After seven minutes Petersfield winger Sam Dawes was tackled a few metres short of the try line. From the ruck scrum half Alex Duffus found fly half Nick Blumlein, and he passed to Will Mathews who launched a pass to the charging Ethan Ogilvie who scored close to the corner. Blumlein added the extras from a difficult position near the right touchline to make it 7-0.
Petersfield infringed at a maul after 15 minutes and Havant kicked the penalty. Twelve minutes later Field’s Rhys Bowen was yellow carded for a high tackle.
Havant’s Jack Phillips kicked a penalty on 34 minutes to make the score 7-6. Havant attacked from the restart and Rory Penfold’s converted try put the hosts ahead.
Petersfield’s player-coach Liam Perkins was then injured, with a cut to his right wrist requiring hospital stitching. Club captain Harley Orr came off the bench to hooker and Nic Wilde moved to number eight.
Havant had a player yellow carded for a dangerous tackle, and Blumlein crashed over for an unconverted try just before the break as Field trailed 13-12 at half-time.
Petersfield were camped on Havant’s five-metre line ten minutes into the second half, but Blumlein’s speculative long-range pass to the left was neatly intercepted by Havant winger Robert Hume. Hume turned on the gas to sprint the 90 metres to Field’s try line. Phillips added the conversion.
Havant were penalised after the restart, and Blumlein kicked the penalty to make the score 20-15.
With 20 minutes left to play Orr was on hand to crash though a ruck to score an unconverted try.
Blumlein’s pass was intercepted by Havant’s Hume who again galloped joyfully to Field’s try line for a converted try to put the hosts 27-20 up.
Petersfield responded and secured the ball from a penalty lineout ten metres out. Nic Wilde was driven over to score from a rolling maul. Blumlein held his nerve to accurately kick the conversion from a difficult position on the left touchline to make it 27-27.
On the final whistle Havant had a penalty which they chose to kick – but it was short and wide.
This was a tough examination of Petersfield’s credentials – they fell behind but still managed to draw with a bonus point try.
The result keeps Field at the top of the league, while Havant drop to fourth place after being overtaken by Andover and Gosport & Fareham.
Petersfield’s second team entertained Gosport & Fareham’s second team – who play a league above Field – in a friendly fixture at Penns Place.
Field won 24-17 thanks to tries scored by Alex Groves, Will Pritchard, Carl Sharrock and Gerry Devlin. Toby Colwood successfully converted two of the tries.
Chris Todd