CHINNOR 48 ROTHERHAM 35

On a gloriously warm and sunny afternoon both Chinnor and Rotherham Titans were determined to give the paying public their monies worth with a fast open game of attacking rugby.

Chinnor receiving kick off playing up the slope failed to secure the kick resulting in the Titans going through several phases, but the Chinnor Defence was strong with little ground being made. A speculative kick through was charged down and pounced on by the robust Greg King. After several hands by both forwards and Backs the ever reliable Craig Holland burst through finishing in the corner. Bertie Hopkin added the conversion on 4 minutes. Immediately from the restart Chinnor were penalised for holding on and Alex Dolly stepped up with the penalty.

Having watched the previous weeks footage of the Titans take Plymouth Albion's scrum apart, Chinnor were aware of the threat they posed but after a penalty at the first scrum which Alex Dolly gratefully converted on 8 mins, the picture looked ominous.

With ball in hand Chinnor looked in total control and after several phases later Hopkin stepped up for the penalty 10-6. From the kick off Titans went through several phases and worked a neat overlap of which a last gasp tackle saved a walk in. International Referee Matthew Carley called play back for an offside and Titans elected for a scrum. On 21 minutes and three resets later a penalty try was awarded , the scrum tone being set for the remainder of the game.

Immediately off the restart Titans strung their best attacking phases together eventually scoring in the corner. The conversion was missed making the score 10-18 and the momentum had swung into the visitors favour. A testing box kick directly into the sun was claimed with aplomb by Kieran Goss who danced through 4 would be tacklers and scored under the posts from 55 metres, converted by Hopkin giving Chinnor an immediate lift back into the game at 17-18. Chinnor now in total ascendancy were awarded a penalty for offside and kicked to the corner. Titans sacked the line out well but four phases later debutant Patrick Schickerling bumped the defender and with a long reach grounded the ball under the posts, once again converted by Hopkin on 30 minutes making the score 24-18.

After a great take in the air from Ben Thomas & under huge pressure from the charging Titans pack, Chinnor were penalised for holding on and the reliable Alex Dolly stepped up for a 48 metre penalty.

Chinnor were not done yet and after a brilliant 3 minutes of multiple phase play Holland ghosted inside for his second try, converted by Hopkin again.

Halftime score 31-21

With Chinnor now playing down the slope and the sun behind their backs an air of hunger was shown with big defence pinning the Titans in their own half. Chinnor, with a line out on the half way line, went through multiple phases with the industrious Tom Jubb finishing on 46 mins, conversion was added to make the score 38-21

The game then entered a scrappy period by both teams with the Titans now relying solely on their scrum dominance to buy field position. On 60 minutes another penalty try was awarded to the Titans pack 38-28. Chinnor regathered the kick off and with big carries from the returning Willie Ryan and Ben Thomas Chinnor were awarded a penalty which the confident Hopkin accepted 41-28.

Once again the game became disjointed but the Chinnor defence, untroubled, held strong. Titans were now using penalty opportunities to scrum and after several resets Chinnor Tighthead Jack Gilding was sent to the bin. With Chinnor's bench emptied and the need to bring on a prop Kieran Goss was substituted. Titans flyhalf cleverly put a kick behind the Chinnor wall and with no fullback to sweep Ali Thomson dived on the ball to score Titans bonus point try which was converted once again by Dolly 41-35

With 5 minutes to play Titans knowing Chinnor were a man down attacked from deep and Holland reading the play intercepted the ball and rounded off a fine display with a hat trick. Hopkin made it 100% with the boot to make the final score 48-35

Chinnor DOR Matt Williams added, "After 4 losses on the bounce this was a vital win for us. We looked confident and dangerous with ball in hand but a big mention must go the Roth scrum that kept them in the game."

Star man: Craig Holland (Hat Trick)

Chinnor
Betts, Norey, Gilding,Thomas, Jubb,Manning, Oliver ©,Ryan,Hoadley,Hopkin,Hodson, King,Joseph,Holland, Goss,
Reps: Schickerling, Southworth, George, Goodfellow, Barnes

Rotherham
Richardson, Bergmanas, Dennis, Ure, Frost, Ball,Poole, Nagle-Taylor, Dever, Irvine, Field, Barker, Abrahams, Leake, Dolly
Reps: Thomson,Stout, Preston-Routledge,Cotterill,Cooke

Referee: Mr Matthew Carley

Attendance: 306