MATCH REPORT: Contributed by Bill O’Donnell.
CHINNOR overcame the disappointment against Bournemouth with a devastating victory over Newbury. With a contribution of five tries, full-back Mark Chase helped Chinnor reach 1000 points for the season in overcoming Newbury blues by 92-12.
Chinnor opened the scoring on the sixth minute when an inside ball from Henry Colver, playing fly half in Cathcart’s absence, saw winger Pip Seymour fly through under the posts for the opening try, converted by Colver. Chinnor’s next score came in the 10th minute from a cross kick from Stoop. Newbury hesitated, thinking that the ball would trickle over the touchline. Chinnor’s left-winger Tom Gray however deftly side footed the ball along the touchline and picked up to score in the corner to give a 12-0 lead to the home side.
On the 20th minute, Chinnor destroyed the visitors pack at a scrum and number 8 Liam Gilbert picked up and dotted down in the corner to increase Chinnor’s lead to 17-0.
Newbury then profited from a Chinnor mistake when an inside pass was intercepted by Newbury and offloaded to flanker Josh Love who scored under the posts. With the conversion from Newbury fly half Dan Thorne, Chinnor’s lead was reduced to 17-7. Chinnor were further embarrassed when they messed up a straightforward scrum and allowed Newbury to pick up the loose ball. A chip and chase later, Newbury winger Max Spencer further decreased the deficit to 17-12.
These two costly mistakes then seemed to galvanise Chinnor who upped their pace to begin a try scoring feast. It began right from the restart when the kick was fielded by Mark Chase who casually ran around six defenders to score the bonus point try under the posts and increase Chinnor’s lead to 22-12, further improved by Colver?s conversion. On the 33rd minute, from a catch and drive, Alex Waddingham was driven over to score Chinnor’s fifth try of the day and increase the home side’s lead to 29-12 at half-time.
Just 55 seconds into the second half, from a high ball bravely batted back by Sam Stoop, Matt Goode went over for Chinnor’s sixth try of the day, converted by Colver to increase the home side’s lead to 36-12. Colver was next to score – again under the posts and converting his own try, Chinnor’s lead increased to 43-12. Some four minutes later, Colver repeated the act when, from a turnover scrum Liam Gilbert took the ball up and slipped it to Colver who casually strolled to the line. Chinnor’s lead was now increased to 50-12.
Gilbert was the next to score, prefacing Mark chase?s spectacular last 10 minutes. With Colver’s conversion, Chinnor’s lead was now 57-12.
Chinnor then took off Sam Stoop, Liam Gilbert and Joe Winpenny and replaced them with Will Millett, Nick Harrison and Joe Pickett. The game now changed to the Mark Chase Show.
Chinnor completely messed up a penalty scrum and allowed Newbury to hack the ball down the field. Mark Chase fielded the ball and set off on a mazy run at a casual stroll which saw him calmly dot down between the posts. Colver’s conversion increased Chinnor’s lead to 64-12. Newbury then kicked the ball long to Chase who just repeated the dose of three minutes earlier and again dotted down under the posts. With conversion by Colver, Chinnor now led 71-12.
Three minutes later, some nice backs play saw the ball into Chase’s hands and, with a sidestep here and there, he was over for his fourth try of the afternoon. Colver’s conversion increased the home side’s lead to 78-12. Chase then skipped over for another try, again converted by Colver to increase Chinnor’s lead to 85-12. The final score of the day came from the twinkling feet of Gray who danced his way through the opposition to score and leave Colver with the easiest of conversions to give a final match score of 92-12 to Chinnor.
It is difficult to set this match in context as Newbury, already relegated and fielding a young side were overwhelmed by the speed and precision of their opponents. Despite the mounting score, Newbury can hold their heads up with pride as they never stopped trying to stem the flow.
Henry Colver did well in filling in for the absent Cathcart and with 11 conversions was accurate with his kicking. The Chinnor scrum was dominant and eventually led, for the last few minutes of the game, to uncontested scrums due to injuries sustained by the Newbury front row. Sam Stoop’s distribution was again of the highest order and he was unfairly penalised on several occasions for forward passes that never were. However, if one man caught the eye, it had to be Mark Chase whose silky and pacey running skills simply bemused the opposition every time he had the ball. His five tries brought his season’s tally to 21 so far, despite missing a big chunk of the season.
With 1002 points scored so far this season, it shows that Chinnor’s try scoring ability has markedly improved.
Scorers:
Chinnor: Chase 5T; Gilbert 2T; Goode T; Colver 2T; Seymour T; Gray 2T; Waddingham T: Colver 11C
Newbury Blues: Love T; Spencer T; Thorne C