March 25, 2023
Today’s visitors to Kingsey Road were high-riding Cambridge, who started the day in third place, nine points behind leaders Rams but with a game in hand. With 5 matches left to play, 5 bonus points wins would give them a good chance of overhauling Rams, should the Reading based side slip up in their run in.
Cambridge have won 17 of their 21 matches played so far this season, losing twice to Rams, and at Birmingham Moseley, but surprisingly were held at Leeds Tykes. Since going down 27-33 at home to Rams in a potentially pivotal fixture in the title race, Cambridge have won five in a row, scoring over 40 points in 4 of them, and impressively edging out Cinderford in a tight contest in the Forest of Dean.
Flying wing Nana Asiedu has scored 24 tries this season to be the top try scorer in the division. Four of those tries came in the 31-27 home win over Chinnor back in November, so the home side should be fully aware of the threat he poses.
After Chinnor’s victory last week over Leeds Tykes, the home side should just about be safe from relegation, sitting 12 points ahead of Esher with 4 games to play. Esher have to play Rams in their final game of the season, and Chinnor have the potential home banker against Hull still to play. However, they are not safe yet, and would still be desperate to take something from today’s game.
Matches between these two sides at Kingsey Road have historically been extremely close. In 5 encounters, Chinnor have won three and lost twice. Four of the games have been decided by 4 points or less, with Chinnor’s 34-22 win in November 2019 being the exception. Last season, Cambridge were victorious 32-30 in a game covered by these diaries, although a late converted try made the made look closer than it was with Cambridge’s scrum being dominant throughout the game. Under new Director of Rugby Nick Easter, Chinnor’s forward play has improved markedly since last season though.
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After a dry but windy morning, a heavy shower arrived 25 minutes before the 15.00 kick-off but stopped just before the start, and the traditional Chinnor gale was barely noticeable.
Cambridge, wearing their familiar all red kit with yellow trimmings kicked off, but it was an even start, with neither side making much progress in mid-field and having to resort to kicking, which was well fielded by the defending side. Cambridge centre Hema did make eye-catching break to get to half-way but the danger was quickly snuffed out.
Four minutes in, the rain returned, leading to a high kick being dropped by a Cambridge defender. Chinnor won a penalty at the scrum, and kicked to the corner. The line-out was won, and with a penalty advantage, a long pass found Worrall, who had the pace to run around full-back Tarrant to score out wide. The conversion went well wide, but Chinnor led 5-0 after 7 minutes.
From the restart, both sides engaged in a game of kick-tennis which eventually ended with Cambridge kicking off for a line-out near half-way. Cambridge then fashioned a decent attack but the kick ahead from fly-half Steff James was knocked on by Asiedu.
Another chip ahead by Cambridge forced Worrall to retreat and gather in his own 22, and he was pinged for not releasing by the referee. Interestingly, Cambridge opted for a scrum rather than the kick to the corner, but when they released the ball to their backs, Chinnor forced a penalty.
At this point the heavens opened again as a hail storm hit the pitch. Chinnor knocked on from the scrum, and then Cambridge won a scrum penalty, which was kicked to the corner. Chinnor defended the rolling maul well, but after a period of loose play, the referee awarded a scrum to Cambridge.
Cambridge won a penalty at the scrum, and again they decided to scrum again rather than kick to the corner, and this time when they released their backs, a long pass was intercepted by Smith, and Chinnor were able to clear to their 10 metre line.
With the wind increasingly behind them, Asiedu burst through two tacklers before being brought down for Chinnor to again clear to their 10 meter line, but when Cambridge ran the ball back to the Chinnor 22 they were forced into touch.
Cambridge continued to be camped in the Chinnor half and after another penalty they finally decided to go to the corner. Chinnor defended the rolling maul but at the expense of another penalty. After another rolling maul was halted forcing Cambridge to spread the ball, Chinnor centre Will Blakemore was shown the yellow card for illegally halting the move, for what appeared to be a high tackle.
Again, Cambridge went to the corner, and this time their rolling maul rumbled over, with hooker Ben Brownlie being credited with the try. The conversion was good so the visitors now led 7-5 after 35 minutes.
Chinnor’s response was to launch a huge up and under which bounced off a Cambridge leg. After Chinnor regained possession, another high kick was gathered by monster lock Keiran Frost, who broke through several tackle to charge to the half-way line. Fortunately for Chinnor, his attempted pass to find Asiedu went behind the winger and into touch.
In the poor conditions, both sides were concentrating of attritional, kicking rugby and another Chinnor high-kick was fielded by Asiedu, who was able to make 20 yards from his own 22, and when the ball was reworked, Cambridge kicked to the Chinnor 10 metre line. The Chinnor line out wasn’t straight, and from the scrum, Cambridge were able to take advantage of the extra man to fashion a 2 on 1, but Aseidu was tackled short of the line, and Chinnor had a drop-kick from behind their goal-line.
Cambridge continued to press upon regaining possession, but Chinnor were able to turnover the ball, and gratefully kicked the ball off to end the half trailing only by 5-7.
During the interval the wind further strengthened in Chinnor’s favour and the home side would have come out for the second half with good expectations to take advantage of the elements. However, they immediately mis-judged the strength of the wind with the restart going long, resulting in a scrum to Cambridge on the half-way line. However, Chinnor won a penalty at the scrum and were back in the Cambridge 22.
In a pattern that was to be increasingly repeated, Cambridge stole the Chinnor line-out and won a penalty at the breakdown to take play to their 10 metre line. A rare handling error by the Cambridge backs saw Chinnor fly-hack the ball back into the Cambridge 22.
Chinnor were increasing the pressure, and a fine break by Nick Smith unfortunately for him ended with a pass just too far ahead of Worrall and bounced into touch. Chinnor won a penalty at the subsequent scrum and again went to the corner, only to again lose the line-out. The attempted clearance kick was charged down by hooker Marshall, but the ball went dead for a 22 metre drop-out.
In the 53rd minute, Chinnor centre Blakemore made a dangerous break, but the referee whistled for crossing to end the move. Cambridge cleared to their 10-metre line, but they were penalised for a not straight put-in.
The game was still attritional with, in particular, Cambridge’s attempted clearing kicks going backwards in the wind, but each time a red shirted player was able to gather.
Despite the ongoing Chinnor pressure, the visitors scored against the run of play with a well-worked try in the 58th minute. Chinnor dropped the ball in midfield, and Cambridge wing Joe Green picked up the loose ball and headed into the Chinnor half. After being tackled, a superb offload released fly-half Steff James to sprint down the touch-line and over in the corner for his side’s second try. Despite a good effort from the touchline and into the wind, the conversion attempt drifted just wide, but it was now 5-12 to Cambridge.
Chinnor continued to dominate possession and after a series of offences by Cambridge they were back with a line-out 5 metres from the Cambridge try-line. Again, Cambridge defended well, and stole the ball at the ruck for yet another turnover.
Chinnor were still camped in the Cambridge 22 and in two consecutive plays lost their line-out to butcher two more promising positions.
With 6 minutes remaining, Chinnor ironically turned over Cambridge possession just over half-way, but the kick ahead went straight to a Cambridge player, and as they ran back at Chinnor, a series of passes and off-loads down the right wing saw prop Seb Brownhill go over for the try, and a fabulous conversion from out wide by James looked to have put Cambridge out of sight at 19-5 with 7 minutes left to play.
Cambridge still needed another try for the crucial try bonus point but a super 50:20 kick from Feeney took Chinnor deep into the Cambridge 22, and when a move down the blindside was halted by a deliberate knock-on, Hema was shown the yellow card. Despite much shaking of his head, it was an obvious decision for the referee.
Cambridge again defended the 5 metre line-out albeit at the expense of a penalty, and then kept out a Chinnor tap and go but another penalty was awarded. The referee kept his cards in his pocket, and another tap and go close to the try line was thwarted, but with the defenders sucked in, replacement scrum-half Walsh darted over. Crucially, the conversion went well wide so it was now 10-19 with time just about up.
With the clock ticking, both sides needed a try to claim a bonus point. From the kick-off, Chinnor tried to run the ball but lost the ball in the turnover, and as Cambridge attacked, the long pass out to Asiedu was ruled forward when the wing looked likely to score. Cambridge again won turnover ball as Chinnor tried to run from their 22, but a pass was intercepted by Chinnor centre Grant Hughes, who had the legs to run 80 metres to score under the posts to enthusiastic cheering from the home faithful. Hughes drop kicked the conversion to bring the score to 17-19 but the referee blew the final whistle thereafter to end the game.
Yet again a match between these two sides at Kingsey Road ended with a margin of fewer than 4 points, but overall Cambridge were worthy winners. Chinnor would be disappointed that they squandered a lot of promising attacking positions in the second half by failing to secure their line-out possession, and the scale of turnover ball the Cambridge back-row were able to achieve.
Cambridge would be disappointed by failing to getting the try bonus point so slipped another point behind Rams. On a day when many thought the score might be 45-40, the weather conditions made this a low scoring game. Despite losing the game, the losing point took Chinnor another point closer to securing National League One rugby for next season, now lying 11 points clear of third bottom Taunton with three matches left to play. A bonus point win next week against bottom of the table Hull would ensure survival.
