CHINNOR were unable to finish their season with a notable victory on the road as Sale secured a comfortable bonus-point win.

The hosts ran riot on a barmy day at Heywood Road as our errors were punished in a National League 1 contest which provided 11 tries.

It all started off so well when Oscar Heath’s score put us into a fifth-minute lead, however Sale, with the shackles well and truly off after missing out on promotion, were dangerous all afternoon.

Our seventh-place finish was already confirmed before the fixture, but the defeat was obviously not the way we wanted to end the season. Nevertheless, the players gave everything on a tough day and should be heartened by the last two months of the season, which included a four-match winning run at home.

Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe made three changes to the team which started last Friday’s derby victory over Rams. Scrum-half Greg Goodfellow, wing Heath and flanker Alfie North came into the side. Wing Seb Scott and lock Dan Thomas also returned to the matchday squad, and both went on to gain more valuable First XV minutes.

There’s something about the final day of the season, the weather’s often glorious, the music’s cranked up that extra notch and everyone’s just in a relaxed party mood – ok, the latter is only when there’s nothing riding on the result.

Our dedicated away supporters were joined by our Under 14s who were on tour in the area and had beaten Chester 19-17 in the morning. They certainly made their voices heard, as did most of the Senior Squad as, of course, they were off in to Manchester later that evening for their end-of-season social.

There was also a famous face in attendance as England and Sale Sharks star Manu Tuilagi came to support his nephew and our No 8 Fred.

Sale’s tactic to kick in behind was evident from the very early exchanges and it would prove to be effective, but it was Chinnor who opened the scoring on five minutes.

The hosts were penalised at a scrum and then at a breakdown as Tuilagi barged forward off a quick-tap. Nick Smith kicked us down into the 22 for the first time in the match and we made our territory count. We mauled forward off the lineout and then attacked on the blind, where Heath chased down a delicate grubber from Jack Walsh to dot down for an unconverted try.

A great start and any fears from the home supporters that Sale may have been a little flat following last week’s defeat at Caldy were most likely heightened.

However, they were soon to be proved wrong.

A few minutes later and Sale replied when a fine set-piece move led to wing Tom Walsh shooting through a gap on the 22 and surging towards the try-line. Centre James Robins added the extras as they now led 7-5 after eight minutes.

It was already evident that the home side meant business and they scored their second try of the afternoon on 13 minutes. No 8 Stone Priestley-Nangle was stopped just short, but there was nothing we could do to prevent prop Ben Carlile from crashing over. Robins again converted as the scoreline read 14-5.

After a frantic start the contest became a little stop-start in the middle third of the pitch, but we went on to score a lovely second try on 22 minutes. Ben Manning brilliantly stole the ball on half-way and we launched a swift attack across the pitch. Lovely hands released Sam Yawayawa who created a two-on-one on the left. Heath was fed and he drew the tackler, sending Smith racing over from 30m or so. The full-back’s attempted conversion came back off the crossbar, but we now only trailed by four points.

Already this fixture was starting to look very similar to our defeat at Bishop’s Stortford a couple of weeks previously. Sale were not as prolific, but they were playing with so much freedom and it was difficult to stop.

Roared on by an excitable crowd, the home side went on to secure the four-try bonus-point before the break. A couple offloads released full-back Tom Brady into space and he set up Matt Bradley with the scrum-half beating the last man to dot down. Hooker Josh Brown then drove over from close range on the brink of the interval as Sale now led 26-10.

There was only 16 points in it and still plenty of time to turn things around, however three tries in the opening nine minutes of the half saw the hosts wrap up the contest and go 43-10 up.

A sliced kick in our own half was claimed by a Sale player and we were punished, with Walsh storming over for his second of the day. A driving lineout then resulted in Andrew Hughes finding his way across, before Jack Moorhouse finished off a fine move which started with a break from his own half by replacement prop Cal Ford.

The players showed great spirit to respond with a try of our own, with Jack Walsh sneaking through a gap as pick and goes did the damage. Smith quickly drop-kicked the conversion as we went in search of a four-try bonus-point.

However, the contest was beginning to peter out and if any team looked likely to add to their tally, it was Sale.

A combination of Manning and Scott stopped Brady, who looked certain to score, but they were not to be denied an eighth try. On 71 minutes, fly-half Mark Dixon spotted space in behind and kicked down the right wing, inviting Walsh to race on to the ball and dive over for his hat-trick.

The players continued to battle until the end, but it just wasn’t our day and Sale were good value for their five points.

It was a disappointing way to end the season, but we can take plenty of positives out of this campaign and it is worth celebrating the fact that all of the fixtures were completed despite the issues Covid has continued to cause.

We would like to thank our players, coaches and backroom team, as well as our sponsors, members, supporters and volunteers, without whom this would not all be possible.

Take care and rest up over the summer, and we’ll be back into another rugby season before we know it.

Sale: Brady, Edwards, Mulchrone, Robins, Walsh, Dixon, Bradley, Carlile, Longmore, Harper, Tahraoui, Gray, Tebbatt, Hughes, Priestley-Nangle.
Reps: Ford, Brown, Onasanya, Moorhouse, Leake.

Chinnor: N Smith, Worrall, Yawayawa, Grose, Heath, Walsh, Goodfellow, Lines, Darlington, Harewood, Glynn, Brockschmidt, North, Manning, Tuilagi.
Reps: Tonga’uiha, Heathman, Thomas, Carter, Scott.

Picture: Dr Gareth Lyons