Chinnor RFC Are Top Of The League (Contributed)

ENGLAND may have lost again Wales in the Eight Nations, but Chinnor RFC’s first fifteen went to the top of the League on Saturday, when they beat Bracknell, 19 points to 16, in what was a nail-biting finish.
Playing on a well prepared sloping Bracknell pitch, Chinnor went behind after 3 minutes to a Nowak penalty. With a physically lighter side, Chinnor opted to play at a fast pace and were rewarded in the 13th minute with a try. Chinnor?s Powell tore through a gap in the Bracknell defence and was on hand to finish the move with a try under the posts. Cathcart converted to give Chinnor a 7 ? 3 lead.

With breathless intensity, both sides strove for dominance. Bracknell sensed that Chinnor?s weakness was on the wings and they continued to move the ball wide as often as possible. However, the Chinnor defence was up to the job and continued to keep Bracknell out. A Chinnor offside allowed Nowak to reduce the Bracknell deficit by 3 points. Two more penalties to Chinnor taken by Cathcart led to a half time Chinnor lead 13 ? 6.

The second half started brightly for Chinnor with a sustained presence in the Bracknell 22. Bracknell stood firm and Cathcart decided that a drop goal was necessary. Now leading 16-6, Chinnor were put under continuous pressure which was only relieved in the 65th minute by a well worked but unconverted Bracknell try, scored by winger Nick Shears. Bracknell kept the pressure up and declined a number of penalty kicks for lineout catch and drives. These were repulsed by the Chinnor pack until the 80th minute. A Bracknell catch and drive was rewarded with a try by hooker Joe Shelton in the corner. Crucially, it was unconverted and tied the scores at 16-16.

With 5 minutes of injury time to be played, Bracknell fatally missed a kick to touch. It was run back by debutant Huxford and Hewitt. At a subsequent ruck, the referee Adam Friend penalised Bracknell for preventing the release of the ball. Cathcart, from 40 metres wide out, sailed the ball over the bar to hear the final whistle, giving a 19-16 victory to Chinnor with the last play of the match.

As the whistle sounded, the sizeable Chinnor support was the one source of noise in what felt like a Bracknell cemetery.

Bracknell proved to be tough opponents, good at set piece but lacked a cutting edge. They presented Chinnor with their toughest match of the season and will be wondering, with all the pressure they produced, how they managed to lose at Fortress Lily Hill Park. Perhaps they will be thinking about the value of kicking their penalties.

Outscored two ties to one, Chinnor won through a combination of unforgiving defence, with McGuire and Winslade most noticeable, a desire to attack with speed and solid decision making. The trusty boot and generalship of Cathcart was a significant factor. New boy Huxford looked quick and Chinnor?s other winger Carter and full back Hewitt penetrated the Bracknell defence consistently. The work rate and stubbornness of the pack, including scrum half Gustafson, were outstanding as was the midfield defence of Powell and Williams.

Scoring sequence (Bracknell first): 3mins 3-0 (pen: Nowak); 13 mins 3-7 (try: Powell, con Cathcart); 19 mins 6-7 (pen Nowak); 24 mins 6-10 (pen Cathcart); 37 mins 6-13 (pen Cathcart); 46 mins 6-16 (DG Cathcart); 65 mins 11-16 (try Shears); 80 mins 16-16 (try Shelton); 85 mins 16-19 (pen Cathcart)

Chinnor team: Hewitt, Huxford, Williams, Powell, Carter, Cathcart, Gustafson, Winpenny, Stennings, Whelan, Hutchings (c), Black, McGuire, Winslade, Rixon
Replacements (not used): Iosefo-Peni, Hastings, Seymour