President’s XV 22 Exiles XV 39: A SCINTILLATING demonstration of ten-a-side rugby provided the entertainment at the traditional Boxing Day fixture at Petersfield Rugby Club.

There were sufficient players to form two teams of ten, so the match took place in front of an appreciative crowd at Penns Place.

Despite heavy overnight rain, the pitch was in pretty good shape and sufficiently solid to allow the speed merchants to strut their stuff in the open spaces provided by the smaller team format.

The Exiles drew first blood with Ian Palmer touching down before completing a drop-kicked conversion.

The sides then exchanged scores through Seb Tuff for the President’s men, and Toby Sydenham and Chad White for the Exiles.

Tuff then got another try to keep the Exiles within touching distance. The Exiles scored again before the break, significantly stretching the score away from their rivals through Nick Blumlein to make it 10-22.

White stretched their lead even further with the first score of the second half.

Tuff and Eddie Matthews pulled points back for the President’s men but Exile tries from Josh Haslett and Palmer kept their side comfortably in the lead to end the game 22-39 ahead.

At the final whistle, the players gathered for the presentation of the Andy Millar Memorial Trophy by Celia Millar to the Exiles captain, Toby Sydenham.

This was seventh time the trophy had been played for and five times it has now been won by the Exiles.