Falcons
Matches
Sat 20 Feb 2016  ·  Division 2
Shelford
21
22
Chinnor Rugby Club
Falcons
Men of Thame secure victory at the death

Men of Thame secure victory at the death

Hywel Evans21 Feb 2016 - 17:47
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80th minute try wins it for Chinnor

A youthful Chinnor Second Team travelled to Shelford with 16 men, missing the inspirational figure of (de-facto) Mayor of Thame Ian Stock (happily returned to 1st team duty in the victorious expedition to Taunton) and with youngsters Ieuan Manwaring and Sam Hook drafted in for debuts at short notice (both delivering energetic contributions to the cause).

Chinnor had defeated Shelford 31-15 in the season's previous fixture at Kingsey Road in November and expected a tough challenge. The Men of Thame were buoyed by the return of the silky Joe Winterburn from injury - a key fixture in team's midfield this season - and Salva Palomares, making his debut for the Chinnor 2's after a couple of weeks out injured from the 1st team.

Shelford kicked off and applied the early pressure. The swirling wind made re-starts treacherous throughout but Chinnor defended well - the youthful vigour of the team reflected in good line speed and ferocious competition at the breakdowns, in particular from the Collins brothers (Dean operating at hooker; Ryan pressed into service at openside flanker rather than his usual positon of Wing).

Shelford did manage to breach the aggressive Chinnor defence once in the first half - their highly skilled inside centre finding space on the outside via a cut-out pass for their winger to score after 12 minutes.

The Men of Thame reacted strongly to the set-back, building phases via strong carries from Elliott Bevan, Michael Owen and Salva Palomares, punching holes in the Shelford defence which created quick ruck-ball. Scrum half Harry Hillier quickly spotted space on the right and Chinnor's midfield adroitly fixed their opposite numbers to create a yard of space on the outside which Seb Scott expertly took advantage of after 20 minutes.

Chinnor's strong midfield press forced Shelford's runners back towards the ruck area, where they were met with a fierce belligerence by some of the Men of Thame's more grizzled statesmen. One such episode saw Dean Collins strip the ball from his opposite number and launch an attack from inside the Chinnor 22 - swift transfers saw Ieuan Manwaring galloping up the right, drawing the Shelford winger and passing to the electric Seb Scott who scorched in from 50 metres. It was a glorious score and aptly demonstrated the tremendous potential of a (mostly) very young side.

In spite of an enforced 7 minute 'recovery period' (another broken nose) for the Men of Thame's Captain (Jon 'Grumpy Old Man' Lavin) during which two 'tampons' were kindly inserted into his nostrils by Shelford's physio (the wonders of medical technology), Chinnor continued to build momentum and take the game to Shelford. Strong kicking from Max McMinn and excellent chasing from Oscar Clayton and Ieuan Manwaring led to pressure in the Shelford 22, and Salva Palmomares scoring after 35 mins.

At half-time, Chinnor were in the ascendant at 17-8. Despite initial pressure in the scrums, the Men of Thame's set-piece had stabilised and the line-out was working effectively, primarily as a result of very accurate throwing from Elliott Bevan. Increasingly Chinnor were able to attack Shelford in this aspect of the game, which helped to deliver good possession in the 2nd half (credit to Sam Hook and Ieuan Manwaring for integrating so effectively with limited preparation).

The Men of Thame continued to play confidently in the 2nd half, and perhaps trying to re-create the majesty of Seb Scott's second try were guilty of playing too laterally at times, when a more direct approach would have paid greater dividends. Whilst there was a lot to recommend in Chinnor's 2nd half efforts, errors and overplaying allowed Shelford back into the game via a couple of penalties and a breakaway try. The damage could have been worse had it not been for an excellent cover tackle in the corner following another piece of brilliance by Shelford's talented inside centre. From the resulting line-out on their own 5, Chinnor demonstrated excellent control via a driving line-out and strong exit via the trusty boot of Max McMinn.

When Shelford knocked over a penalty with just 4 minutes remaining to extend their lead to 21-17, Chinnor knew that a match that they had held within their grasp was in danger of slipping away - this indeed was a true test of character for a youthful team. It was at this stage that Ben Wilkinson stood up to be counted; the young prop had worked hard all afternoon in the scrums against a larger and more experienced pack, yet it was he who delivered a huge tackle on the Shelford Captain from the kick-off which led directly to a turnover and an opportunity for Chinnor to steal the game at the death. Upon such moments empires rise and fall......

Aware that it was the last play, the Men of Thame applied a steely determination to retain possession in contrast to some of their over-ambitious efforts earlier in the half. After a series of strong pick and drives from the forwards, Shelford infringed and the rapier-like Harry Hillier - influential throughout - took a quick tap and found Ryan Collins running a perfect inside line to score the winning try on 80 minutes to send his team-mates into raptures (21-22). A fantastic victory from Chinnor and a strong platform for the youthful side to build on.

Chinnor can be very proud of this victory and the quality of the rugby skills on display from a very youthful team. Whilst there is still much to build on and improve, the club are fortunate to have such a high quality pipeline of players coming through to bolster the senior teams. All eyes will now turn to next week's Oxfordshire Cup Quarter Final against local rivals Oxford Harlequins.

Jon Lavin

Match details

Match date

Sat 20 Feb 2016

Kickoff

14:00

Competition

Division 2
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Principal sponsor - Rectory Homes
Platinum sponsor - Farol
Platinum sponsor - GGR Group
Platinum sponsor - CPM
Platinum Sponsor - Euro-City Group
Platinum sponsor - Kubota
Platinum Sponsor - M&P Brickwork
Gold sponsor - ASM Auto Recycling
Gold Sponsor - Carlsberg Marston's
Gold Sponsor - Connect Scaffolding
Gold Sponsor - GHH Decorating
Gold Sponsor - Hamnett Hayward
Gold Sponsor - Ithaca Roofing
Gold Sponsor - Reynolds Groundwork Services
Silver sponsor - Wise Steelwork
Silver sponsor - Lightfoots
Silver Sponsor - 3B Vehicle Hire
Silver sponsor - Dymott Builders
Silver Sponsor - Jacke Resources
Silver Sponsor - OVL Group
Silver sponsor - Robin Swailes Design & Development
Silver sponsor - Sign Wizzard
Silver sponsor - Transport Planning Associates
Silver Sponsor - Wills & Trusts
Bronze sponsor - Helpful Hirings
Bronze Sponsor - Thame Cars
Bronze Sponsor - College and County
Bronze sponsor - Ashfold School
Bronze sponsor - Carmichael UK
Bronze Sponsor - Crendon Conservatories
Bronze Sponsor - MPS Workwear
Bronze sponsor - Royal Oxford Hotel
Bronze Sponsor - Succession Wealth
Bronze sponsor - Thame Crash Repair Centre
Bronze Sponsor - The Seven Stars Dinton