Chinnor finished up their first Championship season as they’d started, with a comprehensive victory over Cambridge who propped up the table for the second season in a row. Chinnor DOR Nick Easter wasn’t unhappy with his side’s showing this term, nor the result. “We set a target of 8 wins – we’ve managed 7 and a draw. I’m hugely proud of the guys – a lot of whom will be here next year. It’s a tough league – as Cambridge know too – and we’ve done well. It’s our skipper – Willy Ryan’s – last game and it was great to send him on his way with the win”.
Chinnor started brightly, Kieran Goss opening the scoring 5 minutes in, with Nathan Chamberlain converting, which set the tone for the afternoon. The Blood & Sand were back on terms almost immediately as Matt Hema touched down close in and Eli Caven added the extras. A quick-fire brace from Charlie Carter-James stretched the lead before Grant Hughes brought up the try bonus point in 25 minutes. Then Zac Nearchou – again from up close – burrowed over to keep the visitors in touch, Caven converting again. Kieran Goss and Alun Carter, though, weren’t keen on that comeback and put Chinnor in an unassailable position at the break. Chamberlain only failed to convert Walker’s score in that first forty minutes.
So, facing a massive mountain at half time, there was always the hope that the Blood & Sand could salvage, at least, some pride from the afternoon. Two minutes into the second half James Bourton smashed through – Chamberlain again was good off the tee – and in a frantic period Ben Brownlie pulled one back from a driving maul, almost by return Scott Hall charged down Pete White’s kick and ran it in for another. Brownlie repeated his feat for the bonus point for the visitors. And Kayde Sylvester scrambled over for try number five for a fightback of sorts. Will Cave made it nine for Chinnor – replacement Morgan Veness made it a hat-trick for the Blood & Sand hookers.
Calum Pascoe racked up try number 10 for the hosts – and Carter-James two more to his tally to finish on four for the afternoon. The first – a deft chip over the last man was sublime; the second, scooping up a defensive mis-field on the 22 was ridiculous. They all count, though – and Chinnor finished in style.
Interim Head Coach Anthony Allen made his final bow for Cambridge. “We’ve been down to bones for the last five weeks. The boys are out on their feet. The bottom line is we’ve been great in attack for the most part but we’ve undone our good work by making expensive errors. And it’s cost us”.
Teams
Chinnor
Smith 8, Hughes 8, Watson 8, Boughton 8 (Passman 59 7), Goss 8 (Pascoe 49 8), Chamberlain 8 (Yandall 70 6), Carter 9; Lines 7 (Rukadze 57 7), Walker 7 (Cave 52 7), Hardwick 7 (Doak 52 6), Hall 7, Cooke 7, Dugmore 7, Stokes 7, Ryan 8 (North 64 6)
Cambridge
Caven 6 (Betteridge 77), Skelcey 6 (Reeves 57), Hanks 6, Hema 6, Williams 6 (Macfarlane 57 6), Tarrant 6, White 6; Nearchou 7(Murphy 68 6), Brownlie 8 (Veness 63 6), Ellwood 6 (Bridges 18, Ellwood 29, Bridges 57 6), Bretag-Norris 6, Friend 6 (Baxter 57 6), Sylvester 6, Rees 6, Adams 7
Scorers
Chinnor
Tries – Goss 5, 32, Carter 15, 20, 76, 80, Hughes 25, Walker 40, Bourton 42, Hall 48, Cave 63, Pascoe 73
Cons – Chamberlain 6, 16, 21, 26, 33, 43, 49, 64 Smith 74, 77
Cambridge
Tries – Hema 11, Nearchou 29, Brownlie 46, 51, Sylvester 58, Veness 69
Cons – Caven 11, 29
HT 40-14 FT 82-34
Attendance 1954
Referee – Andy Wigley
Scrums Won 1/4
Scrums Lost 0/0
Line outs won 6/10
Line outs lost 1/4
Penalties Against 13/6
STAR MAN – Charlie Carter-James (CHINNOR)
YC 2/0