CHINNOR were unable to recreate their April heroics as Rams claimed a deserved victory in the latest Friday Night Lights derby at Kingsey Road.

In light of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II’s sad passing on Thursday, it was an opportunity for people to come together to honour and celebrate our beloved former Monarch, with more than 800 people in attendance.

However glum our Chinnor Family felt at full-time, this fixture again did not disappoint as it proved to be yet another ding-dong battle, featuring ten tries and 76 points.

In truth, we were not at our best, but dug in throughout and there was still hope of a dramatic final ten minutes when Tom Price converted Dean Hammond’s try to bring us to within nine points.

But Rams controlled the latter stages superbly and their seventh and final try made sure they were not on the end of the same heartbreak they experienced seven months previously.

Following the passing of Her Majesty, both clubs waited for Government and RFU guidance before deciding whether the game would be able to take place.

With the message being that rugby activity could continue while respectfully paying tribute to Her Majesty, both sides were happy for the match to go ahead.

In their statement, the RFU said it was “an opportunity for teams from different areas to join together in honouring and celebrating her life”, and we hope we were able to achieve that.

A two-minute silence was held before the match and a portrait of Her Majesty printed on the front cover of the programme. The match itself delivered, with the third instalment of Friday Night Lights at Kingsey Road providing another example of the quality of third tier rugby in England.

Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe made three changes from the side which was beaten narrowly at Darlington Mowden Park last Saturday. Lock Pietro Turrisi, fly-half Price and centre Lewis Jones were all handed their first starts.

For the opening ten minutes, we were the better team, dictating the tempo and controlling proceedings, with two penalties from Price – who was flawless from the tee all night – putting us into a 6-0 lead.

There was a long way to go, however, and Rams were to score the first try of the game on 15 minutes. It was arguably against the run of play, but we all know how strong the Berkshire side’s set-piece is and a lineout led to pressure on our try-line, which resulted in loosehead prop Ant Marris burrowing over. Fly-half Alex Seers added the extras to give the visitors a 7-6 lead.

The boys didn’t let that affect them and we retook the lead five minutes later through Price’s third penalty, however by now Rams seemed to be getting on top of the game without seeing too much of the ball.

What we saw was three tries from their next three visits to our 22, with their powerful driving maul the source. James McRae crashed over twice in the space of six minutes – Seers converting the openside flanker’s second try – as Rams led 19-9 after 31 minutes.

Chinnor dug in as the visitors were finishing the half strongly and we found ourselves temporarily down to 14 men when lock James Down was sent to the sin-bin. They made the extra man count and again the maul proved effective. We looked to be steering the Rams pack into touch, but they somehow spun their way out of trouble and tighthead prop James Baker finished well to the delight of the opposition bench. Seers’ conversion attempt slipped wide of the right-hand post, but their lead was now 24-9.

However, there was still time in this half for us to cut the deficit heading into the break. After Rams were penalised on the floor soon after the restart, Price sent a penalty into the corner and it was an opportunity for us to show we also have a strong set-piece.

We opted to pick and go off the maul and our pressure took its toll, with the visitors again penalised and lock Connor Stapley yellow carded. Again, we went to the corner and this time the driving lineout was unstoppable with hooker Mark Darlington crashing over to bring back memories of his last-gasp try in this fixture back in April. Price stepped up to slot the conversion as moved to within eight points at the break.

The stage was set for a belter of a second half and both sides certainly delivered, however Rams – with the four-try bonus point already secured in the opening 40 minutes – in hindsight already had maybe just enough of a points cushion.

That lead was again extended three minutes into the half. Chinnor stopped their maul in its tracks, but scrum-half Ollie Cole popped the ball out to the blindside where right wing Jak Rossiter was arriving at a rate of knots and he just could not be stopped from making his way over the whitewash.

Again, the try went unconverted, so the lead was only 13 points and there was a feeling that just maybe the misses from the tee could prove costly as the game wore on.

Three points from the boot of Seers extended Rams’ advantage to 32-16 as the task just became even more difficult, but the boys responded well.

Although our set-piece was not quite at the level it had been during pre-season and last week at Darlington Mowden Park, a driving lineout on 49 minutes could not be stopped. The lineout ball was secured and the maul began motoring, and with the home crowd roaring the boys on, hooker Reece Marshall – who had been introduced at half-time – crashed over to mark his birthday with his first league try for the Club. The noise around the ground was incredible and when Price superbly converted out wide, it felt like a moment.

We had now closed the gap to nine points and this was again proving to be another absolute thriller between these two sides – as promised, this fixture just doesn’t disappoint when it comes to delivering a great advert for National 1 rugby.

However, a big moment arrived on 58 minutes and it did not go Chinnor’s way. Off the back of Marshall’s try, we had looked to build further momentum and a lineout in the Rams half could provide the platform for our next attack. However, as we looked to play through the backs, the visitors intercepted a pass and Rossiter was fed just over half-way and there was no catching the winger as he raced over and under the sticks. Seers slotted the conversion as we now found ourselves 39-23 behind.

But it’s the hope that gets you and once again we responded. We put on the pressure and it was rewarded with a fine try scored by Dean Hammond. Rams had repelled an attack just a few moments earlier, but this time our big ball carriers and pick and goes had sucked them in, and scrum-half Luke Carter threw a long pass out to the left wing for Hammond to dive over. Again, Kingsey Road erupted as Price was once more accurate from the tee.

Nine points in it with 12 minutes to go … it was still possible.

However, what we witnessed from Rams was a fine example of how to see out a match.

Pinned deep in our half, three successive scrums five metres out had pretty much put the contest to bed, before hooker Max Hayman found his way over – Seers converting – in the last play to make it 46-30.

A disappointing result and one which does hurt, but the boys gave it everything and we hope everyone in attendance enjoyed the opportunity to come together in honouring and celebrating Her Majesty.

Next up for our Men’s First XV is a trip into London next Friday to take on Rosslyn Park.

Chinnor: Smith, Goss, Worrall, Jones, Hammond, Price, Carter, Lines, Darlington, McNulty, Down, Turrisi, North, Heathman, Ryan.
Reps: Marshall, Harewood, Manning, Walsh, Blakemore.

Rams: Bird, Rossiter, Jones, Humberstone, Kalling-Smith, Seers, Cole; Marris, Hayman, Baker, C Stapley, Swain, Collis, McRae, R Stapley.
Reps: S Hayhow, Englezos, McDonnell-Roberts, C Hayhow, Monye.