Saturday, 22 January 2022

Chinnor 27-29 Birmingham Moseley ( att : 477 ) – 2021/22 National League One

January 22, 2021

Since these diaries covered Chinnor’s home loss to Bishop’s Stortford in mid-December, they have played only one more fixture. The eagerly anticipated Friday Night Lights pre-Christmas derby at Rams was postponed due to an outbreak of Covid in the Chinnor camp, and it was their turn for the blank weekend at the start of the New Year. Flanker Max Clementson left the club to become part of the England 7s squad and prop Rob Hardwick, on loan from Wasps, had been called in the England Under 20 squad.

When they finally set foot on the field of play, they achieved an outstanding 31-24 win against the big beasts of Cinderford in the Forest of Dean to continue a remarkable sequence of results of winning at Dockham Road, whereas Cinderford have a strong record at Chinnor. It was only the Forrester’s second home loss of the season. As a result, Chinnor moved back upto 6th in the National League One table 9 points behind second placed Caldy, but with two games in hand.

Moseley are one of the famous names of English club rugby having reached the John Player Cup final in 1972 and 1979 and sharing the title in 1982 after a 12-12 draw with Gloucester. My first awareness of the club was flanker Nick Jeavons being selected to play for England, winning 14 caps, and being an injury call-up for the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand.

Moseley were relegated from the Championship in 2015/16, after which the name of the club was changed to Birmingham Moseley. Since relegation their highest position in National League One was 5th in 2016/17, and in 2018/19 and 2019/20 they flirted with relegation. Since Chinnor’s promotion to National League One the sides have only met once at Kingsey Road, when relegation threatened Moseley produced a stunning display to win 41-7 to more or else ensure their survival. In contrast, the sides have met three times at Billesley Common, with Chinnor emerging victorious on all three occasions, including a 29-22 win earlier this season.

Moseley went into today’s encounter in 11th position, 4 points above the relegation zone with 6 wins and 9 losses. They started the season with three consecutive victories before succumbing to Chinnor in round 4. Whilst being solid at home, their away form was 2-0-6, with the wins coming at Caldy ( 24-0 ) in September and Blackheath ( 24-17  ) in January.

Included in the Moseley line-up today was lock/flanker Kailus Hutchinson, who made one substitute appearance for Chinnor in 2017/18 whilst on loan from Coventry.



The weather at kick-off was dry with a temperature of 6 degrees but the breeze was chilly and the floodlights were already on. Two coaches from Birmingham were parked in the car park so there was a sizeable support for the visitors, nearly all of whom stayed on the side of the ground where the bars are !

Moseley were in a pink and black strip rather than their usual red and black hoops, and from the kick-off Chinnor immediately put them under pressure. An early penalty was kicked to the corner, and when the rolling maul was held up, the ball was spun wide, but a great covering tackle by full-back Benjamin prevented wing Hodson from scoring in the corner.

As a sign of things to come, Moseley won a scrum penalty, but they then conceded a penalty for crossing. Chinnor opted to go for the posts but Bourton’s kick from around 35 metres in front of the posts sailed to the right. However, the play remained in the Moseley half and from a line-out near to the 22 yard line, Chinnor’s rolling maul rumbled over the try line with hooker Eliot Chilvers credited with the try. Bourton’s simple conversion made it 7-0 after 12 minutes.

The Moseley kick-off was the first time they had entered the Chinnor half, and a hack through took play into the Chinnor 22, but the covering defender was able to clear, and play was soon back in the Moseley half. However, Chinnor were unable to convert into points, and wing Bulumakau made a great break down the touch line and fed Benjamin to go over close to the posts. With Bale’s conversion the score was 7-7 after 22 minutes.

Chinnor’s response was immediate, and after full-back Nick Smith made a good break, the ball went through several hands before flanker Willie Ryan crashed over. With the conversion from Bourton being missed it was 12-7 after 24 minutes.

Chinnor continued to press, and fly-half Caolan Ryan’s chip from the edge of the Moseley 22 bounced away from covering defender Tonks for Worrall to claim and dive over the line. With a conversion from close to the posts it became 19-7 after 28 minutes.

At this point it looked a question of how many Chinnor would win by, but the Moseley pack then started to assert themselves at the scrum. Winning a scrum penalty on the Chinnor 22, they kicked to the corner for a 5 metre line-out, but after a series of drives a knock on from Hutchinson ended the move. Moseley were soon back on the attack though, and after another scrum penalty, they opted for another scrum rather than a 5 metre line-out. Another scrum penalty was won and a yellow card was shown to Chinnor hooker Terry. At the next scrum Moseley looked to be heading over the Chinnor line, but control of the ball was lost. However, another penalty was awarded in their favour, and this time the inevitable penalty try was awarded to make it 19-14 after 39 minutes.

There was still time for Chinnor to win a penalty on the Moseley 10 metre line for offside, and with half-time imminent, they opts to go for the posts, and Bourton added the three points from around 40 metres to make the half-time score 22-14 to the home side.

After being outplayed in the opening 30 minutes, Moseley had come back strongly in the last 10 minutes, and their strength at the scrum was starting to look ominous for Chinnor.

The second half started brightly, first with Chinnor’s backs making a good break down the left wing only to be halted by a knock-on, before Moseley wing Tonks made a great break from his own 22, and a try looked certain only for the referee to bring play back for a forward pass.

In the 44th minute, Chinnor lost control of the ball at a scrum, but after a bit of pin-ball, scrum-half Walsh gathered and kicked ahead for winger Goss to claim and race to the line. Again, the conversion was wide, but Chinnor’s lead was now 29-14.

There then followed a series of plays which would have delighted fans of Pontypool in the 1980s. After a penalty, and 5 meter line-out rolling maul had comfortably been quelled, Moseley won another penalty but again opted for a scrum. After three consecutive scrum penalties were awarded, a yellow-card was shown to again reduce Chinnor to 14 men. From the next scrum, scrum-half Walsh illegally prevented a try, and with another yellow card, Chinnor were down to 13 !

The next scrum needed to be reset, but at the next, remarkably Moseley lost control of the ball and Chinnor were able to hack clear into the Moseley 22. Chinnor won the line-out and as their rolling maul inched closer to the try line, they were joined by all but 2 of their players still on the pitch, but Moseley were able to hold up the drive. From the next move, Chinnor looked likely to score in the corner but substitute Aquile Smith slapped away the pass for a deliberate knock-on, which now made it 13 vs 14.

When it then becoming 14 vs 14, Moseley were now under pressure, and after committing another infringement at a ruck, Chinnor were back at their 5 metre line. Following a Moseley knock-on, Chinnor lost control at the scrum and the ball was kicked into the Chinnor 22, but Goss won the foot-race and cleared to half-way.

With 8 minutes remaining centre Isaac McNulty went on a scintillating run, beating three defenders to score out wide, but the conversion attempt hit the bar so the score become 27-19.

Another good move between Worrall and Hodson saw Chinnor back in the Moseley 22, and a knock-on from the line-out gave Chinnor a scrum 8 yards out. Predictably though, Moseley won a penalty at the scrum, and dissent gave them another 10 yards to clear.

Moseley continued to press, and after another series of penalties, good defence by Chinnor prevented them from crossing the try line, and with the referee advising there was still 2 and half minutes left to play, the visitors opted to take the easy three points on offer to get within losing bonus point range, with still the hope of winning the match. Allsopp kicked the penalty.

Shortly after the restart, Isaac McNulty went on another tremendous run to take play back to the Chinnor half, and when Chinnor transgressed, Moseley kicked to the corner. The Moseley rolling maul again had little impact but when the ball was spread wide, a penalty was awarded against Chinnor. Predictably Moseley opted to scrum again, and after more penalties another yellow card was awarded against Chilvers, his second and hence a red card, and eventually another penalty try was awarded to end the game with a 29-27 victory to Moseley.

Overall it was a slightly bizarre match, with Moseley becoming the latest side to exposure Chinnor’s weakness at the scrum, and unusually opting to scrum at every opportunity rather than go for 5 metre line-outs and rolling mauls, which Chinnor were able to easily defend. For Chinnor, it was yet another home defeat after being in a winning position. By picking up 2 points from the match, they remained in 6th place in the table, and now 11 points off second place with two games in hand.

Highlights : https://www.chinnor-rfc.com/videos/trylights--chinnor-27-birmingham-moseley-29-175613.html












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