These have always been two well-matched sides and this encounter did nothing to dispel the fact. The fixture was arranged as a turkey chaser at very short notice following a cancellation and by the end of it both sides knew that they had been in a game.

For the first fifteen minutes Chinnor looked as though they were still seated at the dinner table on Christmas Day, as they displayed festive spirit by gifting a committed Ruislip side a twelve-point lead. Humbug Tim Hughes then ignited Chinnor with an awesome display of elusive running after picking up a loose ball. He then off loaded the first of a series of excellent interchange passes, which resulted in Man of the match Ben Sanders going over for his first try of the season. Ollie Heath was thwarted by the angle and distance required for the conversion.

Ruislip reasserted themselves with a further unconverted try. However, a short while later, Chinnor produced a further try of similar characteristics and quality to their opener. This time the bullet was delivered by winger Marcus Hare, who crossed the try line near the corner and took it around close to the posts to give Ollie Heath a sporting chance to make the conversion. He embraced the opportunity to make it 12-17.

Chinnor had their tails up and Brendan Davis crowned another sweeping move to make it 17-17. The red and white hoops of Ruislip gritted their teeth and hit back with another unconverted try to regain the lead 17-22. Cue Tim Hughes. Picking up the ball in his own half he beat half the opposition with a dazzling break, which ended with him prone under the posts defended by the opposition. Ollie Heath accepted the belated Christmas present 24-22. Ruislip responded once more with a further unconverted try. 24-27. Hughes delivered an excellent reposte' as Chinnor pressed Ruislip back with concerted pressure. 29-27.

But with four minutes to go, Ruislip had a rare foray into the Chinnor twenty-two and made a good job of wrong footing the Chinnor defence to snatch victory 29-32.  

Chinnor, who performed magnificently for most of the game, lost it in the first fifteen minutes. Overall though, hey can justifiably feel hard done by at the result. There were some excellent individual performances and this was a good start to 2004.  

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Worcester U16 33 vs. Chinnor U16 26
Sunday 28 September 2003

The first visit of Chinnor to Worcester, brought two very well matched teams together. Chinnor were not overawed by the National League Division one outfit and the hosts knew that they had been in a game.

Two minutes into the match, Joe Waldron broke through the Worcester back line to get over in the corner. Srummie Ollie Heath, almost made a virtually impossible kick and Chinnor went 5-0 ahead.

A short while later, an unforced error allowed the home side to get under the post and take maximum points from the score.

The response from Chinnor came following a maul, when Ross Gehnich, playing at eight, produced at stonking drive to get into the last fifteen metres and then set up the ball for it to be recycled out wide at speed. Joe Waldron again pierced the defence with some more incisive running.

Just before half time Worcs got over once more, but failed to convert, Accordingly, they turned around 12-12.

After the break, Worcester got ahead with a fine  converted try. Chinnor got level by pressing on the left and being awarded a penalty. A quick tap, followed by fast hands and some unselfish soft hands from Will Batting, put Joe Waldron  in to complete his hat trick. Ollie Heath slotted the conversion to take the score to 19-19.

Chinnor then gained the ascendancy. Under pressure, Worcester kicked long to within fifteen metres of the Chinnor line. Ben Hewitt, who was making his debut at fullback, gathered the ball. He launched a telling counter attack, weaving through the opposition until he became isolated. With great awareness, he then sent up a bomb, which landed ten metres from the try line and gave winger, Brendan Davis sufficient time to field the ball and go over to the left of the posts. Ollie Heath maximised the points on offer to take the lead 26-19.

Chinnor sustained injuries to key players and had to shuffle around. The disruptive effect resulted in Worcester getting back on terms. A draw would certainly have not only have been appropriate outcome, but justice too. However, fate had other ideas. A penalty was curiously given to Worcs, ten metres from the Chinnor line, when a Worcs player had clearly knocked on. From it, they managed to get over. The Chinnor players took it on the chin, as the conversion bisected the posts, accompanied by a rousing blast of the referee’s whistle for full time.

Magnanimous in defeat, the Worcs spectators and parents conceded that a draw would have been the just result, as neither team deserved to lose after such a hard and thrilling encounter.

For their first game of the season, Chinnor can be optimistic for what is to come. To a man, it was an excellent team performance. 

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Chinnor U16 28 vs. Cirencester U16 15
Sunday 5th October 2003

Bathed in bright sunshine accompanied with a steady breeze, these two sides played out a thrilling inaugural meeting at Kingsey Road .

First Blood went to Cirencester, when their forwards used their considerable bulk to fashion the opening try, which proved too difficult to convert.

A response was not too long coming and it came from Joe Waldron, who hit the ball at centre and carved open the opposition back line to touch down under the posts.  Gave Ollie Heath a simple conversion. 7-5 Chinnor!

Just on half time, Cirencester went over again, courtesy of their forwards. For the second time, the conversion presented too greater challenge for the kicker. Never the less, Cirencester had turned around with a 10-7 lead.

In the second half, Chinnor came out with all guns blazing. Ross Gehnich at eight led his troops by example, with an energetic and effective display around the loose and scrum. From a defensive position, scrummie Ollie Heath released his back line. The ball reached Dan Hughes-Morgan in his own half and his pace took him away from the immediate tacklers. As he ran wide, he handed off three defenders before going over by the post. Ollie Heath needed no invitation to split the uprights and the score moved to 10-14 Chinnor.

Cirencester pressurised Chinnor and the ball went lose five metres from their line. Joe Waldron kicked on three times before winger Tim Hughes came from nowhere to pick up the ball and tear off from halfway, leaving his pursuers eating dust. From right in front, Ollie Heath again made no mistake for a 10-21 lead. 

Cirencester retaliated a short while later, with another score out wide. Once more, the angle and distance confounded the kicker. 15-21.

The game was killed off, when Tim Hughes took possession out wide and proceeded to lead the opposition a merry dance with some mesmerising footwork. He finally touched down by the posts to allow scrummie Ollie Heath to cap a fine performance with a 100% kicking record for the day.

The final result was 28-15 and this was the product of a superb team performance, which distinguished one and all.

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The Maidenhead 15-a-side Tournament 2003
12 October 2003 

A mild autumn day was just about ideal for this tournament. Unfortunately, due to late withdrawals, the under 16 pool was only contested with four teams. Besides the hosts, the quartet consisted of Llandaff, Old Fullerians and of course, Chinnor.

Maidenhead 17 v Chinnor 5

The first match up was Maidenhead versus Chinnor. A momentary accidental defensive lapse led to the opening try under the posts, which went to Maidenhead. The conversion was missed for a 5-0 lead.

Maidenhead assumed that the next try would not be long coming and they were right. As the silence that followed reflected, they did not expect it to be from Chinnor, who took them apart out wide before Ben Hewitt coasted over in the corner. Ollie Heath had the distance, but not the accuracy to tie the score at 7-5.

Chinnor assumed the ascendancy and their pressure resulted in Maidenhead kicking long. As fullback Ben Hewitt took responsibility for fielding the kick, a cruel bounce took the ball over his shoulder and into vacant space for the oncoming back to pick up and run on and touchdown for Maidenhead’s second try and a 10-5 lead.

Chinnor were visibly despondent. This on top of injuries to a couple of key players caused them to lose their momentum and fluency. On the stroke of the final whistle, Maidenhead went over again for a converted try, which gave them a 17-5 victory. This was a result, which was not truly representative of the effort by the Chinnor Players.

Chinnor 10 v Llandaff 7

Chinnor’s second game of the tournament was against a committed and capable Llandaff side. It was the welsh dragon showing the fire in it’s belly, which roared first. Running at the heart of the Chinnor defence and benefiting from some half hearted tackling by suspects who are known to themselves, Llanduff went directly under the posts to facilitate a simple, but well taken conversion. 7-0 to the red dragons.

After the momentum had swung from one end to the other, Chinnor struck decisively through the power of Mark Rumble, who bullocked his way through the cover and into the corner. Ben Hewitt took responsibility for the conversion attempt, but alas, the ball drifted narrowly wide. 7-5.

Chinnor continued to apply the pressure and when Ross Gehnich superbly hit the line running from deep, his pace took him from his own half to within fifteen metres of the Llandaff line, it looked as though a further seven points were about to be secured. Unfortunately, as he looked for the non-existent support, the desperate cover overran him.

After they turned around with Llanduff leading 7-5, Chinnor continued to increase the pressure and it finally told. A great passage of play saw the ball shifted wide, where fullback Richard Akers came into the line and used his strength to get over in the corner. Ollie heath demonstrated that he had the distance, but the ball just carried wide.

The 7-10 score line proved to be the outcome of this keenly fought game.

Chinnor 34 v Old Fullerians 7

This match was the final curtain for Chinnor and they treated the spectators to an attractive display, as they went through their repertoire to capitalise on the lion’s share of possession.

Brendan Davis opened the scoring, when following a scrum on halfway, he stretched his legs and went over under the posts. Ollie Heath gratefully accepted the opportunity to convert for 7-0 

Following further pressure, Jordan Weaver provided the finale, for a move, which spanned the entire width of the pitch. He strode over the try line for his first try for the club. The breeze was to confound Ollie Heath.

Before halftime, Tim Hughes crowned another sweeping move to go over in the corner for a much-deserved try, which did not provide a realistic opportunity for Ollie Heath to ensure the maximum. When the whistle blew for the break, Chinnor led 17-0.

As Fullerians attempted to break the tightening noose that Chinnor had on the game, the Chinnor forwards took control in the lineout and also commanded the scrums and mauls. The net result was initially a try for hooker Matt Grellier, who got over for a try following a maul five metres out. Dean McShea caught the restart inside his own fifteen-metre line. He then took off up the field and did not stop until he touched the ball down beneath the opposition posts for a sensational try. 

After another display of powerful running by Ross Gehnich to clear his lines and take the ball virtually to the Fullarians fifteen metre line, Stuart May broke through out wide to score his first of the season. 34-0.

Just on the final whistle, Chinnor were penalised ten metres from their own try line and Fullerians needed no invitation to capitalise with a converted try under the posts.

All things considered, Chinnor were pleased with their day’s work, which saw them finish as runners-up to the hosts. 

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Chinnor Under 16  (17) vs. Matson Under 16 (18)
Sunday 26th October 2003 

Warm air and bright sunshine provided a superb background for the inaugural meeting of these two sides.  

Matson seized the initiative, when their flying left wing took advantage of the fact that the line sight of the referee was impeded, to tackle Dan Hughes Morgan, his opposite number, without the ball. This enabled him to scoop up the ball and sear down the touchline to go over in the corner and make it 0-5. The conversion attempt provided too challenging for the stand in kicker. This was followed by a further unconverted try to make the score 0-10.

Tim Hughes item got Chinnor back in the match with a bewitching run around half the opposition. Ollie Heath made no mistake with the ensuing conversion.  

The half time whistle went with Matson ahead, 7-10.  

Into the second period, Jamie Powell showed his prowess in the loose. Indeed, it was his scavenging, which led to Chinnor were awarded a scrum out right, which they won. The backs made light work of getting the ball quickly down the line for Brendan Davis to accept the invitation to score. Ollie Heath could not find the accuracy to part the uprights for the maximum. Lady Luck then shone on Matson once more, when they made the most of a Knock-on, which went undetected fifteen metres out, to go over under the posts, whilst the majority of Chinnor team stood paralyzed.

Chinnor’s response was concerted; They pinned Matson in the last quarter of the pitch for a substantial period and Matson defended like lions as Chinnor battered their line. Eventually, from one of the many penalties conceded by Matson, Prop Will Batting crashed over in the corner to make it 17-15 with a few minutes to go. The game was to take another twist, when Matson were awarded a penalty, which they nailed to run out victors 17-18.

The result was an unfair reflection of play.

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Redingensians Under 16 (5) vs. Chinnor Under 16 (36)
Sunday 14th December 2003

This was the inaugural 15-a-side game between these two teams. The setting was a good surface, sun and a breeze, which favoured Redingensians during the first half. Redingensians were strong out the blocks and registered the first try, which was not converted for a 5-0 lead. The lead was maintained for some time until Chinnor kicked ahead behind the cover. The player, who fielded the kick, spilled his catch and the electric Tim Hughes was alert to gather the ball and gas it to the line. Ollie Heath slotted the conversion from straight in front, to make it 7-5. The score remained the same until the referee signalled the break. 

Chinnor kicked off the second half and never looked back in this physical and keenly fought encounter. First, Joe Waldron powered his way through the defensive line to touch the ball down by the posts. 12-5. Ollie Heath shaved the wrong side of the posts. 

As Chinnor pressed forward, centre Ben Hewitt was the victim of a late tackle after kicking ahead. The penalty was taken from ten metres out by the nearside touchline.

The kick was taken quickly and the ball shipped wide at speed for winger Marcus Hare to over come a high tackle and dive over in the corner. Despite the benefit of the breeze, the angle and distance proved too demanding for Ollie Heath and it stayed 17-5. 

Chinnor now had their tails up. Tim Hughes burst down the right wing and the ball was recycled and popped up for Jimmy Powell to take the ball on the move and cover the last ten metres to the line. 22-5.It was a surprise that Ollie Heath got so close to making the conversion.  

Redingensians responded valiantly and sought to assert themselves. As both sides packed down to scrummage, Chinnor found another gear. Mark Rumble came away with the ball on a mission to the try line. En route, he repelled a number of aggressive attempts to arrest his progress, before touching down under the posts. Prop Will Batting took advantage of the easy opportunity to kick his first ever points for Chinnor and put them 29-5 up. 

Sufficient time remained for Tim Hughes to weave his way through Redingensians from his own half, before benevolently passing the ball to Brendan Davis five metres out, He caught the ball and took the glory for Ollie Heath to convert and make it 36-5. A great result to a competitive and thrilling encounter, in which every Chinnor player played a telling part.

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Chinnor Under 16 (55) vs. Bracknell Under 16 (7)
Sunday 11th January 2004

Chinnor won the toss in what was the inaugural meeting of these two sides. They chose to receive against the wind and into the sun. However, the prevailing weather had no obvious influence on the outcome, as Chinnor played some superb rugby to impose them selves from the first whistle.

The first points were scored by Brendan Davis, who crowned a sweeping move with some aggressive finishing for Ollie Heath to ensure maximum gain with a conversion straight in front. A short while later, it was more of the same, as Brendan Davis beat three defenders to barge his way over. This time Ollie Heath could not rise to the challenge and it stayed 12-0. Davis was also on hand to score his hat-trick try after Tim Hughes had made the hard yards and popped the ball up for him to fall over the line. Ollie Heath just failed to achieve the impossible, when his conversion attempt drifted narrowly wide from the touchline. 17-0. 

Chinnor continued to make the running and after they had been awarded a five-metre scrum, Jamie Powell dived over into the corner to take the score to 22-0 and present Ollie Heath with another impossible task. The next score was the best team score of the match and it went to Chinnor, courtesy of some fantastic support running by Marcus Hare on the shoulder of the mercurial Tim Hughes.  The ball was touched down under the posts and Ollie heath made no mistake to take Chinnor out to 29-0. 

At 29-0, Bracknell got over under the Chinnor posts following a kick ahead, some undignified handling and bad decision making by Chinnor. It was 29-7 and halftime. 

Chinnor rang the changes and one of their introductions; Mark Rumble produced the first points of the second half with a superb individual try. He caught Ollie Heath’s kick off and raced through all before him to touch down under the posts and give Ollie Heath a belated Christmas present. 34-7. 

The transition from team to individual performances was perpetuated by Tim Hughes, who intercepted a pass on his own ten metre line and accelerated away up the middle to nonchalantly touch the ball down under the posts. A grateful Ollie Heath accepted the spoils and stroked home the conversion. Mark Rumble then found himself beneath the posts after another solo run and Ollie Heath ensured that Chinnor broke the half-century. 50-7 

Towards the end, Bracknell pressurised the Chinnor line but great defence thwarted their ambition. Defence turned into repost, when a sweeping team move saw Ross Gehnich choose to take the tackle and put Marcus Hare in for his second of the game, rather than go himself.  The difficulty of the ensuing conversion kick gave Ollie Heath a gentle reminder that he is mortal. 

It finished 55-7 and to man Chinnor gave their all for each other.  New recruit, Ben Peddie showed excellent promise in his first game of rugby.

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Beaconsfield Under 16 (17) vs. Chinnor Under 16 (33)
Sunday 18th January 2004 

Chinnor began at full throttle and it was not long before they received the fruits of their labour, They won a maul in their own half and skipper Jimmy Powell burst away. Lock Ben Lee come on to his shoulder in support and took the ball up a further twenty metres. Lee then triggered his backs and when the ball reached Brendan Davis on the wing, he accelerated around under the posts. Ollie Heath bagged the extras. 

Chinnor continued to press and won a ruck five metres out from the Beaconsfield line. They sent the ball right and the Beacs cover did a sterling job of repelling the attack. Chinnor recycled the ball though and went back the other way. Another ruck formed and Ross Gehnich picked up the ball as it cleared the rearmost foot. He took route one smashing his way through the defenders, who valiantly attempted to stop him touching down beneath the posts. Ollie Heath gratefully accepted the extras. 0-14. 

Somehow with colossal effort Beaconsfield got themselves back into the game, when it did not appear that they would do. A soft free kick and a penalty for some loose chat assisted them by the referee, who at that stage of the game could have been doing better. Both resulted in attacks being launched from five metres. Beaconsfield did not require a second invitation to get over and made hay. The conversion attempts shaved the outside of the posts. Consequently, they turned around at 10-14 

Initially, Beaconsfield retained the ascendancy when the second half started. Chinnor though eased through the gears to get themselves back into the driving seat. The product of their endeavour came, when fly half Alec Campbell sliced a kick out wide. Twenty metres from the Beaconsfield line, Ross Gehnich, who had taken the Captain’s armband from the injured Jimmy Powell, seized the ball. He broke the defensive line and ran through two tackles before diving to touch down directly under the posts for his second score of the match. Ollie Heath capitalised on the consideration shown by Gehnich to make it 10-21. 

Beaconsfield responded with pressure. As they pressed hard, Ben Hewitt kicked deep over their backs. Marcus Hare gathered the ball and broke away to bee caught by an excellent covering tackle one metre short. Sensing a bargain, flanker Ben Sanders got up to snaffle the release and dive over into the corner. Ollie Heath was unable to pass his first real kicking test of the afternoon and it was 10-26. 

Beaconsfield came straight back and their centre scored an excellent solo try under the posts to make it 17-26 with the conversion. 

Chinnor upped the effort once more and obtained a five-metre scrum, from which flanker Dean McShea drove over. Ollie Heath did very well to make the conversion and there it ended 17-33, courtesy of another excellent team effort.

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