November 15, 2024
As previously mentioned in these diaries, Chinnor and Cambridge had been royally shafted by the RFU with the late decision to reduce the number of participants in the Premiership Cup from 22 to 20, meaning the exclusion of the two bottom ranked sides ie bottom of the table in 2023/24 ( Cambridge ) and champions of National League One ( Chinnor ). There was no discussion of perhaps having a qualifying competition, whereby say, London Scottish, Caldy, Cambridge ( the bottom three sides in 2023/24 ) and Chinnor had a play-off for the right to be the final two sides in the Premiership Cup.
Of course, this decision was made after budgets, salaries, season ticket prices etc had been made on the assumption of at least one and maybe two home games in this competition. As Chinnor also famously remarked, there would also be a significant reduction in beer sales !
Additionally, Chinnor had to incur significant extra expense to meet the conditions to make their ground ready to play in the English Championship after promotion, whilst discovering that the funding from the RFU had been reduced so as to now just about cover the cost of the on-site ambulance and doctors required at this level.
Predictably, the ten sides from the Championship selected to play in the Premiership happily abandoned the previous solidarity of Championship clubs, with two lucrative fixtures against Premiership clubs to fill the coffers…….
Furthermore, the exclusion from the Premiership Cup has meant a five-week gap of fixtures in October and November, and seven weeks in January to March for Chinnor and Cambridge. This had been compounded by the Championship fixture list leaving Chinnor having just two home fixtures from the start of the season until early December.
With huge holes to fill, Chinnor and Cambridge enterprisingly agree to have their own competition, playing each other home and away for the Not The Prem Cup, with the return being played in Cambridge in March. Perhaps the winners could be guaranteed a place in the 2024/25 Premiership Cup if they don’t qualify by right from their position in the league table ?
Cambridge Update
Cambridge started the season with a disastrous 24-57 home loss to Chinnor, which suggested they would be in for a tough season. However, their response was a splendid 26-22 victory at Caldy.
Although their next two matches were lost, 19-36 at home to Coventry and 10-43 at Hartpury University, a second victory was recorded with an impressive 29-22 win over highly fancied Cornish Pirates.
Consequently, going into today’s glorified friendly, Cambridge were above both Pirates and Caldy, in 10th place in the Championship table. Chinnor were 6th.
Ex-Bedford fly-half Louis Grimoldby was their top points score with 29 points, whilst wing Elias Cavan, centre Samuel Hanks and lock Kayde Slyvester had all scored two tries. Hooker Morgan Veness made five appearances for Chinnor on loan from Ealing Trailfinders in 2021 whilst Direct of Rugby Richie Williams was a former Chinnor player.
Previous Meetings
Although Chinnor recorded a convincing win at Cambridge at the start of the season, matches between these two sides at Kingsey Road have historically been extremely close. In 6 encounters, Chinnor had won three and lost three. Five of the games had been decided by 4 points or fewer, with Chinnor’s 34-22 win in November 2019 being the exception.
The last meeting at Chinnor in March 2023 end in a 19-17 victory for Cambridge, who were on their way to winning National League One, although at the time many of their supporters thought that the failure to claim a try bonus point might ultimately cost them promotion. As it turned out their fears were unfounded.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/03/chinnor-17-19-cambridge-att-450-est.html
Matchday Information
Chinnor had previously enjoyed bumper crowds with their Friday Night Lights experiments with Rams and Rosslyn Park, so there were good reasons to play this match on the Friday night to try and maximise the attendance.
Ticket prices for the match had been reduced to £10 online prior to the game or £12 at the gate. A pint of XT3 West Coast IPA cost £4.95 at the XT bar for members.
A paper programme was produced for the match and cost £2 from the ticket office. However, this was not well publicised, with as far as Fatbear could tell, just one comment on Facebook advising the availability.
Cambridge made two changes to the starting XV that beat Cornish Pirates last time out, with Ben Brownlie replacing Morgan Veness at hooker and Jack Bartlett in at number 8 in place of Jared Cardew.
Eleven of the Chinnor starting line-up featured in their last match against Hartpury University, with wing Josh Hodson making his first appearance since 2022 after recovering from a long term injury, and ex-Leicester Tigers and Nottingham back row forward Scott Hall playing his second game for the club, with his first being in 2015/16 ! Five of the starting line-up were making their first starts of the season, all of them having to previously settle for coming off the bench.
Chinnor were also giving debuts to centre Tom Watson and lock Dan Cooke.
Tonight’s referee was Sara Cox, who was the first ever female referee to take charge of a match in the English Premiership. She has previously refereed a few games at Chinnor as both worked their way up the leagues. One of these games was a match against Rams in 2017, notable for the charm offensive from Chinnor fly-half Jonny Bentley on the lady referee ! Interestingly, the players tonight still had the habit of addressing the official as “sir” !
Cambridge, known as the blood and sand, were in a kit of all red with yellow trimmings, whilst Chinnor were in their usual black and white hooped shirts.
Match Report
Cambridge kicked-off but soon conceded a penalty for tackling the player in the air, enabling Chinnor to kick into the Cambridge half. A kick ahead found wing Ryan Crowley but he was forced into touch inside the Cambridge 22.
Cambridge secured their line-out ball and wing Matt Hema made a strong run down the touchline, but his offload was forward resulting in a scrum with a Chinnor put-in. Scrum-half Callum Pascoe kicked ahead from the scrum, but a favourable bounce enabled Hema to clear to the Cambridge 10 metre line.
Chinnor won a penalty near half-way, enabling Feeney to kick deep into the Cambridge 22 but the visitors stole the line-out and kicked long, but Crowley took the catch and set off on a mazy run before being illegally stopped. Chinnor took a quick tap, but the move ended with a wayward pass directly into touch.
Chinnor won the Cambridge throw and broke towards the Cambridge line, but after the move was stopped, fly-half Nick Smith saw the space out wide and kicked cross-field for Crowley to catch and step inside his marker to score. Bourton added an excellent conversion from close to the touchline to take the score to 7-0 after 8 minutes.
Cambridge’s attempts to break the Chinnor defensive line saw Chinnor captain Willie Ryan force a turnover, enabling Pascoe to kick deep into the Cambridge 22. When the visitors tried to run with the ball they conceded a penalty, which was kick to 5 metres.
Cambridge again won Chinnor’s line-out but then spilled possession and Smith picked up the loose ball and feed Bourton, who had a short run to score. Bourton converted his own try to make it 14-0 after 13 minutes.
Chinnor were then caught offside after a poor clearing kick from Pascoe, and after kicking to 5 metres, several drives and a penalty advantage saw hooker Brownlie barge over the whitewash. Grimoldby added the extras, so it was now 14-7 with 16 minutes played.
A messy period of play then followed, with Pascoe snared at a scrum but Cambridge kicked the subsequent penalty dead for a scrum back on the Chinnor 10 metre line.
Chinnor had a good shove at the scrum and Feeney’s kick bounced just outside the Cambridge 22 for a line-out to the blood and sand. Cambridge won their line-out and released their backs before sending a dangerous kick ahead. The bounce deceived Smith but Bourton was able to gather and clear.
Cambridge attempted to run the ball from the scrum but again lost possession in midfield, and debutant Watson picked up the ball and ran 60 yards to score under the post. 21-7 with 26 minutes on the clock.
The Cambridge response saw them win a penalty near half-way and kick into the Chinnor 22. They spread the ball wide from the line-out but as wing Joe Green dived for the line he was tackled into touch.
Cambridge were enjoying a period of pressure but the Chinnor defence was good when they went wide, and then from a scrum close to the Chinnor try line, number 8 Bartlett knocked on when trying to pick up at the base of the scrum. Chinnor were able to clear their scrum despite a good shove by the Cambridge pack but the visitors continued to swarm forward but were met by more good defence from Chinnor. Eventually Cambridge forced a penalty, and were back with a 5 metre line-out
Several Cambridge drives for the line were repelled, but with a penalty advantage centre Hanks picked up from the base of a ruck and crashed over from a couple of yards. Gromoldby again added the extras to take the score to 21-14 after 37 minutes.
Chinnor attempted to finish the half strongly but although their rolling maul rumbled towards the try-line an infringement was spotted to give a scrum to Cambridge, from which they won a penalty.
Cambridge lost another line-out and Feeney ran deep into the Cambridge half before being illegally stopped, and some back-chat moved the penalty 10 yards further forward.
Chinnor won their 5 metre line-out but were held up by some brave defence, which led to the half-time whistle.
The restart from Chinnor failed to go 10 yards and Cambridge took control and surged into the Chinnor half. However, Chinnor regained position and Feeney kicked back to the Cambridge 22. Hema attempted to run the ball back but was stopped by Cooke’s ferocious tackle and when Chinnor hooker Chris Moore picked up the loose ball he was illegally stopped.
Chinnor’s 5 metre line-out was eventually won after some pinball but a Dam Buster pass led to turnover ball, and Cambridge kicked to take play to their 10-metre line.
Chinnor won their line-out and pressed but Feeney’s grubber kick went over the dead-ball line for a Cambridge scrum on their 22.
Cambridge again coughed up possession, and Chinnor showed quick hands to move the ball, and although there was a hint that Moore may have knocked on before catching a pass, back row forward Harry Dugmore crossed the line for Chinnor’s fourth try. Smith’s conversion fell just short, but Chinnor’s lead was now 26-14 after 48 minutes.
Cambridge hit back instantly. A scrum penalty took them back into Chinnor’s 22, and after several probes the ball was moved to the right to Green in space, and the winger brilliantly stepped inside the attempted cover to score. Grimoldby’s conversion drifted wide so the score was now 26-19 with 52 minutes played.
Errors were now creeping into Chinnor’s play and Cambridge were looking threatening, with replacements scrum-half Pete White and back-row forward Ben Adams looking sharp.
A Pascoe kick ahead went dead and Cambridge attacked to the left, to the right and to the left again before Adams was illegally stopped, and Cambridge were back in the Chinnor 22. A series of drives yielded another penalty, and after a quick tap, Cambridge eventually scored in the corner, with I think Hema applying the final touch. Grimoldby again missed from out wide, but the scoreline had now reduced to 26-24 after 58 minutes.
With just two points separating the two sides, play became scrappy but when Chinnor replacement flanker George Stokes made a break, the offload failed to go to hand.
Cambridge then won another penalty to take play back into the Chinnor 22 but their line-out failed again with another long throw being claimed by Chinnor, who won a penalty to get back to half-way.
Cambridge’s next attack saw Adams and Green combined down the right wing to earn another penalty to camp again in the Chinnor 22. Several drives were held up as Chinnor looked to protect their two-point advantage and after Grimoldby’s kick ahead went dead with a penalty advantage, it was back to a 5 metre line-out.
Yet again Cambridge butchered their throw in by overthrowing, and Chinnor were able to clear to their 10-metre line. A Chinnor attack saw them tackled into touch 10 metres from the Cambridge line. Cooke stole the Cambridge throw and Chinnor spread the ball across the field only to give up another penalty for Cambridge to clear to their 10-metre line.
A Cambridge attack saw Hanks release substitute Matty Williams to run down the touchline but a crunching tackle into touch stopped the danger. After a short period of kick tennis, White went on a snipping run but after being stopped Cambridge opted for a cross-field kick which bounced into touch for a line-out on the Chinnor 10 metre line with five minutes remaining.
Ryan won the line-out for Chinnor and from Pascoe’s chip ahead, Chinnor’s number 21 showed great skill to push the ball in the air and then run on and catch it, but in their eagerness Chinnor conceded a penalty 15 metres from the Cambridge line.
White went on another good run for the visitors but his kick ahead into the Chinnor was covered by a defender and the clearing kick took play back to the Chinnor 10 metre line. With two minutes remaining it was still anybody’s game…..
Cambridge again lost their line-out by throwing long and Chinnor substitute hooker Will Cave collected and charged to the Cambridge 22, and with Pascoe in support, the pass enabled the Chinnor scrum-half to run in close to the posts. Smith added the conversion to move the score to 33-24 with 79 minutes played.
Although the match was now won for Chinnor, with the Not The Prem Cup being a two legged affair Cambridge sought to reduce the deficit and White again made progress with ball in hand only to be illegally stopped. Cambridge took a quick tap but Chinnor’s attempt to make an interception resulted in a knock on and a scrum to Cambridge on the Chinnor 10 metre line.
Grimoldby made a mini break but play was stopped due to a head injury to a Cambridge forward, and the groggy player had to leave the field. Cambridge had a scrum on the Chinnor 22, from which they went left and created an overlap for Hema to have an easy 20 metre run to the line, only for the winger to spill the ball in the act of catching. The final whistle immediately blew to leave the score 33-24
Chinnor will take a nine point lead for the return match in March so the competition is far from over. For long periods of this game Cambridge looked to have the edge over an experimental Chinnor line-up but mistakes led to four of the five Chinnor tries and promising positions were squandered through poor line outs.
However, the large crowd were treated to an entertaining game.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cFkE_026kg
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