Blues victorious!
In conditions that were nearly impossible, the Blues triumphed over Petersfield 23:15 at Monks Lane. Standing tenth and seventh respectively in the Regional 2 South Central League, Storm Darragh ran onto the pitch and played ferociously against both teams for all of the 80 minutes.
The advantage, such as it was, sat with Petersfield in the first half and Fly Half Nick Blumlein pushed over a penalty in the first five minutes. But the Blues remained composed and Flanker Harry Edwards responded with a try in the corner five minutes later (a conversion was out of the question as gusting winds thrashed the grounds and stands).
Gradually asserting dominance, as both teams slipped, tumbled and fumbled the wet ball, Blues’ No.8 Josh Winfield and Flanker Rory Jones produced two more tries around 30 minutes in. Miraculously, with the wind gusting and twisting its direction throughout, Captain and Fly Half Dan Thorne converted the latter.
Notwithstanding the advantage had (notionally at least) switched to Newbury, Peterefield’s Scrum Half Joe Knowles put the first points on the second half scoreboard with a try and No. 17 Liam Perkins secured another later in the second half, gamely converted by Nick Blumlien. But the Blues Captain tucked in a penalty in between to stay ahead and another to secure the win late in the game.
It was hard to tell the teams apart by the end, with rain battering sideways across the pitch and into the stands and 30 players a fairly uniform mud-grey. A sometimes niggly game, with a bit of pushing and shoving, both teams actually coped admirably well in the circumstances. But it was so, so good to see the Blues take the home win.
The Blues travel away to Wimborne on Saturday, 14th December and are home again on 21st December when they play Andover. Come on you Blues!
Photos by kind permission of Redwater Images
