Petersfield won 30-15 at home to Chobham in Regional Two South Central.

Chobham opened the scoring when they attacked up the left-hand side and scored an unconverted try within three minutes of kick off.

On seven minutes Petersfield centre Miles Sampson received a yellow card, reducing the hosts to 14 players for ten minutes. A penalty against Petersfield for pushing led to Chobham electing to successfully kick for three points.

The hosts seemed unable get out of their own half, not helped by two restart kicks falling short of the ten-metre line and two penalty kicks that failed to make touch. Chobham’s pack were equal if not superior to Petersfield in the set scrum, with Petersfield’s pack missing regulars Franco Tomic and Oli Hunt.

Petersfield centres Seb Tuff and Sampson combined to take the ball into Chobham’s half, and Eddie Matthews passed inside for full back Joe Knowles to touch down and convert his own try.

Petersfield appeared to have gained in confidence, and they improved their handling and sharpened their tactics. This led to longer periods spent in Chobham’s 22 and a couple of forays by the pack inside the five-metre area. Some spoiling tactics by Chobham eventually saw their fly half yellow carded.

The hosts tapped the penalty, only to lose the ball before Chobham knocked on. The scrum was ten metres from Chobham’s posts. Petersfield’s pack went backwards, but swift hands and thinking from Dan Chinnock rescued the ball and he passed to the accelerating Tuff, who crossed the tryline ten metres from touch. Knowles added the conversion to put the hosts 14-8 ahead.

Petersfield’s third try soon followed. Matt McLean took the ball and jinked his way out a crowded 22 and passed to Knowles, who powered up field and found Matthews on his shoulder and put Matthews away for a try in the right corner.

Petersfield’s Greg Jansen was yellow carded for a high tackle and Chobham rucked the ball repeatedly closer to the home side’s tryline. Three times Petersfield gave away penalties at the lose scrum and were lucky to avoid a penalty try, however Chobham’s persistence saw them dot down for a converted try on half-time to make the score 19-15 at the break.

Chobham spent some time in Petersfield’s half at the start of the second half, but stout defence by the hosts and some enterprising running from deep kept the visitors out.

Play moved into Chobham’s half when Jansen was restored, and despite some valiant rearguard defence from the visitors an offside at a ruck in front of the posts saw Knowles successfully kick a penalty to make it 22-15.

McLean then placed a kick pass in front of Matthews, and Sampson took an inside pass to power through two tackles to score an unconverted try.

Petersfield introduced substitutes Will Norton, Owen Davies and Tom Blewitt.

Chobham refused to capitulate and Petersfield had to defend for a spell, although their collective fitness showed as they spent an increasing amount of time in Chobham’s half.

The final score of the match, five minutes from time, came after Petersfield’s forwards had repeatedly rucked the ball towards the tryline and posts. Field were eventually awarded a penalty, and Knowles successfully kicked the three points to make the final score 30-15.

By Chris Todd