Penns Place.

Petersfield’s First XV squad had some changes from the previous week, including the return of the Janaway brothers to the pack. Nic Wilde moved to hooker, Ryan Morse shifted to the second row, Charlie Muir was back on the left wing, Greg Jansen took up outside centre, and Tom Land returned to his preferred position of full-back. The bench featured front-row replacement Sam Brown, Joe Knowles as a utility back, and Matt Momber, starting at number eight due to the late unavailability of Liam Perkins. Sam Bloomer, returning after a long absence, joined to cover the back row.

Farnham started strongly, and within six minutes, after three quick scrums, their powerful pack drove them close to Petersfield’s tryline, where they opened the scoring with a converted try. 0-7

Petersfield responded by securing possession and executing a series of phases that allowed them to kick to touch for a penalty lineout. In their now-familiar style, they mauled the ball downfield, with Nic Wilde dotting down at the base for an unconverted try. 5-7

Moments later, Dan Sargent, fresh from a breakdown, muscled through two tacklers to score to the right of the post. Nick Blumlein converted, taking Petersfield ahead. 12-7

However, Farnham came back with a powerful rolling maul of their own, scoring an unconverted try in the right corner. 12-12

From a scrum, Farnham moved the ball wide, and their pace on the right wing resulted in a try under the posts, which was duly converted. 12-19

Petersfield closed the gap just before half-time with a penalty kick from Nick Blumlein, awarded for offside. 15-19

As the first half neared its end, Petersfield’s rolling maul once again drove towards Farnham’s twenty-two. A quick change of direction saw Dan Sargent burst through for a converted try. Half-time: Petersfield 22 - 19 Farnham.

The second half started with Farnham kicking off, but it was Miles Sampson who had the crowd on their feet after receiving the ball on the right wing. He escaped two tackles to score in the corner, though the conversion was missed. 27-19

Farnham's precision kicking saw them claw back points with a well-struck penalty, bringing the score to 27-22.

A high tackle by Farnham gave Nick Blumlein another chance at the posts, which he successfully took, extending the lead. 30-22

Farnham then executed a penalty kick, bringing their score to 25 with twenty minutes left on the clock. Petersfield adopted a defensive approach to protect their narrow lead, but as the clock ticked down, Nick Blumlein received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. Farnham took advantage, eventually scoring after a series of penalties and pick-and-goes. 30-30

In the final moments of the game, Farnham were awarded a penalty for offside. The kick sailed cleanly through the posts to seal the win at the final whistle.

This match was a competitive and exciting game, marking a significant improvement for Petersfield compared to the previous week. The team should take heart in knowing they can stand toe-to-toe with other teams in the league.

Next week, Petersfield travel to Chobham for their next league fixture in what is believed to be the first meeting between the two clubs at senior level.

Game Details | Petersfield 30 - 33 Farnham (h)
Sunday 20th October

Try Scorers:
Nic Wilde
Dan Sargent (2)
Miles Sampson

Kicking Success:
Nick Blumlein: 3/4 (75%)

Points Conceded:
4 Tries
2 Conversions
3 Penalties

Yellow Cards:
Nick Blumlein

Line-up:
1. Sam Janaway
2. Nic Wilde
3. Dan Sargent
4. Ryan Morse
5. Franko Tomic
6. Jack Janaway
7. Karter Whittock
8. Matt Momber
9. Alex Duffus
10. Nick Blumlein
11. Charlie Muir
12. Will Mathews
13. Greg Jansen
14. Miles Sampson
15. Tom Land

Replacements:
16. Sam Brown
17. Sam Bloomer
18. Joe Knowles

Petersfield 1st XV hit the road again this Saturday, making the short trip up the A3 to face Chobham RFC. Currently sitting 8th in the Regional 2 South Central standings, Chobham have had a mixed start to the season with two wins and four losses under their belt. Meanwhile, after the narrow defeat to Farnham on Saturday, 'Field remain 5th in the table, boasting three wins and three losses, along with two losing bonus points and four try bonus points so far.

Kick-off is at 3pm at Chobham’s home ground, Fowlers Wells (GU24 8LD). If you’re free on Saturday, why not make the journey and support the lads as they aim to bounce back in style!

Regional 2 South Central Standings After GW6

A massive thank you to the 400+ supporters who packed the sidelines at Penns Place on Saturday, creating one of our biggest crowds in two seasons! We can't wait to see even more of you in two weeks when our 1st XV take on Winchester RFC at home.