October 2, 2021
Round 5 in National League One saw Blackheath visiting
Chinnor. For the home side, it was only their 4th match of the
season, having had a week-off in the second week due to Old Elthamians pulling
out of the league following financial issues after the death of their
benefactor.
After beating Sale on the opening day, Chinnor went
down 28-33 at home to Cinderford, with the Forest of Dean side’s juggernaut
pack ultimately holding sway with three tries from rolling mauls, a penalty try
and a pushover scrum. Chinnor though bounced back to beat previously unbeaten
Moseley 29-22 in Birmingham in a thrilling match, in which Chinnor had led 29-3
but had to desperately hang-on as Moseley camped on their line in the final few
minutes searching for the equalizing converted try.
Founded in 1858, Blackheath are the oldest open rugby club
in the world, although some University and College sides had been formed
earlier. They are universally referred to as “The Club” or just “Club”. They
moved from their historic home of Rectory Field in 2016, to Well Hall in
Eltham, although their other sides continue to play at Rectory Field.
In the amateur era, Blackheath were one of the leading
sides in England, but since the introduction of professionalism in the 1990s,
Blackheath have settled at the third level of the league structure, having been
in National League One ( or its equivalent ) since 2004/05.
Blackheath finished 5th in the 2019/20
season, fourth in 2018/19 and fifth in 2017/18, and so were expected to among
the front-runners for this season. However, just one win was registered in their
first 4 matches, at home to Darlington Mowden Park ( 23-14 ), but three matches
were lost by three points or less -
Cinderford ( H ) 15-18, Moseley ( A ) 20-22 and Caldy ( H ) 16-18.
Blackheath are yet to score more than two tries in any game.
The sides have meet three times in competitive
fixtures. Blackheath won both encounters in 2018/19, winning 22-14 at home and
33-22 at Chinnor. However, in 2019/20, Chinnor edged to victory in Kent by
17-15 but the return fixture was cancelled due to the pandemic. They also met
in a pre-season friendly in August this year at Blackheath, where Chinnor won
19-17 after leading 19-0. All in all, the sides looked to be evenly matched and
closely line was to be expected
The rain was lashing down at kick-off time and it was
forecast to last for the whole game, and the floodlights were on from the
start.
Blackheath kicked off, and the pattern of the game emerged
from the beginning, as every time they got possession the scrum half or fly
half launched high balls. However, every time one of Chinnor’s back three safely
gathered.
In the fifth minute, Chinnor worked the ball to fly-half
Nick Smith to find touch in the Blackheath half. However, long after he had
cleared Blackheath flanker Dominic McGeekie flattened him and was lucky not to
see a yellow card. Bourton’s long range penalty went wide of the uprights.
In contrast to Blackheath’s approach, Chinnor
attempted to keep ball in hand and work their way down field and to kick for field
territory rather than Garryowens. After one such move in the 11th
minute, the ball was sent wide but Hammond was tackled short of the try line. When
the ball was reworked, Chinnor knocked on.
With 15 minutes on the clock, Chinnor’s rolling maul
was illegally stopped. A quick tap penalty was taken by scrum half Carter, and
although the first drive was halted, eventually Number 8 Fred Tuilagi barged
over and Bourton converted for 7-0.
Three minutes later, a cross kick from Smith found
winger Crowley who made ground into the Blackheath 22. After going through
several pair of hands, flanker Clementson crossed for Chinnor’s second try, and
Bourton again converted. 14-0
Blackheath continued to kick away their possession,
and in the 21st minute Packman committed a late, high tackle on
Smith, and was shown a yellow card, which could easily have been red. Chinnor
exploited the extra space after going on the blind side after a scrum and
Hammond kicked the loose ball towards the Blackheath line. Fortunately for
Blackheath winger Kershaw showed good speed to get to the ball first and run
away from would be tacklers to clear to touch.
Blackheath again kicked the ball away, enabling Chinnor
full back Goss to make yards along the touch-line, and on 37 minutes another Blackheath kick was
fielded by Smith, who chipped ahead. A Blackheath forward fumbled the chip and Smith
gathered the loose ball. After passing through several hands, Clementson went
over for his second try. With the conversion missed, it was 19-0
Blackheath had a good spell of pressure just before
the break but a rolling maul from a 5 metre line-up was held up and the chance was
wasted with a knock-on. 19-0 at half-time.
Chinnor kicked-off the second half and took possession
from the low bouncing kick. After some pressure, a long pass was sent to
Hammond to cross the try line, but the referee deemed the pass to be forward.
The pattern of the game continued though, Blackheath
again kicked away possession for Hammond to gather and run away from two tacklers.
After he was brought to ground, a pick-up through the middle by Carter saw more
ground gained and eventually hooker Cameron Terry crossed the line for the
bonus point try. Surprisingly Bourton missed the relatively straight-forward
conversion for the score to remain 24-0.
At this point Chinnor were in total control and their
forwards broke down the touch and inter-changed several passes before knocking
on inside the Blackheath 22. Chinnor then gave Blackheath a little bit of their
own medicine with a high ball into the Blackheath 22 which was dropped. Bourton
kicked on but again Kershaw was alert and won the foot-race to kick the ball
out of play for a five-metre scrum. Chinnor were unable to press home their
advantage though.
Blackheath continued to kick away their possession and
Chinnor continued to return with interest. After a spell camped on the Blackheath
line, from a 5 metre scrum. a long pass from Carter out to the wing saw Crowley
dive over in the corner to make it 29-0 after 60 minutes. Bourton’s touch line
conversion was not surprisingly off target.
As the Blackheath players gathered under the posted, substitute Ollie Claxton implored “Let’s go for the 4 try bonus point, we can do it !”. It seemed a tad over optimistic given the way the game was going……
With the game lost Blackheath decided to stop kicking
away the ball and play some rugby instead. They worked possession into the
Chinnor 22, and from a line-out and series of drives they crossed for their
first try, which fly-half Evans converted.
In the 69th minute, Blackheath lost a line-out and the loose ball was claimed by the Chinnor hooker. At the resulting ruck Chinnor substitute prop Keston Lines put a shoulder into the head of a Blackheath player and a punch-up ensued. Lines was shown a straight red card. Blackheath immediately kicked into Chinnor’s 22 and with predictable inevitability, a try was scored, with Fry given the credit. With the conversion it was 29-14 and perhaps game on ?
Chinnor though responded well, and with five minutes
to play a line-out was won leading to lock Brockschmidt to run unopposed to
score. Again, the conversion was missed but at 34-14 it looked all over.
Blackheath had over ideas though and a good break down
the right wing saw Hennessey pass to Hiscocks to scamper under the posts. To
avoid wasting time on the conversion, Hennessey picked up the ball and quickly
drop kicked the conversion to bring the score to 34-21 after 77 minutes.
It looked like Chinnor would wind down the clock in Blackheath’s 22, but an infringement gave away a penalty, and Blackheath were back in the Chinnor half. With the last play of the game Blackheath worked some space on the left touch line for Kershaw to score a remarkable fourth try within a 20 minute period, and with Evans’ far from easy conversion, Blackheath had earned not just a try bonus point, but also a losing bonus point by bringing the score to 34-28.
Who knows what Blackheath might have achieved had they adopted this positive approach earlier in the match, but overall Chinnor were deserved victors and would be disappointed by the narrow margin of the final score. For the second week running though their opponents had got back to losing bonus point range after having 29 points posed on the board and the game seemingly over.
Highlights : https://www.chinnor-rfc.com/videos/trylights--chinnor-34-blackheath-28-171628.html
What a well balanced piece of writing
ReplyDeleteThank you !
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