Peter’s edge out Catz

St. Peter's 17 – 10 St. Catherine'sThis was a Cuppers contest of epic proportions and one which St. Peter’s, sticking to their tried-and-tested brand of forward-dominated rugby, just edged out a Catz side whose running game couldn’t quite deliver the results they hoped for. The first quarter of an hour revealed for all to see that the visitors had not played a competitive match since 0th week. Catz literally panicked under pressure from the Peter’s scrum, boosted by the presence of Blues second row Bertie Payne. Although the Manor Road outfit couldn’t be faulted for their commitment in the tackle area, a lack of communication allowed Peter’s to eventually touch down in the corner to take the lead. Things quickly went from bad to worse for Catz, with the ball being spilled and poor decisionmaking led to another Peter’s score. This time, however, poor tackling was to blame, allowing the scrum half to squeeze through an unguarded fringe with little resistance. The try was then converted, leaving Peter’s 12-0 up and looking totally dominant. Catz then managed to hang on until their cavalry arrived – University players Rich Godfrey and Ali Walker arriving from labs. Immediately the visitors seemed full of confidence, with both set pieces beginning to function. A five-metre lineout was spun wide, then switched for Walker to bring the half to a close with a well-taken try. The visitors began the second period as they ended the first. Aggressive rucking gave the backs a chance to attack, and Matt Perrins crashed over for Catz’ second unconverted try. Peter’s realized they were in a game and rallied, driving the ball to the heart of the Catz defence. Although the visitors’ tackling was as tough as ever, a five-metre scrum was driven over for Payne to touch down. The game was far from over, though. Both Walker and Godfrey carved out openings for Catz, but the final ball just would not come. Peter’s did well to close the game down by driving around the fringes, making sure Catz had as little ball as possible in the dying seconds.by James de Mellow