Chinnor U17's 51 vs. Uxbridge U17's 5
Sunday 5th December 2004
This was the
inaugural contest between these two sides and the score did not
accurately reflect the commitment and skill level of a large athletic
Uxbridge team, which competed hard and relentlessly, ultimately, without
due reward.
Chinnor without
powerhouse Ross Gehnich, the determined Marcus Hare and the artistic Ben
Hewitt, had to field players in new and unusual positions. Perhaps most
notable though, was new winger Lawrence (Barry) Quayle, was playing his
first game of rugby since he was thirteen years of age.
Chinnor were
revved up from the kick off and took the lead early on, when Matt
Grellier picked up off a ruck and drove through the cover for the
opening try. Ollie Heath came close, but did not secure the maximum from
the attempted conversion. Mark Rumble scored the second try of the game
after he was fed the ball out wide some twenty-five metres out. His
bulldozing run took him over in the corner. The angle and distance
thwarted Ollie Heath from making the conversion. 10 – 0.
A beautiful
sweeping move then saw the ball delivered into the hands of winger
Brendan Davis, who streaked down the touch line and into the corner to
register a try. He also presented Ollie Heath with a near impossible
conversion attempt. No surprise then that it remained 15 – 0.
The Chinnor
forwards then gave an impressive demonstration of the driving maul,
making in excess of 30 metres before extricating the ball to centre Dan
Hughes-Morgan. He broke two tackles before presenting Mark Rumble with
an opportunity to take the ball under the posts and give Ollie Heath his
first regulation conversion attempt. He successfully undertook the deed
and it was 22 – 0. Shortly before half time, Brendan Davis broke down
the wing and released Mark Rumble, who ultimately was able to stretch
and put the ball down over the try line for 27 – 0. Ollie Heath could
not produce the necessary miracle required to bisect the posts from way
out on the touch-line.
Uxbridge started
the brightest in the second half and Chinnor dug deep to repress them.
Eventually though, Chinnor broke out and away with yet another sweeping
move, which resulted in Brendon Davis speeding around the cover and
under the posts for Ollie Heath to make it 32 – 0.
After some two-ing
and fro-ing, Chinnor were awarded a scrum 5 metres from the Uxbridge
line. Matt Grellier hooked the ball back and scrum half Ollie Heath
picked the ball up and zipped around the scrum before driving through a
tackler to get the ball down in the corner. It was 37 – 0 and while
Heath was pleased with his try, he cannot have been thrilled with the
prospect of bisecting the uprights from 6 inches inside the touch-line.
Needless to say, the score remained 37 – 0.
Uxbridge rallied
and upped the anti. Their dynamism resulted in them being awarded a
penalty 5 metres from the Chinnor line. A quick tap and flurry of bodies
saw the ball touched down over the Chinnor line. The ensuing conversion
attempt drifted wide and it was 37 – 5.
Uxbridge
continued to press and dominated for a period without having any points
to show for their efforts. Suddenly Chinnor broke the shackles and made
ground down the right. The ball reached centre Dan Hughes-Morgan who
gave a show and go before accelerating through a gap and around under
the posts to set-up a seven pointer which gave Chinnor a 44 – 5 lead.
The final points
of the game went to Chinnor, courtesy of a powerful run up the middle by
Mark Rumble, which was converted by Ollie Heath to tie up the match 51 –
5.
Both teams can be
complemented on producing a attractive physical encounter, which
thrilled the spectators as well as the players. Well done everyone,
especially the referee.
