CHINNOR produced one of their best displays in their four-and-a-half year National 1 history to blow away high-flying Rosslyn Park and begin the Nick Easter era with a thumping home win.

The hosts were sensational across the entire field, with a dogged defensive display providing the platform for some scintillating attacking rugby.

Director of Rugby, Easter said in an interview with NCA Rugby before Christmas that his big message to the players would be “whatever is happening on the scoreboard, keep buying into what we are trying to do because eventually it will turn around for you.”

Well, the boys bought into that, not letting a 12-0 deficit after just eight minutes get into their heads, and producing an outstanding performance which heralded 48 unanswered points thereafter.

Friday Night Lights is always special, but this one will live long in the memory. The mood at Kingsey Road turned from quiet as we trailed, to shocked as we drew level and led at the break, to pure and utter elation as we raced away in the second half.

Four of our seven tries came off the back of unstoppable driving mauls, with Max Clementson marking his final Chinnor appearance with two scores, while hookers Mark Darlington and Finn Theobald-Thomas also found their way over. There was plenty of class on show from the backs as well, and the tries from Luke Carter, Will Feeney and Kieran Goss will be well worth a watch on Monday. It was also a fine day from the tee for full-back Nick Smith, who laughed in the face of a strong wind which blew down the pitch towards the Showground, to slot 13 points.

Due to the freezing temperatures at the end of 2022, it had been five weeks since our First XV’s last match and we had yet to carry out a proper rugby training session with Easter as DoR until this Tuesday.

The team had a familiar feel to it, but the boys showed that even if their pitch time had been restricted since December 3, they had spent those icy training nights wisely. Clementson made his final appearance for the Club before heading down under to play in Australia, while young Gloucester hooker Theobald-Thomas was in line for his debut off the bench.

There was an excited energy around Kingsey Road in the build-up to the match, but third-placed Park – with the wind at their backs - soon silenced the home crowd with two tries in the opening eight minutes.

The first came off a lineout just inside our half next to the dugouts, as they played quickly across the pitch and created a two-on-one with full-back Henry Robinson feeding wing Charlie Walker for the opening try of the evening.

The visitors nearly scored again off the restart as the ball bounced kindly for Walker and he raced through the centre of the pitch and had it not been for a crucial tackle from fly-half Feeney, he would have been through and under the sticks.

We needed to find our way into the match, but it was soon 12-0. We created a promising opening out wide just inside our half, but a handling error was duly punished as wing Benji Marfo skipped inside and sped into a gap to score under the posts. Former Chinnor man Craig Holland added the extras and, in all honesty, it looked like it was going to be a long tough night.

However, that message from Easter about the scoreboard was obviously present in our players’ minds and after all, there was still 72 minutes left to play. The boys immediately showed a great response, with fine hands and carries pushing Park back before Dean Hammond made a blistering break down his left wing. We eventually knocked as we carried through the centre, but advantage had been played and that allowed Feeney to kick to the corner.

A try here would be ideal and there was nothing Park could do to stop the resulting driving maul as flanker Clementson crashed over out wide. It was a tough old night for kicking and Smith’s conversion attempt was blown off course, but we were off the mark.

We were now growing in confidence all over the pitch. Loosehead Keston Lines and Curry carried well on half-way, and without the ball we were exemplary – a trend which continued for the rest of the match – as we dominated a scrum against the head before defending the width of the pitch superbly. There was just no room for Park who were now struggling to get out of their half.

On 22 minutes, Darlington took a heavy hit under the ribs which knocked the wind out of him and led to the early introduction of Theobald-Thomas. That didn’t unsettle us at all, and lovely hands through the backs released Goss down his wing where a high tackle presented Feeney with another opportunity to kick to the corner – and he nailed it.

As did our pack at the set-piece, with Park again having no answer to a powerful driving maul which saw Clementson go over for his second of the evening. Smith this time superbly defied the conditions to slot the extras and we were now level at 12-all after 24 minutes.

We were in the ascendancy and didn’t let up. Even a knock on at a maul and a scrum penalty didn’t deter us as the resulting lineout provided the platform for our third try. We played quickly off the top and our backs got moving from about 45 metres out. Smith cut through the Park defence and created a three-on-one, looking right to the supporting Luke Carter and the scrum-half found his way over to the delight of the bumper home crowd. Smith again slotted the conversion as we now led 19-12 after 34 minutes.

The visitors looked for a reply at the end of the half, but we stood firm, repelling two mauls deep in our territory, before we stood firm in open play as Park’s backs attempted to dance their way through middle and then went wide – there was just no room.

A seven-point lead at half-time and Kingsey Road was buzzing. There was still a big second period to come and the boys produced an either better 40 minutes.

We made one change at the break with Bradley Harewood replacing Lines and the homegrown prop joined what was a phenomenal performance from 1-20. It was an evening where every player stepped up and produced in attack and defence.

Seven minutes into the half and we secured the four-try bonus-point. Man-of-the-match Feeney sent a booming kick down the centre of the pitch which was gathered by Robinson. The full-back then attempted to run it out down the left, but he didn’t get far, the ball was stolen and we punished our visitors. Out of nowhere Feeney stepped on the gas and charged through from the 22 to score under the posts – Smith converting – to make it 26-12.

Off the pitch, we were beginning to dream. On it, the players remained focused and hungry, evident in the meaty shot put in by Theobald-Thomas in the centre of the field which led to a knock on and a kickable penalty. Smith stepped up to slot the ball through the sticks and extended our advantage to 17 points.

Park looked shell-shocked, but there was still 29 minutes left of this contest and we were not finished. Darlington had got his breath back and three minutes after coming back on, he was on the scoresheet. Again, a driving maul rumbled forward and the experienced hooker plunged over for his third try of the season. It went unconverted, but by now we led by 22 points and the match was, in all honesty, done and dusted.

There really was only one team in this contest now and even when the visitors did have the ball they were not allowed to get out of their half, with our forwards continuously producing a gritty defensive shift which offered the platform to add to our tally.

Feeney’s mighty left boot was also continuing to pin Park back, but we would have to wait until the final few minutes to add to our total.

Theobald-Thomas came back on and, just like Darlo a little earlier, immediately scored as for the fourth time in the match our driving lineout was undefendable. Smith continued his fine day from the tee to slot the extras and make it 41-12.

Just when we thought that was it, there was still time for one more try and for Goss to stretch his legs. It was a carbon copy really of his score at Hull in December, with scrum-half Jack Walsh popping him the ball and he raced down his right wing, roared on by the Chinnor faithful, beating the last man to dive over for another sensational score from 60-plus metres. Smith converted in front of the posts and moments later the final whistle sounded.

Wow. That will be an evening we will all remember for a very long time and we have now incredibly put 103 points on Park in their last two visits to Thame.

Five weeks may have separated them, but that’s now back-to-back wins for the first time this season and while we will all very much enjoy this victory, we know that we now must back it up. Next stop … Birmingham Moseley away.

Chinnor: Smith, Goss, Worrall, Hughes, Hammond, Feeney, Carter; Lines, Darlington, McNulty, Curry, Brockschmidt, North, Clementson, Ryan.
Reps: Theobald-Thomas, Harewood, Down, Heathman, Walsh.

Rosslyn Park: Robinson, Walker, Glover, Gordon, Marfo, Holland, Baldwin; Garvey, Piper, Hay, Spencer, Gillanders, Ledger, Ellis, Bolwell.
Reps: Harding, Buckingham, Martin, Gash, Smith.