CHINNOR suffered defeat in their first game in more than a year, but it was a day to appreciate the return of senior rugby at Kingsey Road – albeit without our Chinnor Family.

It had been 14 months since we welcomed the RAF for the Lauren Cyster Megabowl Trophy and it was fantastic to see our sport being played once more.

There was a real sense of nervous excitement around Kingsey Road as we headed into what would have normally been regarded as a standard Saturday experience with unfamiliarity.

The long wait had come to an end, but under adapted laws in compliance with Stage D2 of the RFU’s Return to Community Rugby Roadmap, it was always going to be a bit different.

No scrums, no mauls, many predicted a faster, free-flowing contest over three periods of 20 minutes. The truth is the one constant in all of this – the Chinnor wind – prevented that. You also have to acknowledge that both sides only had five weeks’ worth of training in them.

Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe named a 32-man squad for the behind-closed-doors fixture and it was fantastic to see so many homegrown players involved, with 11 either coming through our youth section or previously playing for our amateur sides.

Many were experiencing their first taste of rugby at this level and it proved to be an attritional and physical contest.

Esher enjoyed more possession and territory from the off, with only an early injury to their starting full-back stopping them in their tracks after five minutes.

Thankfully he was ok and they continued to move the ball well when play restarted, scoring two tries in the space of a couple of minutes to go 12-0 up.

Oscar Heath made a fine try-saving tackle in the build-up to the second score, but Esher had enough men in space over on the right to take advantage of a fine break in the middle of the field from the restart.

Chinnor grew into the game with Nick Smith and Jacob Ham combining well down the left only for a knock-on to thwart their progress as the first period ended 12-0.

Esher threatened to extend their lead, but Kieran Goss made a superb tackle to put the winger into touch and prevent a certain try.

The full-back was then instrumental in launching Chinnor’s best try-scoring opportunity. Breaking from half-way, he jinked past five tacklers and fed Joe Pigott, but the scrum-half was tackled before he could get going.

As the match entered the third period, there was not a lot to choose between the sides and we pushed to open our account for the afternoon.

A great break from one of our trialists down the left led to Esher defending for their lives on their own five-metre line. Smith, Andy Berry and Max Brewer looked to find their way through, but the ball was eventually ripped and cleared.

Both sets of players looked tired and the game had started to become ragged with errors a plenty across the board.

Esher, however, ended the game on top and three converted tries put them out of sight.

It wasn’t a day to be looking at the result, but to appreciate the opportunity to play this sport again. Many were experiencing their first taste of rugby at this level and they will be better for it.

Chinnor: Goss, Scott, Snowden, Titchener, Heath, N Smith, Ham, Tonga’uiha, Fleckney, Lomas, Iancu, Gilbert, Wilkinson, Cornish, Whitehurst.

Reps: Trialist, Austin, Lavin, Alexander, Inman, Hope, Brewer, Berry, Pigott, Brady, Trialist, Ford, Trialist, Trialist, Wilson, Trialist, Davies.