Hoping to continue the winning performances of recent weeks Chinnor 4ths travelled to Phoenix in a friendly that promised more than a stroll in the park.
It was at Phoenix that Chinnor hoped to exorcise the demons of not winning there for 2 years and finally this time seeing off the opposition. Would it be Chinnor’s turn to experience a wondrous rebirth?.

The weather held off for the afternoon whilst a Chinnor side with a few changes took to the field for what would turn out to be a bruising and embattled encounter.

Chinnor took the initiative and were at Phoenix from the off with an organised set of forwards charging to illicit mistakes early on, however it was Phoenix that managed to pen Chinnor in their own half for most of the first 10 minutes. With resolute defence the score sheet stayed level. A bullocking run from “Gareth “Right” Hook “ saw Chinnor making ground and after an infringement from Phoenix up stepped Leon “alewis“ Westerman, returning to the esteemed 4ths side to take his first points with a coolly slotted penalty, 0 – 3.

The battle ensued with a reinvigorated Phoenix side which saw them return to the Chinnor 22, and after a neat sidestep from their scrum half eventually scored beneath the posts to give them an easy converted try.

Undeterred Chinnor picked themselves up and immediately went back up the park with a mix of strong running from the backs and precise territorial kicking from Westerman.
Solid defence in the back line in the guise of Mark “lil” Cox, Gareth “Right” Hook, Chris “Critter” Williams and James “Billy” Connolly held the Chinnor line.
Chinnor collected the ball from a fine Mike “Sippy” Hughes lineout with a catch and drive from James “Shoes” Halson, the ball moved out to Mike “Thnderclap” Newman, to Gordon “Voldemort” Fennell and then to Simon “Tina” Turner who slipped round the blind side for the touch down.
Poor lineouts from Phoenix enabled Chinnor to capitalise on their mistakes, however after a series of rucks James “Shoes” Halson came undone with a high tackle, leaving the inimitable presence of George “Whiter than” White to come on plug the gap, however, reduced to fourteen men Chinnor then went on the defensive and at halftime 7 – 8 Chinnor went in the better.

Second half saw Chinnor start with the same pressure from the first half and camped in their 22 Phoenix kicked to clear although Will “Getya” Dickinson was well positioned in their 10 metre line to strike the ball with his mercurial boot to drop an audacious goal for Chinnor, measured at 39.25m. 7 -11.

Again, true to their name Phoenix came back yet due to silly errors Chinnor appeared to panic and let them in to score again 12 -11. Undeterred Chinnor picked themselves up and replied almost immediately and found themselves just outside the oppositions 22 yard line. With excellent work from the forwards a solid platform was set for Rupert “over the” Hill to pick and feed to Leon “alweis” Westerman. Gavin “No hyphen” WadeWilliams (coming on in the second half moving in from the right wing in to outside centre) worked a move which saw the ball floated out from Westerman, then run a superb line, create a gaping hole past the centres and from 25 yards out with only the full back to beat, jinked left to right but settled for running through the last man to score under the posts, Westerman had to leave the field through an injury to his ribs so “Getya” Dickinson converted, 12 -18

Further changes were made to the back line with the introduction of Josh “Winchendon” Hill and Chris “The Roar” Ellis which proved that Chinnor now have strength in depth and sustained the barrage of attacks from an uninventive Phoenix side to shut out the much with a deserved win.

Chinnor face Aylesbury tomorrow in another tight top of the table clash.