Fatialofa dazzles for Chinnor

CHINNOR overcame Canterbury 39-26 scoring five tries for a valuable bonus point, in dank conditions on Saturday, February 13.

Chinnor dominated the first half, scoring 27 unanswered points. Their first score came after 10 minutes when Henry Lamont scorched through a midfield hole created by clever dummy running by Junior Fatialofa. Sam Angell converted and increased the Chinnor lead to 10-0 with a penalty goal. Canterbury, with one of their few forays into the Chinnor half, looked destined for a score but a last second and now trademark interception by Oscar Heath saw him gallop 80 metres for Chinnor’s second. Angell added the extras and another penalty goal for a 20-0 lead. Fatialofa, on half time, danced in and out of the Canterbury defence from 35 metres to record a dazzlingly impressive try. Angell again did the necessary for a Chinnor 27-0 half time lead.

Second half honours went to Canterbury who outscored the home side by 14 points. Canterbury came out of the blocks quickly in the second half with Courtney Horey scoring an identical interception try to Heath’s in the first half, just two minutes in. Three minutes later, Canterbury again scored with Ollie Best going in after good driving work from the Canterbury pack on the opposite side of the pitch. Chinnor stopped the Kentish momentum with a try by Angell off a collapsed maul . Chinnor then patiently worked their way up field and, after a series of pick and drives, the ball was released to the backs and Jack Adams found a hole to the line. Heath took the conversion for a 39-14 lead. Canterbury refused to lie down and scored two tries late in the game from Tom Best and Harry Sayers but it was insufficient to overcome Chinnor’s lead and the game finished 39-26 to the Oxfordshire boys.

Chinnor had probably their most impressive half of the season for the first part of this match. They succumbed to another mad ten minutes after half time, conceding two tries. However, their good work of the first half was enough to deflect Canterbury’s second half revival, particularly by the Kent side’s backs.

The forwards were the mainstay of this win, with a dominant scrum (except once) with a rampaging and hard working back row. The highlight of the match was Junior snake hips Fatialofa’s bamboozlement of the Canterbury defence as he swayed, slowed and accelerated from 35 metres out for a spectacular try. All of the back row caught the eye but Joe Vandermolen’s non stop workrate gains him this week’s laurels.

Teams

Chinnor
Scott Gibson, Oscar Heath, Jack Adams, Junior Fatialofa, Henry Lamont, Sam Angell, Greg Goodfellow, Santiago Sodini, Jonathan Phipps, Andy Darlington, Joe Vandermolen, Ben Manning, James Tyas ©, Alex Waddingham, George Messum

Interchanges: Jamie Townsend, Mark Darlington, Justin Allen, Frank Jones, Salva Lloret

Canterbury
Ollie Best, Harry Sayers, Courtney Horey, Tom Best, Mason Rosvall, Martyn Beaumont (c), Dan Smart, Jim Green, Tom Rogers, Alex Wake-Smith, Royce Cadman, Tyler Edwards, Max Cantwell, Sam Rogers, George Micans

Interchanges: Dan Winchester, Neil Wakefield, Tom Burns, Cameron Townley, Sean Nixon

Scorers

Chinnor
Tries (time): Lamont (10), Heath (18), Fatialofa (40), Angell (53), Adams (58)
Conversions (time): Angell (11, 19, 40), Heath (58)
Penalty Goals (time): Angell (15, 33)

Canterbury
Tries (time): Horey (42), O Best (46), T Best (62), Sayers (77)
Conversions (time): T Best (43, 47, 62)
Penalty Goals (time):

Referee: David Clarkson
Attendance: 222
Half time score: 27-0
Full time score: 39-26

SOURCE: Contributed