Chinnor started their 11-12 campaign in Wiltshire with a bonus point win when they overcame Chippenham 50-15 with Pip Seymour scoring 4 tries.
With both Sam Stoop and Pip Seymour finally fit after long lay offs and Liam Gilbert back with the club, Chinnor put out a strong team. However, the match did not start well for the visitors. After just 4 minutes, Chippenham attacked the blind side from a midfield scrum and flanker Robert Lyons scooted over for an unconverted try. Despite two long range penalties from James Cathcart, which gave them a 5-6 lead, Chinnor struggled to impose themselves on the match. Chinnor thought that they had scored their first try when Seymour touched down a delightful grubber kick from Hopwood. The referee, Brian Barclay, however penalised Seymour for pushing.
On the 16th minute, Chippenham took the lead with a penalty from Hopkins but this was cancelled out by a Chinnor penalty from Cathcart to give Chinnor a 9-8 lead. Straight from the restart, Pickett artistically recovered the ball to set the backs going at full speed leading to a Seymour try in the corner and a 14-8 lead. Just 2 minutes later Seymour scored again, benefitting from incisive back play straight from a scrum. With Cathcart’s conversion, Chinnor lead 21-8. Just before halftime, from a shortened lineout and a feed from Gilbert, Stoop glided through midfield untouched to score under the posts. Cathcart’s conversion saw Chinnor go in 28-8 ahead at the interval.
The second half started with Chippenham showing greater resolution in defence. Hopwood left the field to be replaced by Frank Jones, formerly of Oxford Harlequins. It wasn’t until the 53rd minute when Chinnor scored again. And what a spectacular score! Chippenham set up a driving maul and got within 12 metres of the Chinnor line when the ball was ripped away by Chinnor. Two short passes saw Chase at full back hit the afterburners and leave a spectral tail as he dotted down under the posts from 80 metres. Cathcart’s conversion gave Chinnor a 35-8 lead.
Just 2 minutes later, Chinnor forced turnover ball in the midfield. Skipper Winpenny fizzed the ball to Stoop who sucked in the defence for Farr to rocket to the line. Chippenham then took the play to Chinnor. A series of rucks near the Chinnor line eventually caused Chinnor to run out of defenders to allow Chippenham no 8 Fraser Clifford a gentle jog over for Chippenham’s second try on the 72nd minute. Taylor’s conversion reduced the deficit to 40-15.
In the 76th minute, Chinnor attacked in the Chippenham corner. Replacement prop Whelan then stepped into the scrum half role at a ruck and sent the perfect pass to release the Chinnor backs resulting in a Seymour try, for his hatrick, in the opposite corner. Two minutes later, Gilbert blasted a full 60 metres down the middle of the pitch. From the resultant ruck, Winpenny sent Seymour at full pace to line for the last scoring action of the match, Seymour’s fourth try and a 50-15 victory for Chinnor.
This was a match in which, despite the score, Chinnor did not quite hit top gear and looked a little rusty at times. The pace and running lines of their backs was at times spectacular and if all parts of the Chinnor machine click then they will be a team to be feared in this division.
Chippenham were a doughty side particularly in the forwards and will trouble a number of sides. They stuck well to their task and their well worked try in the 71st minute showed their obstinacy.
Scorers:
Chippenham: Lyons T; Clifford T; Taylor PG, C.
Chinnor: Seymour 4T; Stoop T; Farr T; Chase T; Cathcart 3PG, 3C.
Chinnor team: Chase, Farr, Goode, Stoop, Seymour, Cathcart, Hopwood (Jones 53), Winpenny (c), Tattersall, Pickett (Whelan 62), Jackman, Smith, Gilbert, Hastings, Mowbray (Devine 62)
Replacements: Whelan, Devine, Jones