Isle of Wight RFC maintained their perfect start to the season with a hard-fought 47-34 victory over Petersfield II on Saturday (17th October).
The Islanders secured their 4th consecutive bonus-point victory in an entertaining encounter, overturning a half-time deficit with a dominant second-half display to remain in a 3-way tie at the top of the league.
Despite several key players being unavailable, IW produced their best rugby when it mattered most, running in 7 tries to overcome a spirited Petersfield side.
The hosts made a promising start when hooker Sam McQueen, fresh from scoring a hat-trick the previous weekend, finished off a well-worked attack down the blind side.
Petersfield responded with a converted try, taking advantage of some poor defending to draw level.
The Isle of Wight soon regained the lead following sustained pressure inside the visitors’ 22. Good handling from Luke Blackman and James Webster released George Collett, who marked his home debut with an impressive finish out wide.
George Huish added an excellent touchline conversion to put the Islanders 14-7 ahead.
However, Petersfield continued to cause problems, capitalising on difficulties with Isle of Wight’s restarts to cross for another try.
The hosts responded when Aaron Young supplied the final pass for Huish to score, with the full-back converting his own effort.
The visitors refused to go away, crossing for their 3rd try before the Isle of Wight suffered a double setback. David Blackman was shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul, while scrum-half Dave Hanson was forced off through injury.
Petersfield took full advantage, scoring their 4th try on the stroke of half-time to edge ahead by a single point.
Half Time: Isle of Wight RFC 21-22 Petersfield II
Facing the prospect of their first defeat of the campaign, the Isle of Wight emerged from the interval with renewed determination.
Despite starting the second half a man down, the Islanders took control of proceedings, with replacements George Amer, Finlay Lockhart and debutant Tom Crews all making valuable contributions.
McQueen restored the home side’s advantage when a powerful lineout maul carriedthe Isle of Wight towards the try line, allowing the hooker to crash over for his 2nd of the afternoon and secure the bonus point.
The momentum was now firmly with the hosts, and captain Luke Blackman soon extended their advantage, catching the Petersfield defence off guard with a clever break following another lineout drive.
With Isle of Wight leading 33-22, their increasingly dominant scrum provided the platform for another outstanding try.
The ball was moved wide to Huish, who used his pace to beat 2 defenders before powering through a covering tackle to cross the line. He then added another superb touchline conversion.
Petersfield were struggling to contain the Islanders, who continued to pile on the pressure.
Flanker James Webster was denied a deserved try when held up over the line, but the Isle of Wight were soon celebrating their 7th and final score.
Excellent handling involving Young, Webster and Crews created an opening for Harri Jones-Evans, who crossed out wide. However, the referee instead awarded a penalty try, stretching the home side’s advantage to 25 points.
With the result seemingly beyond doubt, the closing stages became increasingly scrappy.
Ben Sanderson was shown a yellow card before Petersfield capitalised on a fortunate bounce from a speculative kick to score.
The visitors added another try on the final whistle after an IW error allowed their winger to race through, reducing the final margin to 13 points.
Nevertheless, the Islanders had done more than enough to secure another impressive victory, with their outstanding third-quarter performance proving decisive.
Full Time: Isle of Wight RFC 47-34 Petersfield II
While the result maintained IW’s 100% record, the 34 points conceded highlighted defensive areas that will require attention as the season progresses.
The Islanders remain in a 3-way tie at the top of the league and will look to continue their winning run when they travel to Lymington Mariners on Saturday (24th October).
Isle of Wight: Huish, Marsh, Jones-Evans, Sanderson, Vickers, Young, Hanson, Collett, McQueen, Thorne, J Bishop, L Blackman, Wynyard-Wright, Webster, D Blackman Subs: Amer, Lockhart, Crews.
