Sale 22, Chinnor 19

CHINNOR suffered their first away defeat since October as they were edged out by Sale in a bruising fixture.

Nick Selway’s 18th try of the season hauled the Oxfordshire side to within three points with ten minutes remaining on a soft and muddy pitch.

Chinnor were bidding to make it eight games unbeaten on the road, but they were unable to make their late pressure count.

The visitors, who lost Josh McNulty, Jack Ramshaw and Ofisa Treviranus to injury, went in search of a match-winning and bonus-point score, but could not add another late try to their collection.

The defeat leaves the side third in National League 1, but now five points behind second-placed Rosslyn Park, who beat leaders Richmond on Friday night.

Chinnor headed into the fixture knowing they needed a bonus-point victory to remain in touch with the top two.

Director of rugby Matt Williams made seven changes from the side which beat Park a week earlier.

Camilo Parilli-Ocampo, McNulty, Ehize Ehizode and Treviranus came into the pack, with Josh Hodson and Kieran Goss starting on the left wing and at full-back respectively.

There was also a positional change as Chris Elder switched to 12, while there was an alteration to the advertised XV as James Tyas kept his place at blindside flanker after Joe Dancer was ruled out earlier in the day with a neck injury.

Chinnor headed into the fixture on a six-match winning run in the third tier of English rugby but Sale are a tough side to beat at home, emphasised by six wins from their last seven games at Heywood Road.

In stark contrast to previous weeks, there were no hurricane winds or torrential rain to deal with, but the pitch had suffered in the recent weather with the centre of the field extremely soft under foot.

The surface cut up within a matter of minutes, in which time Chinnor also found themselves behind on the scoreboard.

Tom Brady charged through a gap down the left, exchanged passes with Jack Moorhouse, and sent Matthew Bradley diving over. Chris Johnson added the extras to make it 7-0 after just two minutes.

Sale controlled the opening quarter of an hour, showing the expansive game they displayed at Kingsey Road back in November when they scored all of their points in the second half during Chinnor’s 37-31 triumph.

Chinnor’s defence needed to be at its best to prevent the hosts from doubling their lead, but they received a blow on 12 minutes when McNulty hurt his lower back in a scrum. The tighthead prop was unable to move and was stretchered off, but he was thankfully able to travel back to Thame with the rest of the squad.

Another brilliant defensive effort was needed when play restarted and a penalty allowed Laurence May to clear as the visitors made a rare foray over half-way after 17 minutes.

Chinnor went on to control the remainder of the first period and levelled after 22 minutes. They nearly lost possession when Brady came close to stealing a loose ball, but Jason Worrall picked up and drove through a gap, only to be stopped two metres out.

They made the pressure count as Elder fed Tyas to charge over from close range, May converting, to make it 7-7.

It was a great response following a testing start to the game and Sale were reduced to 14 men on 29 minutes when Johnson was sin-binned.

Chinnor were unable to make the extra man count, but they did cross again on the stroke of half-time as Selway went over from a driving lineout, May brilliantly converting from the touchline, to make it 14-7.

Following a battle for territory at the start of the second period, Sale enjoyed another purple patch.

Playing quickly through hands, the hosts were again causing problems with their expansive game and Brady was unable to collect Patrick Ah Van’s offload when space had opened up out wide.

Goss was then needed to make a crucial tackle to stop Juan Rivas after the hooker burst through a gap, but the ball was moved to the left where Ah Van crossed in the corner on 50 minutes. Johnson’s conversion attempt sailed wide as Chinnor still led 14-12.

The visitors looked to respond immediately, but they conceded again five minutes later.

Worrall broke the gain line on the right after good work from Goss and Ehize Ehizode, but the ball was turned over in the centre of the pitch and Jeremy To'a went racing through a big gap and sent Johnson over under the sticks. The fly-half added the extras to make it 19-14.

Chinnor then lost Ramshaw and Treviranus to injury, while a Johnson penalty extended Sale’s lead to eight points with 16 minutes to go.

The visitors needed to find another gear and a Worrall break helped them up the pitch, before Sale were forced to clear on their own five-metre line following a May kick which had sent the hosts retreating.

Chinnor continued to apply pressure and their third try arrived via a familiar route. More great work from Worrall and Ehizode had forced Sale back and Rivas was sent to the sin-bin.

May kicked to the corner and the visitors drove over from the resultant line-out, Selway again the player to profit. May’s attempted conversion then hit the right post as they trailed 22-19 with ten minutes to go.

Chinnor had their tails up and piled on the pressure, but they were unable to make the most of three line-outs with a pack which had become lighter since the enforced changes as Sale were awarded a penalty at the first, before they turned over possession at the second.

However, the opportunities kept coming for the Oxfordshire side and they played out from the third lineout, moving the ball from left to right, going through the phases.

Sale were defending well, but Chinnor’s patient play nearly paid off in the last play as Hodson looked to have broken through only to lose the ball forward as the hosts were left celebrating at the full-time whistle.

Sale: Brady, Moorhouse, Mulchrone, To'a, Ah Van, Johnson, Bradley, Birchall, Pope, Talaese, Davies, Gray, Parkinson, Hughes, Williams.
Replacements: Matthews, J Rivas, Priestley-Nangle, Rawcliffe, A Rivas.

Chinnor: Goss, Worrall, Yawayawa, Elder, Hodson, May, Hoadley, Parilli-Ocampo, Selway, McNulty, Ramshaw, Ehizode, Dancer, Kirwan, Treviranus.
Replacements: Southworth, Fidler, Ryan, Manning, Watson.