Petersfield exited the Papa Johns Community Cup with a 31-10 defeat at Teddington on Saturday.

Petersfield played their brand of open rugby and found that Teddington played a similar style on the day with greater success. Petersfield missed a difficult penalty after almost 20 minutes of play and were denied a try in the second quarter by a knock on over the line.

Teddington opened their account after 30 minutes by scoring a converted try from a lineout maul which Petersfield defended valiantly until Teddington picked up ruck ball from a metre out to squeeze through the defensive wall.

As the penalty count approached double figures against Petersfield a frustrated Alex Duffus was yellow carded. After three more penalty lineouts Teddington were denied a try but rescued the situation from winning a scrum deep inside Petersfield’s 22. Teddington used their strong and nimble backline to move the ball from right to left to dot down for a converted try on the half-time whistle.

Zak Jenkins and Dan Sargent support catcher Karter Whittock (Photo: Stephen Wilde)
Zak Jenkins and Dan Sargent support catcher Karter Whittock (Photo: Stephen Wilde) (Stephen Wilde)

In the ten minutes from the restart Teddington increased their score by two tries and one conversion, while Petersfield lost Nic Wilde to the bin for an infringement. Petersfield opened their account with some good play from the pack 20 metres out in a lineout and maul. Swift hands by the backs took the ball to fly-half Nick Blumlein, who hacked through for Teddington to take the ball and be clattered into left touch by George Davis off his right wing. It was Petersfield’s turn to take lineout ball and grind out a try eventually grounded by Jackson Clark.

Teddington then secured the ball from a penalty lineout to powerfully maul the ball over the line for an unconverted try.

With two minutes left to play Petersfield threw short in the lineout for all the pack to surround the catcher Franco Tomic and maul the ball at a smart pace towards the try-line, where Clark again touched down under the weight of three assisting forwards for an unconverted try.

Senior rugby returns to Penns Place on Sunday, May 5, with the much-anticipated Pub Sevens.

By Chris Todd