March 5, 2022
Having lost 5 matches in a row, Chinnor welcomed bottom of the table Tonbridge Juddians to Kingsey Road hoping for a change in fortunes. TJs are in their first ever season at this level, being promoted into National League One after having finished 2nd in National League Two South in 2019/20.
They started the season well, drawing their opening fixture at Bishop’s Stortford and then beat Sale in their third match. However, just two wins had been recorded since then, although one of those wins was two weeks ago when they won the Kent bragging rights with a victory at Blackheath, shortly after Club had comfortably beaten Chinnor. Their only other win was a narrow home win over Plymouth Albion.
Since these diaries reported on Chinnor’s home loss to Caldy, they subsequently were hammered 7-42 at Darlington Mowden Park and 3-41 at Cambridge, but still sat in 7th place in the table. However, they have little left to play for, especially after this week’s announcement by the RFU that neither Ealing Trailfinders or Doncaster met the criteria to be promoted from the Championship to the Premiership, meaning only one side would be promoted from National League One, and two sides would be relegated. Tonbridge went into today’s match 16 points from safety.
The two sides first met in 2011/12, playing in what was known then as the National League Three play-off between the runners-up of the South West and the South East divisions, with Chinnor emerging victorious by 19-8 to achieve promotion to National League Two for the first time.
The sides met again in 2017/18 following TJ’s promotion to National League Two, when Chinnor won both encounters, 24-20 at home and 14-13 in Tonbridge. Chinnor also won when the sides met earlier this season, earning a bonus point victory by 34-15.
Chinnor’s line-up included the return of on-loan Wasp prop Rob Hardwick after representing England Under 20, and Dutch International hooker Mark Darlington made his first start upon his return to the club after a couple of seasons at Maidenhead. The most familiar name in the TJ starting XV was fly-half Tom White, who had previously impressed whilst at Old Elthamians.
The weather at kick-off was cloudy and dry but it felt much colder than the apparent 6 degrees due to a very chilly wind, which unusually was blowing across the pitch and towards the ring-road end rather than to the Showground end. One Red Kite patrolled the skies above the pitch.
Prior to the start, there was a brief applause in memory of the death this week of Sam Polledri of Dings Crusaders and brother of Italian international Jake Polledri, who died of a heart attack at the age of just 24 years of age, and then a minute’s silence in support of the Ukraine.
Chinnor kicked off with the wind in their favour and fly-half Nick Smith immediately showed awareness of the conditions, choosing to kick a low, bouncing penalty into touch. Chinnor applied some early pressure, and were rewarded with a penalty in front of the posts, which Bourton slotted for a 3-0 lead after 5 minutes. Centre Worrall then made a clean break through the heart of TJ’s midfield but his pass to winger Oscar Heath was knocked on when a try looked on.
TJs then showed Chinnor how it should be done. With the referee playing advantage after a forward pass had gone to ground, full back Harvey Young burst through the static defence, and with a 2 on 1, drew the last man and fed wing Hugo Watson to go over in the corner. White’s attempted conversion from the touch-line slid just wide, but TJs led 5-3 after 10 minutes.
TJs came close to scoring again five minutes later but Chapman knocked on after breaching the defensive line. Play then became scrappy for a while. Chinnor knocked on at a couple of line-outs and TJ’s twice kicked straight out. However, Chinnor eventually won a line-out close to the TJ 22 metre line, and from the ensuing maul, scrum-half Luke Carter dummied to pass and then strode through a huge gap to score close to the posts. Bourton’s easy conversion made the score 10-5 after 25 minutes.
From the restart, Carter launched a high kick back into the TJ half which Young dropped to give Chinnor a scrum near to the 22. After a period of pressure, Carter scored an almost identical try, although from being at the base of a ruck rather than from a maul, to go through another huge gap. Bourton added the extras to make in 17-5 after 29 minutes.
Juddians were finding it difficult to get out of their own 22 metre line and after a line-out, Chinnor launched a rolling maul, and with a couple of backing joining in the fun, ex Tongan international prop Soane Tonga’uiha was propelled over the line, and Bourton’s excellent conversion into the cross wind took the score to 24-5.
TJ responded with Young going on another mazy run, and after being stopped at the expense of a penalty, TJ’s kicked to the corner. Unfortunately for them, Chinnor were able to repel several drives close to the try-line and eventually they won a penalty to clear their lines.
On the verge of half-time, a flare-up occurred when TJ hooker Ryan Jackson clattered into Carter well after the referee’s whistle had been blown, and after consulting with his touch judge, the yellow card was shown to Jackson. The half-ended shortly afterwards when the Chinnor forwards were penalized, and then some back-chat was additionally sanctioned with 10 yards, enabling the visitors to clear to half-way.
The weather started to deteriorate with some light rain falling and the wind feeling even colder. Despite being a man down, Tonbridge began the second half on the front-foot. With all the play being in the Chinnor 22, TJs won a scrum penalty, and the quick tap led to the forwards rumbling over the try line, with perhaps lock Toby Freeman being the player to touch down under the mass of bodies ? White’s difficult conversion was missed so the score remained 24-10 with 45 minutes played.
TJ’s continued to threaten and it appeared to game on when Chinnor lock Ben Glynn was shown a yellow card after some skullduggery at a line-out deep in Chinnor territory, and with the return to the field of Jackson, Juddians now had the man advantage. As the rain started to get heavier, TJ’s nearly stole a line-out close to the Chinnor try line, and then after more pressure, the ball was spread wide to winger Watson, who was unable to hold onto the pass with a potential clear run to score.
It was Chinnor’s turn to be unable to get out of their half, as they were penned back by a series of kicks to the corner, although one favourable bounce saw the ball go dead rather than for a line-out 10 yards out. However, TJs were unable to convert territory into points, and the game changed in the 62nd minute. After winning a penalty and kicking to the visitors 22 metre line, Chinnor won their line-out and after sucking in some defenders, the ball was released along the back-line for wing Hammond to dive over in the corner for the bonus point. With the tough conversion missed it became 29-10.
Chinnor nearly scored again three minutes later. After a strong scrum, the ball was passed to full-back Goss, who broke through two tackles to head into the TJ half. He was able to kick ahead just before being flattened, and Carter gathered close to the posts, but as a number of players piled in, he was held-up over the line to prevent his hat-trick of tries. The wind assisted drop-out went the full length of the pitch for a drop-out behind the Chinnor try line !
The visitors game close to scoring a consolation try but a number of drives were denied, albeit ultimately at the expense of a yellow card to Goss. TJs continued to probe without success and eventually Chinnor forced a penalty at the breakdown.
With 5 minutes remaining TJs nearly scored a remarkable try as Watson chipped over his marker and gathered his own kick. He then chipped over the covering defender and gathered again, but with the try line at his mercy he lost control of the ball and knocked on 8 yards from the whitewash.
The final try arrived two minutes from the end, with TJs trying to force an opening, a stray pass was intercepted by Heath, who ran unopposed from half-way to score. Bourton’s conversion brought the score to 36-10.
There was still time for Watson to cross the try line with a nice side-step, but the pass to him was well forward, so his effort didn’t count and the referee blew for full time.
With this victory, Chinnor remained in 7th place in the table, whilst TJs slipped to 17th points from safety.
Highlights : https://www.chinnor-rfc.com/videos/trylights--chinnor-36-tonbridge-juddians-10-177068.html
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