Reading 32 pts Chinnor 32 pts !!
ITS one thing turning up to find your opponents fielding nine current British Army players, six of whom are Fijians; its another for the home side to also arrange the weather for their imports! Blue skies and temperatures more akin to June meant ideal conditions for Chinnor’s away match with Reading on Saturday (Feb 09).
Chinnor were comfortably in front during the first quarter of the first half and in the opening salvo’s of the second, but on both occasions they allowed Reading back into the game. Although Reading took the lead as early as the third minute when powerful No.8, Ledau Jope, picked up from the base of the scrum and scored wide out, Chinnor were soon back in the hunt some seven minutes later.
A sharp threequarter move saw the ball reach Phil Huxford who turned on the gas to round his opposite number to score in the corner. A fine conversion by James Cathcart who also slotted a penalty, put Chinnor in the ascendancy. They then scored a superb try when Ben Hewitt carved an opening on Chinnor’s right, handed onto the ever supportive Grizz McQuire before the ball eventually found Darren Oxley to finish the move in the left hand corner.
This gave Chinnor a 12 point cushion which was almost instantly reduced when Karneli Vuadreu intercepted a pass in the middle of the park to go over unapposed. That he caught the ball behind him in making the interception leading to a suspicion that he might have been off-side. However Chinnor’s lead was reduced by 7 points. A trademark Pip Seymour try was next on the agenda when Chinnor moved the ball across the field allowing Seymour to chip ahead and win the chase for the touchdown. A fine conversion from wide out put Chinnor ahead 22 points to 12 at the half way mark.
With Cathcart kicking a penalty just after the interval, it appeared that Chinnor were in control. However, a piece of loose defence, when indeed Chinnor were on the attack, allowed centre Peceli Nacarnavuto in for the first of his three tries. A penalty from Alex Wallace made further inroads into the Chinnor lead and when Nacarnavuto went over for his second try and Wallace added the extras, Reading were in front. Chinnor came back, created space on the right and Jaike Carter scored. Another conversion from the touchline put Chinnor once more in the lead but a try by Nacarnavuto levelled the scores.
Try as they might in the closing stages, Chinnor could not get the score which would have clinched this hard fought game.
Chinnor worked hard for their tries but unfortunately gifted Reading a couple of scores, although one of these was highly debatable.
Let’s hope both the fine weather conditions of last Saturday and the players prevail for the Bracknell visit to Reading.
Chinnor First welcome Old Patesians next Saturday (16/02)- kick off 1.30pm, as the club captain is getting married.
Photo: James Cathcart who contributed in Chinnor’s battle against Reading last weekend (Saturday 09/02)