Chinnor ‘outgunned’ by Canterbury (Contributed)

MATCH REPORT – 1st XV – National 3 South – Saturday, February 21, 2009 – Chinnor 19pts, Canterbury 53 pts.

CHINNOR were outgunned on Saturday by a Canterbury side that possessed the searing speed that proved to be so lethal in open play.

Added to this, their back three, particularly full back Gert DeCock, had the vision to exploit the smallest of gaps, run angles that split the Chinnor defence and, at the same time find support to finish off some breathtaking moves.T

There is no doubt that Canterbury had the better of Chinnor in many phases of the game. However, some of the referee’s decisions, which on occasions bordered on the lamentable, did not assist the Chinnor cause.

Chinnor welcomed back James Cathcart for his first game in three months. With the England hierarchy’s expressed wish Arthur Ellis did not start the game, Paddy Stennings took over the hooking berth (Arthur joins Bob Baker in the England Under 20’s front row against Ireland on Friday evening).

Canterbury took the lead after just three minutes during which time Chinnor could not get their hands on the ball. In a series of sweeping moves – a sign of what was to come – Michael Melford went over for the first try with DeCock adding the conversion and then slotting over a penalty just minutes later, demonstrating that he could kick as well as run!

Canterbury were 10 points ahead just eight minutes into the game. Although Chinnor tried to be positive and run the ball when they had it, a spilled pass allowed Canterbury to once again seize the initiative and after a series of punishing drives, No. 8 Christoffel Blom, forced his way over the try line. Chinnor, not to be denied, then put together a passage of play which eventually resulted in Chris Mahoney scoring a well worked try. With Cathcart converting from wide out, Chinnor were just eight points adrift with 12 minutes remaining in the half. Any thoughts of a revival were quickly thwarted when DeCock kicked a penalty and then converted two tries, both of which he instigated and Hinckins and Sykes being the scorers, which gave Canterbury a 32 pts to 7 half-time lead.

With the referee allowing Luke Harding, the Canterbury scrum-half who played at Chinnor last season, to take a tap penalty and just stroll over under the posts, DeCock converting, Canterbury added another seven points to their already commanding lead. Arthur Ellis soon made his presence felt when he finished off a good handling phase of play to score near the posts. With Cathcart converting, but the game now well out of reach, Chinnor were obviously intent on salvaging a point by virtue of scoring four tries. In an effort to achieve their goal of keeping the ball alive at every opportunity, they inevitably paid the price. A spilled pass from well inside the Canterbury half saw DeCock gallop away at a rate of knots, score under the posts and then convert his own try. A double whammy then hit Chinnor when, a kick ahead saw the ball bounce kindly into the arms of Melford who by conservative estimates was some 10 metres in front of the kicker, resulting in another try beneath the posts. Although the linesman was signalling frantically for offside, the referee chose to ignore him allowing DeCock, who was obviously having a field day, to add the conversion.

For the last 14 minutes of the game Chinnor played with an intensity that had been missing in some of their play up until then. They had their just reward when Darren Oxley scored after a series of drives and near misses. With Chinnor rushing the conversion attempt to get back at their opponents, they camped themselves on the Canterbury line.They gained a penalty some 10 metres out, took a tap kick and went over. The try, for some inexplicable reason was not given. This was seen as a harsh call in that some 40 minutes earlier under exactly the same circumstances a try was awarded. With the retake then taken, Canterbury were penalised for being all over the ball and Tytherleigh was yellow carded. Another penalty and yet another yellow card ensued, this time for Hinckins not allowing the next tap to be taken. In that this card was given for illegally preventing a try and administered in the Canterbury in goal area, was a clear indication that this was a cast iron penalty try – patently not in this referee’s vocabulary. With Chinnor then losing possession, the referee blew for no-side.

Whilst Canterbury, the better side, prevailed, the scoreline was somewhat unjust. A thirteen point gap would have given a truer indication of the overall play.

By Peter Vaughan