April 9, 2022
Rosslyn Park’s last visit to Kingsey Road was back in February 2020, just before the pandemic struck, and Chinnor’s 24-21 victory was featured in these diaries.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/02/chinnor-24-21-rosslyn-park-att-725.html
Park were in second place in the National League One table when that season was suspended, and they began this season as many people’s favourites to win the league. Indeed, their early form seemed to justify those predictions as they won 11 of their opening 12 matches, with the only blemish coming from a 21-24 defeat at Rams in round 6.
However, their subsequent form has been moderate, with 6 wins and 6 losses to slip down to third place in the table. Their last two matches were lost, a surprise 24-31 reverse at struggling Blackheath, and then narrowly losing out 17-18 at home to Caldy in a top of the table clash in front of a crowd of 1,185. The other losses were at Cambridge ( 24-31 ), Sale ( 17-21 ) and Bishop’s Stortford ( 24-36 ) plus another loss to Rams ( 13-17 at home ).
With 4 games remaining to play, Park were now 8 points behind Caldy but with a game in hand, so they were still in with a chance of automatic promotion, especially as Caldy have a difficult final 3 matches, including a final game at home to second place Sale. Second place might still be good enough to earn promotion though if Ealing Trailfinders’ lawyers can overturn the decision that they do not meet the criteria for promotion to the Premiership.
Recent matches between the two sides have been close. In the reverse fixture this season, Chinnor missed a last kick of the game touchline conversion to win on the plastic at The Rock, going down 27-28, whilst the match at Rosslyn Park in 2019/20 finished 27-27. In 2018/19 it was Park’s turn to miss a touchline conversion to win the game with the last kick, having to settle for a 33-33 draw.
Park’s line-up included flanker Arthur Ellis, who played as a hooker for Chinnor in 2008/09, in-between playing for England Under 20s, and maverick fly-half/wing/full-back Craig Holland, who scored 25 tries for Chinnor in 2017/18 and 188 points for the season including penalties and conversions as a back-up kicker.
Chinnor’s 29-43 loss at Taunton last week, in addition to their 5 point penalty deduction meant that they were not mathematically safe from relegation.
The temperature at kick-off was around 10 degrees on a dry day, with the traditional Chinnor breeze present. Park kicked off into the breeze, but the when the kick was returned, Park knocked on near their 10 metre line. Chinnor supporters may have had a feeling of déjà vu when Park won a penalty at the first scrum of the match, and kicked to the Chinnor 10 metre line.
From the line-out, Park went right, then left and then right again, without getting over the gain line, but the move ended with a knock-on by Park and then Chinnor, although Chinnor winger Goss claimed the ball had hit his head then chest so he should have been allowed to play on with a clear run to the line !
The home fans may have been encouraged when their side won a free-kick at a Park scrum, and would have been even happier in the 6th minute when Walsh broke down the blind side to give flanker Ben Manning a run into the Park half, and a well timed pass put Goss free to race down the touchline, and then under the posts to give Nick Smith an easy conversion.
Park were stunned again two minutes later when after losing possession in midfield, centre Sam Yawayawa broke through some weak tackling to head towards the Park 22. His offload in the tackle found Smith, who drew the last man to leave scrum-half Luke Carter an easy stroll over the posts. Smith again converted to make it 14-0 to Chinnor with 8 minutes on the clock.
Park were all over the place, and their play was summed up when a back move ended with the pass being well behind winger Craig Holland and out for a line-out.
Chinnor continued to press, and when Park infringed at the break-down, Chinnor opted for the points, and Smith’s penalty put Chinnor 17-0 ahead after 11 minutes.
Park eventually awoke from their slumbers, and won a couple of penalties in the Chinnor half, leading to two 5 metre line-outs. A series of drives were well defended but number 8 Hugo Ellis spotted a chink in the Chinnor armour to go over from close range near to the posts. With fly-half Harry Leonard’s conversion, it was now 17-7 after 20 minutes.
From the restart, Park again infringed and were back to having defend a 5 metre line-out. It looked like a Park forward had knocked the line-out forward, but the referee allowed play to continue but a kick ahead went straight out on the full to give Chinnor another line-out. This time they won their ball, and when the ball went wide, Goss stepped inside his marker but he was stopped short of the white-wash. When the ball was reworked, an attempted interception was knocked on for a penalty and so another 5 metre line-out. From the resulting maul, 13 Chinnor players joined in but the ball was held-up.
The relief for Park was only temporary though as from a Chinnor line-out Yawayawa ran through a huge hole in the Park defence to go under the posts from nearly 40 yards. Smith again added the extras for 24-7 scoreline after 30 minutes.
Park had a brief period of possession when again they went sideways and the choice of a chip ahead was gathered by Smith, who sent the ball back well into Park territory. At the breakdown, Park flanker Dan Laventure was shown a yellow card, and Chinnor had another 5 metre line-out. With a man advantage, there was an element of inevitability when the Chinnor pack rumbled towards the line, but a short pass enabled Yawayawa to go under the posts for his second try of the match and to take the score to 31-7.
Park centre Henry Cheeseman made a jinking run, but his pass went straight to a Chinnor player, enabling Walsh to kick play back into Park’s 22. Another great move from their backs saw Smith and Goss make strong runs and an inside pass gave Walsh a run to the corner. A superb conversion by Smith from close to the touchline gave a half-time score of 38-7.
Rosslyn Park had easily produced the worst half of rugby seen at Kingsey Road this season, although that may take a little away for Chinnor’s excellent performance.
Parks’ errors continued at the start of the second half, kicking the restart into touch, and another knock-on quickly followed. A cross-kick from Walsh found Goss, but he was tackled short of the line. Chinnor’s line-out was functioning well, and Carter made a break through the heart of the Park defence to feed Goss to go over in the corner. Another fabulous touchline conversion into the breeze by Smith put Chinnor 45-7 in front.
Chinnor were unrelenting and Carter again burst through a porous back-line to win another penalty after illegal efforts to prevent him from scoring. From the rolling maul from the 5 metre line-out, Park were powerless to stop the Chinnor pack from scoring, with hooker Mark Darlington being credited with the try. Finally, Smith was unsuccessful from the tee, but Chinnor had 50 points on their new scoreboard.
Despite their huge lead, Chinnor still showed a strong desire to defend well, and won a penalty in their 22, and in their frustration, Park lost 10 metres for some back-chat to the referee. Park centre Brandon Jackson then made a penetrating run but was bundled into touch, and then a move amongst the backs was called back for a forward pass.
However, Chinnor were soon threatening again with Carter and Manning combining to get close to the Park try line. The visitors’ defence was good on this occasion, winning a penalty, which resulted in a flare-up which saw yellow cards show to Park substitute Quinten Koster and Chinnor prop Keston Lines.
It felt like another Chinnor score was coming, and when Walsh’s kick ahead stayed in play in the Park 22, Tuilagi was able to gather and set-up an attacking position. The drive was defended at the expense of a penalty, and from a quick tap, Walsh sent a long, floated pass to Smith in acres of space out wide for a simple finish.
At 55-7 it looked like the avalanche would continue to flatten Park, and Smith and Goss again sliced through Park’s defence, which now resembled a box of chocolates with such a soft centre although with a number of interchanges, and perhaps tiredness, Chinnor would not be enable to add to their points total. A Park supporter commented he had never seen Park play so badly, and they seemed to have given up any hope of promotion after last week’s loss to Caldy. Indeed, at times tackling appeared to be an optional extra.
Instead, the next score went to Park, when after a period of play resembling basketball, lock Henry Spencer went over, colliding with a post in the process to make it 55-14 with 10 minutes left to play.
Chinnor substitute Bourton looked to be racing clear to score after making an interception, but the referee called back play, perhaps for offside. Park worked their way back upfield and Piper ended up scoring after a line-out. Although the conversion was missed, at 55-19, Park had 5 minutes to score another try to earn a bonus point, but Chinnor won two scrum penalties to take play back to the Park 22, and Park’s hopes looked lost when Arthur Ellis was shown a yellow card for stopping a quick penalty from being taken.
Park survived the 5 metre line and a dangerous move involving Leonard and Cheeseman, gave Holland a sight of the line, but the ex-Chinnor try machine was well tackled, and the Chinnor gratefully touched down in their in goal area for the referee to blow the final whistle.
Chinnor’s best performance of the season removed any lingering relegation worries, taking them upto 8th in the table, whilst Park fell to 4th with their promotion hopes shattered.
Highlights : https://www.chinnor-rfc.com/videos/trylights--chinnor-55-rosslyn-park-19-178253.html
Highlights Rosslyn Park : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HEVRhV8cXw
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