December 21, 2024
Two weeks ago, these diaries covered Chinnor’s home match against Doncaster Knights, which was played in the middle of Storm Darragh but was abandoned with 12 minutes remaining with Chinnor leading 18-13 due to the floodlights failing. The RFU committee subsequently met to decide if the score should stand, or the match replayed, and decided that the score stood. Doncaster were given 7 days to appeal, but yesterday the league tables on the RFU and BBC websites were updated to show the win for Chinnor.
Last Friday evening, Chinnor travelled to Nottingham and suffered another close loss away from home, with the score being 15-19. Chinnor had a kick to the corner which the last play of the game to set up a 5 metre line-out and rolling maul, but a T20 style boundary leap by Nottingham full-back David Williams kept the ball in play, and Nottingham gathered and kicked to touch to end the game.
Chinnor had now lost three away matches by a combined total of 8 points in their losses at Ampthill, Cornish Pirates and Nottingham. With the win against Doncaster now counting, Chinnor were now up to 8th in the table with three wins and five defeats.
Today’s visitors, Bedford Blues, arrived in third place in the league, and were expected to provide the toughest opposition at Kingsey Road so far this season. Bedford had a well-deserved reputation for playing open, expansive rugby, but the elements might not be in their favour today.
Bedford were the fifth opponent this season to play Chinnor in a competitive match for the first time, after Coventry, Cornish Pirates, Doncaster Knights and Nottingham.
Bedford Blues
Bedford were founded in 1886 and have been one of the leading sides in England. In 1975, under the captaincy of ex-England captain Budge Rogers, they won the John Player Cup, beating Rosslyn Park in the final.
When leagues were introduced in 1987 Bedford were placed in the Second Division and won promotion two seasons later. However, their stay at the top level only lasted one season, and they suffered two seasons in the third tier between 1993 to 1995. Another short-lived promotion to the Premiership was achieved in 1997, with relegation following at the end of the 1999/00 season.
Bedford have played in the Championship every season since 2001/02 with two second placed finishes, in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Last season Bedford finished in 4th place in the Championship.
The Blues play at Goldington Road, which has a capacity of 5,000 and is renowned for its slope and partisan home support. I have visited the ground on one occasion, turning up to watch them play Harlequins in the Third Round of the 1991/92 Pilkington Cup. Entrance was £4 and the programme cost 50p. Harlequins were the holders of the Cup, and their side that day include internationals Will Carling, Peter Winterbottom, Jason Leonard, Simon Halliday, Andy Mullins and David Pears.
Second Division Bedford had no internationals in their side, and Quins scored 5 tries on their way to a 33-3 win, with Bedford’s fly-half Andy Finnie’s penalty being the only points for Bedford. Finnie went onto become Bedford’s record point’s scorer in their history with a reported 2,616 points.
Bedford Blues This Season
Bedford began the season with a routine 45-19 home win over Caldy but had a wake-up call in their second game, getting stuffed 7-45 at Coventry.
Bedford responded with a narrow 35-32 home win over a tough Hartpury University side and notched up an impressive 28-24 victory at Cornish Pirates. Their final game before the 5 week break for the Premiership Cup saw Bedford beat unperforming Doncaster Knights 34-18 to sit in third position, four points behind unbeaten leaders Coventry.
When the season resumed, Bedford ground out a 17-10 success at Nottingham but then succumbed to their second defeat, going down 17-25 to Ealing Trailfinders. Last week the Blues were again victorious in a close game, winning 22-20 at London Scottish thanks to a penalty with the last kick, which took them back up to third place, albeit now 8 points adrift of Ealing Trailfinders.
The Blues’ average home attendance so far this season was 2,218, the second highest in the division behind Coventry, with the best attendance being 2,613 for the game against Doncaster Knights. Last season their average was 3,062, with a capacity crowd of 5,000 watching the New Year’s Day fixture against Coventry.
In the Premiership Cup, Bedford began with a 19-67 thrashing at Bristol Bears before edging home 26-6 in the local derby at home to Ampthill in front of a crowd of 3,845. Their third group game was a narrow 7-21 loss at home to Bath, with 2,790 spectators in attendance. The final three matches will be played in February, and the Blues would need to beat one of the Premiership sides to have any hope of progressing to the knockout rounds.
Bedford Blues Squad
Ex-Coventry fly-half William Massey was the Blues top points scorer this season with 60 pts, whilst ex-Ampthill full-back/wing Dean Adamson had scored 6 tries and had scored at Chinnor when playing for the Mob back in 2013/14. Adamson has scored more tries in the Championship than anyone else.
On loan Northampton Saints flying winger/full-back George Makepiece-Cubitt impressed with Rams last season and forced his way into England Under 20s despite playing for a National League One side, whilst winger Matt Worley has played three times for Hong Kong.
Utility back Joel Matavesi has played for Redruth, Newcastle Falcons and Northampton whilst centre and captain Michael Le Bourgeois was one of the few Jersey born players to have played for Jersey Reds, and also played for London Wasps.
Back row forward Fred Tuilagi, son of Freddie and nephew of Manu, played 26 times for Chinnor in 2021/22 and scored 9 tries, so played alongside five of today’s Chinnor squad !
In addition to Makepiece-Cubitt, Bedford have four other players on loan from Northampton, scrum-half Jonny Weimann, flanker Fyn Brown, prop Beltus Nonleh and full-back Ewan Baker. Hooker John Stewart is on loan from Bath.
The coach of Bedford is ex-Cardiff and Wales full-back Mike Rayer.
Matchday Information
The journey from Bedford to Thame is just under 45 miles and normally takes just over an hour. Many Blues supporters had made the journey.
Adult tickets purchased online were £17 but £14 for members. For over £65s it was £13 and £12 for students. Prices at the gate were £19 for adults and £16 for members. With the member’s 10% discount, a pint of XT Session Amber was £4.95. An online programme had been produced in advance of today’s game.
In anticipation of a large crowd today, a fish and chips van and an optimistic ice-cream van were present, in addition to the usual pizza, burger and coffee vendors.
The heavens opened twenty minutes before the kick-off but by 15.00 there were blue skies overhead. The temperature according to my phone was 11 degrees but with the traditional strong Chinnor breeze it felt a lot colder than that !
The Blues were in a kit of all sky blue whilst Chinnor were in their usual black and white hoops with black shorts and socks.
Bedford made 10 changes to their starting XV from last week due to injuries and squad rotation, but 6 of last week’s team were on the replacements bench, including Maisey, Tuilagi and Worley.
Chinnor made four changes to the side that started at Nottingham, swoping both half-backs so Callum Pascoe and Connor Slevin were in for Luke Carter and George Worboys, and Morgan Passman returned at centre. There was one change in the pack, with Robin Hardwick coming in a tight-head prop.
Commentary on the game was being broadcast by BBC Oxford Sport.
Match Report
Chinnor kicked off into the wind and Bedford immediately knocked on. Chinnor gained possession and pressed but scrum half Pascoe was flattened by an offside Blues player, enabling Chinnor to kick deep into the Bedford 22.
Bedford were able to get a tap to the Chinnor throw but it was untidy and they were forced to touch down inside their own in-goal area to give Chinnor the 5 metre scrum. Chinnor had a penalty advantage from the scrum and a bit of handbags in midfield ensued after the Chinnor move came to nothing, and Chinnor opted for another scrum.
After several drives from the home forwards, another penalty advantage was given but the Chinnor pack was held up so it was back for another scrum. However, this time the scrum penalty went to the visitors.
Although Bedford were able to secure possession from their scrum, they were under pressure and unable to get out of their 22. They were forced to kick but the kick was poor, and Chinnor were quickly back in the Bedford 22. A long floated pass reached winger Kieran Goss, who made ground towards the tryline but after being tackled, a chip ahead from Slevin hit a Blues defender and bounced into touch for a Chinnor lineout inside Bedford’s 22.
Bedford again won the Chinnor lineout and were able to kick with the wind to half-way. Again, the Blues won the Chinnor throw and after some scrappy play they kicked into the Chinnor 22, but after some kick tennis a kick from Slevin bounced into touch near the half-way line.
This time, Chinnor won the Bedford throw, and then won a penalty at the subsequent ruck to take play back into the Blues 22. Chinnor finally won their own line-out and fed wing Goss to break through the first line of defence, but after being tackled, several drives from the Chinnor pack for the line ended with a penalty to Bedford.
With 16 minutes on the clock, Bedford worked their way down field with two more penalties but despite the wind behind them only progressed to the Chinnor 10 metre line. A high kick from Makepiece-Cubitt was claimed by Goss, and Chinnor won a penalty after a series of drives from their forwards. Slevin kicked Chinnor back to midway into the Bedford half.
In a case of Déjà vu, Bedford won the Chinnor lineout but kicked down the throat of Goss, and after more kick tennis, Bedford kicked to Chinnor wing Browning, who chipped ahead, caught his own kick but after a few drives Chinnor kicked into the Bedford 22, only to see it returned to the half-way line.
Chinnor won their line out and took play back into the Bedford 22 only to lose the ball at the ruck, but a knock on gave them the input at the scrum with 24 minutes played.
It was now getting harder to identify the players, as their shirts were covered in mud. Chinnor went down the blind side from the scrum, and Browning was stopped just short of the try-line. Chinnor reworked possession and after several drives to suck in the defenders, the ball was spread wide, and a long pass gave Goss a routine run to score in the corner. A fabulous conversion from out wide and into the wind by Slevin made the score 7-0 after 29 minutes.
The restart from Bedford was enterprising, catching Chinnor sleeping as they kicked short and low, but a fly hack went long so Chinnor had a scrum on their 10 metre line. Chinnor were twice able to pick up at the base of the ruck to make yards before Slevin launched a kick high into the wind, which was knocked to give Bedford a scrum inside their own half.
After more kicking, Pascoe called for the mark inside the Chinnor 22 and cleared back to half-way. Bedford won the lineout and released their backs for the first time in the afternoon, with Adamson running down the touchline and then kicking ahead off his marker. He had the run over Browning but as the ball crossed the tryline, Goss, covering from the other wing, just got to the ball ahead of Adamson to prevent the solo score.
Chinnor had to kick out from behind their own tryline and when Bedford tried to run back to the Chinnor 22 they knocked on. Play was held up as Chinnor’s influential number 8 Willie Ryan had to be helped from the field with a leg injury to be replaced by Alfie North.
Pascoe made a snipping run from the scrum to get to half-way and then Goss sent a bouncing kick into touch for a lineout inside the Bedford half.
Bedford again kicked possession straight to Goss, who sent another kick bouncing into touch just outside the Bedford 22. After Bedford won their lineout this was repeated again, and then again, although this time Goss passed inside to Feeney to kick down field with the better angle. When the Bedford kick was returned, Browning was pinged for obstruction, and Bedford were able to have a rare lineout inside the Chinnor 22, only to fail to win their line-out ball.
Chinnor cleared only as far as Adamson, who set off on another dangerous run, but after being tackled the Bedford forwards engaged in probably a dozen drives, but good defence from the home side eventually forced a knock-on to end the half after 6 added minutes.
An attritional first half saw Chinnor head to the dressing rooms with a 7-0 lead despite playing against the strong wind. Bedford had dominated the lineouts, but their kicking had been poor, and Chinnor’s pack had the edge in the loose. It was the second week running that Chinnor had kept a clean sheet in the first half.
Chinnor returned the Bedford restart straight to Adamson, whose strong run was illegally halted, to give Bedford a lineout 10 metres into the Chinnor half. Bedford again kicked away possession, and Feeney kicked the ball back into the Bedford 22.
Play became scrappy as Chinnor pinned the Blues into their 22, and after 48 minutes a penalty to Chinnor gave them a 5 metre line-out. For once they won their line-out, and on the third drive they bundled over the try line, with Walker being credited with the score. Slevin pushed the conversion wide, but it was now 12-0 with 49 minutes played.
Although Feeney returned the Bedford restart back into the Blues half, Chinnor were penalized and then marched up the field 10 metres for dissent. Adamson made a break in midfield, and his forwards took play close to the Chinnor line only to be held up. However, the defending had been illegal, and Bedford opted for a 5 metre tap and go. Numerous drives were repulsed and Chinnor were eventually awarded a penalty on their own line.
The ball was kicked into the Bedford half, but Tuilagi was the recipient of a bone-crushing tackle from North as he attempted to run into the Chinnor half, and the penalty was given to the home side at the ruck. Chinnor failed to find touch, but Bedford then kicked out on the full to give Chinnor the line out just outside the Bedford 22.
Passman made a superb break breaching the Bedford defensive line but realising he was about to be tackled short of the line he attempted to pass to Goss in support, but the pass hit a Blues defender and bounced over the try line, but Bedford were able to touch down ahead of any Chinnor player.
As a result, Chinnor had the 5 metre scrum and with a penalty advantage, they went wide but Goss was just unable to hold onto the high pass with the line at his mercy. However, Chinnor sensibly opted to take the points from the penalty to go three scores ahead, and Worboys duly sent the simple kick through the uprights. 15-0 after 59 minutes.
Bedford were under pressure and conceded another penalty shortly after the restart, but Worboys’ kick to the corner was too strong and went dead. Buoyed by having a scrum near the half-way line, they forced a scrum penalty, won the line-out and won another penalty to get to with 10 metres of the Chinnor line.
By now the wind had dropped and Bedford launched wave after wave of attacks at the Chinnor line in a period of play lasting nearly 7 minutes, but they were unable to breach the heroic defense, and often going backwards, before finally winning a penalty. Bedford kicked to 5 metres and their rolling maul rumbled to the line, but Chinnor held them up and were awarded the 5 metre scrum.
With 70 minutes now played some wags near to me were suggesting it was time to turn off the floodlights, but play continued !
Chinnor won a free kick at their scrum for an early engagement and Feeney’s kick took play back into the Bedford half. When Bedford ran the ball back at Chinnor, a forward pass went directly into touch, but the referee had been playing an advantage, so once again they were camped back in the Chinnor 22. Bedford attempted to run from the lineout, but Le Bourgeois knocked on in the tackle.
Chinnor won a penalty from the scrum and Worboys played safe this time, kicking the penalty to the Bedford 10 metre line. Chinnor won their lineout and won a penalty at the subsequent maul, enabling Feeney to kick left-footed deep into the Blues 22.
Bedford again won the Chinnor lineout and Chinnor were pinged for going over the top at the ruck, so Bedford were able to kick to their 10-metre line. Unfortunately for the Blues their lineout tap was poor and Chinnor hooker Walker pounced on the loose ball, and Chinnor won the penalty at the ruck.
Again, the home side opted to go for the points, and Worboys sent his 40 metre kick through the uprights to take Chinnor to a 18-0 lead with 79 minutes on the scoreboard clock.
In the third minute of added time Chinnor took a cheeky short lineout but were then penalized. Bedford were back inside the Chinnor 22. Again, there were many charges for the line, but finally the Blues looked up and a long pass found Le Bourgeois in space to score in the corner and to deny Chinnor a clean sheet after all their indefatigable defending.
I am not sure if the conversion was missed or declined to save time to keep the game going in the hope of scoring again for a losing bonus point, but it was now 18-5 after 87 minutes.
Still play continued, with the referee advising one more minute left to play. It looked like Bedford had knocked on from the restart, but the referee ruled it had gone backwards, and tempers flared after a couple of robust tackles. Bedford had the penalty and kicked to touch, but after knocking on at the lineout the referee blew for full-time to give Chinnor an historic victory.
In their last two home matches, Chinnor had now overcome Doncaster and Bedford, both full-time sides, and had proved their right to play at this level. The conditions were not suitable for Bedford’s running game, but their tactical kicking was poor, and although they ruled at the lineout, they were beaten in the loose and struggled to find a way past Chinnor’s outstanding defending. Without doubt the better side on the day won.
With the four points from the game, Chinnor were now 7th in the table with 22 points from 9 games, whilst Bedford remain in third place.
