March Bears beat Peterborough 2nds in 2023 league opener

After a strong pre-season, March Bears opened their league fixtures with what turned into a nine-try fest against Peterborough 2nds.

It also was a great afternoon for kicker Sam Howatt, who converted eight of them – some from very acute angles.

Sam Howatt got things up and running after nine minutes with a very good try when he outpaced the opposition and went under the posts.

After 15 minutes, Ben Howells crashed over from a five metre penalty.

Over the next 10 minutes, Peterborough lost both of their props and this necessitated uncontested scrums.

Scott Conway and Stacey Mould decided to volunteer to appear for Peterborough as they had lost another player to injury and had no furthers substitutes – but this meant scrums could be contested again.

This upheaval did not deter March from playing their expansive style of rugby, and after 35 minutes Will Paul went over the line.

One minute later, Ciaran Brown finished off a great back movement and Howatt hit a superb conversion from the by-line.

March were still not finished before half-time, and just on the whistle Harvey Davies finished off a repeated handling move to go in for yet another try.

The teams turned around with March leading 35-0.

Peterborough at last got themselves on the scoreboard with a well-taken penalty two minutes after the restart.

However, this just seemed to stir March Bears’ forwards – and two minutes later, Lee Kupyn took a short penalty and with a typical individual run went over the whitewash to score.

Ben Pyle then scored at the end of a penalty move in the 50th minute to make the score 47-3.

Sam Howatt then scored a very good second try in the 55th minute by slicing through the gap, and with his eight conversions took his personal tally for the afternoon to 26 points.

In the 61st minute, Bryn Pughsley then took the ball from behind his own posts and, with his astonishing acceleration and pace, sliced through the whole Peterborough team and scored what was to be the final converted try of the game.

Peterborough subsequently raised the white flag and asked permission from March and the referee to curtail the game with a quarter of it still to go.

The score will stand with the league, and the players and spectators retired to the bar after seeing what was an intense and scintillating performance from March Bears.