Hampshire Counties Division 1 rugby: Petersfield beat Ellingham & Ringwood

Hampshire Counties Division 1

Petersfield 62

Ellingham & Ringwood 10

ELLINGHAM & Ringwood travelled to runaway league leaders Petersfield on Saturday for their final division one fixture of the season.

Petersfield had already won promotion and held a past-captains pre-match lunch, which some of Ellingham’s elder statesmen attended and enjoyed.

Ellingham kicked off and put the home team under unexpected pressure in the first five minutes of the game, with hooker Adam Payne unfortunately spilling the ball from five metres out with the try line beckoning.

Ellingham were awarded a couple of penalties, but they could not breach Petersfield’s defensive line, despite mammoth efforts. Then in the seventh minute Petersfield broke away down the right hand side of the pitch to score a well worked try, which their fly-half and man of the match Nick Blumlein converted.

Ellingham responded well, but struggled to get out of their half or put Petersfield under any sustained pressure. Petersfield kept attacking and eventually Ellingham’s discipline let them down with the referee awarding a penalty which Blumlein duly kicked.

Then in the 20th minute Petersfield’s lock forward Zak Jenkins smashed through Ellingham’s defence to score their second try, which Blumlein again converted.

The waves of attacks from Petersfield, who have not lost a game all season, came in quick succession and Ellingham had difficulty in repelling these. The home team scored another try which again Blumlein converted.

Shortly afterwards, on the half-hour, Petersfield scored their fourth try of the game to secure their try bonus point.

Ellingham fought back putting the home team under pressure and in the 34th minute were awarded a penalty which their right wing Chris Frost kicked to get their scoreboard moving.

Despite Ellingham’s efforts, Petersfield scored their fifth try before half time, which was converted to make the half time score 33-3.

The second half brought testing conditions for both teams, with heavy rain and, at times, hail, but there was still some enjoyable rugby to watch with the home team displaying why they have been the best team in the league all season with some powerful running from their forwards and lovely offloads from their backs.

This resulted in them scoring a further five tries in the second half, two of which Blumlein converted.

But they didn’t have it all their own way. Ellingham & Ringwood continued to press for a try themselves and, after sustained pressure from their forwards on the home team’s five-metre line, they were finally rewarded when their flanker Corben Hills squeezed over the line, ably supported by fellow flanker Andrew Lorton. Chris Frost was able to convert for the additional two points to make the final score 62-10.

As the game drew to an end the sunshine came out, perhaps fittingly to bathe Petersfield in a watery yellow glow justifying their club’s successful season with both their first and second teams winning promotion and emulating what Ellingham & Ringwood achieved last season. Congratulations to them and for being excellent hosts.

After a long season Ellingham enjoyed a coach trip back with much merriment and singing.