PETERSFIELD under-12s took a squad of 16 to Midhurst on Sunday to play a triangular fixture against the home side and Shoreham.

Field opened their account with a match against fellow visitors Shoreham. Field struggled to keep their giant opponents at bay and went down by five tries to one.

Undaunted, the Field players returned to the fray against the hosts in their second match. Despite their punishing first game and the tough, muddy conditions, the side upped their work-rate and started tackling and rucking much better. The hard work and improved technique paid dividends and they finished winners by three tries to one.

The coaching team know that there is still some work to do ahead of the county under-12 tournament – to be held at Penns Place on March 8 – but the players will have learned a valuable lesson in battling back from adversity.