CHINNOR 29 LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS 50
On a day when Chinnor guaranteed another season in National One Loughborough Students showed great skill and passion to surge to a comprehensive 29-50 win. Underpinned by superb performances from their electric half backs, Watson and Dixon, the visitors had too much running power for Chinnor to handle.
A perfect, warm spring afternoon was the backdrop to a sparkling game of attacking rugby. Loughborough opened the scoring after a series of attack eventually gave Dixon the opportunity to exploit space and commit the covering defence to release the Christie in the corner, ffitch converted for a 0-7 lead.
Chinnor then had their best period of the match and showed what a quality team they can be. After a quick clean lineout, Burns and Cano carried well to within metres of the line. Quick ball released Oscar Heath, who smartly finished diving under the cover and stretching for his score. A good conversion from Ryan levelled the scores, 7-7 . This was quickly followed by a penalty from Ryan after good work from Hopkin forced an indiscretion. 10-7.
Chinnor increased their lead on 21 minutes when Dancer soared in the lineout to secure possession and a good driving maul was formed. The maul moved forward 20 metres and Dancer broke off to finish what he had started and crash over. 17-7. Chinnor were now really motoring and seemingly getting on top of the feisty students. An excellent try was scored from a solid scrummage saw Chinnor launch a perfectly executed move and Barnes released Goss with a superb 20 metre pass which was gathered without breaking stride, Goss then drew the fullback and passed to Holland who scooted in at the corner. 22-7 on 25 minutes.
Chinnor were now in total control and it seemed as if another score would end the match as a contest even against the visitors famous battling spirit. However, Chinnor’s achilles heel at the restart came back to haunt them as the students caught the kick and after a series of offloads star performer Watson scurried over from 25 metres. 22-12. Jubb then did well to charge down a Watson box kick and ball seemed within his grasp to gather when it bounced tantalisingly away from his grasp and denied him a trot under the posts. This seemed to give Loughborough another boost and they launched a classic counter punch in the next five minutes to score 2 converted tries and unbelievably take the lead on half time. The first after Dixon broke after clear crossing impeded the Chinnor defence and the second after a powerful charge from ex Chinnor player Hirsky Douglas released Watson for his second. 22-26 at Half Time.
Chinnor actually started the second half well and seemed to be taking back control when Barnes crashed over in the corner and Ryan expertly converted. 29-22 on 47 minutes. However, much like the attempt of hard line Brexiteer to take back control of the country this was somewhat of a pyrrhic victory as the visitors upped the pace and intensity of their play. Hirsky Douglas crashed over for his brace, Christie charged on to a wickedly bouncing ball that Ryan failed to deal with and Watson rounded off a spectacular hat trick with a superb individual score from the base of the scrum. Chinnor’s indiscipline was costing them possession and field position and when the referee finally penalised a player for a high tackle after missing several blatant high shots from Loughborough earlier in the match it was inevitable that it would be against the home side. A final penalty from ffitch gave Loughborough their half century. Chinnor did finish the game on the front foot and Holland sliced through the cover to canter under the posts only for the referee to call him back for a very marginal forward pass, this was Chinnor’s day in a nutshell.
