Old Cranleighans 48 Petersfield 7: MORE in hope than expectation, Petersfield travelled to the Cranleigh School Old Boys’ rugby club in the leafy suburbs of Thames Ditton on Saturday.

The Old Cranleighans were promoted at the end of the 2015-16 season having blitzed the Surrey 1 league, collecting the Rugby Football Union Junior Vase at Twickenham along the way.

They carried their form with them into London South West 3, finishing fourth last season.

While Field had opportunities in their opponents’ 22 on Saturday, they only converted one into points – a well-deserved score less than a minute into the second half for flanker Toby Sydenham, who finished a series of quick phase play by the forwards with a try by the posts, converted by Josh Haslett.

The Old Cranleighans, on the other hand, were ruthlessly clinical with ball in hand and played expansive rugby – mostly on the back of Field errors and, generally, resulting in a breakaway score from within their own half.

With three minutes of the first half remaining, Field were still in the game at 17-0 but the visitors imploded while threatening to score themselves to allow their hosts to score two more tries, one converted.

The second half score showed Field that they could cross the opposition whitewash, but frantic defence on their own line and chasing the game when in attack opened them up to punishing counter attacks.