Hall fall to Peter's again
A Rob Unwin try 30 minutes into the game proved decisive as St Peters clung on to take victory in a fiercely contested top of the league clash on Tuesday afternoon.
Bitterly cold and windy conditions halted fast flowing rugby; this was a game fought and won in the forwards.
After only three minutes, clever play from scrum-half Alan Heddington allowed centre Bertrant Perrodo to elude his opposite number and draw across the last Teddy Hall defender. Had his pass gone to hand, winger Jamin Allen would have had a ten-meter jog to touchdown in the corner.
Although they failed to convert possession into points, St Peters were encouraged by the ease in which they breached the Teddy Hall defence.
Their forward pack was well organised, strong as a unit and crossed the gain line with little resistance from their opposition.
They set up a platform which gave fly-half Pierre Failladney time to push probing kicks deep into the Teddy Hall half.
The kicks were effective, and the Peters' forwards resolute rucking proved that attack is the best form of defence - it was merely a matter of time before they themselves would score.
They had to wait a little longer than expected when lock-forward Somerset Pheasant pushed a penalty attempt wide from only 20 metres out and virtually in front of goal.
The Teddy Hall side looked to have lost some confidence and seemed shaky in defence, committing a number of technical fouls around the ruck area. The rising penalty count gave St Peters the onus they required.
From a penalty conceded deep in the Teddy Hall half, for hands in the ruck, two determined surges by the pack set up Rob Mitchell to bulldoze over the line to the left of the posts. The conversion was missed by Pheasant.
The conceded try seemed to lift the nervous visitors. The forwards began to gain momentum in attack and won a penalty in front of the posts, which was duly converted by Yates.
A period of scrappy play followed as both sides failed to secure possession, bec oming locked in a midfield battle.
The home side answered their captain's call in the best possible way. Rob Unwin picked up a loose ball twenty metres from his own line, neatly stepped inside Allen and then turned on the gas to beat Teddy's pacey full back Graham Robinson to the line.
Unwin converted his own try from underneath the posts and St Peters were now in full control.
The Teddy hall forwards seemed to regain their initial enthusiasm and the contest began to get increasingly physical.
St Peters lost their territorial domination and defensive solidarity as a nice move at the line out sent Teddy hooker Paul Smith racing down the touchline. Only a good cover tackle by Rayner stopped him from scoring, and the half time whistle came just at the wrong time for the rejuvenated visitors.
Strong winds made play increasingly difficult in the second half. Possession was vital and the ball was not spread to either set of backs.
St Peters seemed to make the decision to sit back on their lead and absorb all that St Edmund's threw at them. Unwin added a penalty on 48 minutes to ease the pressure.
Two successful penalties, both given for offside against the Peter's forward pack, brought the away side back into sight. With the wind in their favour Yates was able to keep the ball pinned in the home side's half, and good defence forced the errors from a previously secure Peters outfit.
With 20 minutes remaining Yates added a further penalty to make the score 15-12, after the referee sighted a misdemeanour in the ruck.
Struck from all of 35 metres, the penalty brought the game to within a single score, and the wind that blew the ball over the bar was making life difficult for the Black and Greens.
The Teddy Hall pack looked dominant for the first time in the game and the backs were given freedom to attack from their good work in recycling the ball. A resolute home defence repelled wave after wave of attack and there seemed no way through for the tiring Teddy Hall side.
One final throw of the dice proved unsuccessful as the visitors failed to control the ball they won against the head at a scrum on the Peter's line.
The final whistle could not come soon enough for the home side who were bruised by a tough physical encounter with a solid opposition and the forceful elements.
Peters' captain Tom Rayner conceded to the OxStu, his side were 'scrappy and lucky to have held on to win'.
However it is the mark of a good side to be able to claim victory even without performing as they would wish and his side set the pace as the team to beat.
20th Jan 2005