CHARD RUGBY REPORT FOR SATURDAY  20TH OCTOBER 2007
by
Glyn Hughes

SOMERSET PREMIER LEAGUE        
CHARD 1ST XV 0PTS  WINSCOMBE 1ST XV 22PTS

Chard lost their unbeaten record in the league this season with what was probably their worst display for a very long time. Even making allowances for several enforced changes  in terms of  positions and personnel this performance was to be  frank quite dismal and made you wonder how on earth Chard had managed to win all their league games so far. Quite simply this was a  bad day at the office!!
On their first real attack into Chard territory  after six minutes play Winscombe took an early lead with a well worked move from a lineout and Tom Corbett got the try which Owen Howes converted. The Chard strength for some times has been in the forwards so it was a bad sign to see them  going backwards in the set scrums and also failing to win quality possession in the lineout.
The game was littered with errors from both sides but Chard were guilty more often than their visitors and they would pay dearly for these mistakes during the afternoon.
Chard did however begin to get into the game and thanks to the excellent play of Mark Parsons they drove Winscombe back and looked set to score themselves but some poor handling by the forwards close to the line resulted in Winscombe winning the ball and launching a counter attack from their own line. They moved the ball swiftly to the left hand side and fullback Owen Howes raced the length of the field to score his sides second try which fortunately from Chards point of view he failed to convert.
Chard were making a lot of elementary errors and this inability to get the basics right gave Winscombe their third try when their centre George Howes anticipated the situation well and intercepted a poor Chard pass in midfield to go through for an easy try which Owen Howes converted  to put Winscombe into a nineteen point lead.
Chard had good chances of their own and Ben King was halted just short of the try line after a fine move down the right wing. Chard were awarded a five metre scrum but again failed to get the basics right and could not win their own ball so  Winscombe were let off the hook again.
At the beginning of the second half Chard brought on Johnny Porter in the back row and Clive Derman came on for his first game of the season to bolster the front row.
Winscombe spurned several penalty attempts in an effort to get more tries but  were thwarted by some good Chard tackling and some very bad mistakes of their own. On two occasions they had the line at their mercy but knocked the ball on at critical times and Chard somehow survived the indignity of going further behind. Chard lost the services of skipper Wagstaff with a hip injury midway through the half and almost immediately Winscombe missed a penalty from right in front of the posts.
In a desperate attempt to get on the scoreboard  Chard decided to run penalties from deep in their own half but rarely gained ground before the moves broke down. In the dying seconds of a highly forgettable game Winscombe increased their lead with a penalty which was the only  score during the second half of the match.
Chard need to put this display behind them immediately and get back to doing the basics well..Winscombe were not that great a side but could well have easily scored forty points on the day. Hopefully Wagstaff will recover in time for next weeks league match at Chew Valley and get back to his best position in the forwards but this will no doubt depend on more of the first team squad backs being available and others getting back to fitness.

SOMERSET 3 SOUTH    CHARD 0PTS WIVELICOMBE 10PTS
Wivey were somewhat more street wise than Chard and just about deserved to  to win this very closely contested match

Next Saturday Chard 1st xv are away at Chew Valley, the seconds are at home to Wheatsheaf cabin crew and the thirds are at home to Castle Cary. All games kick off at 3pm.

HAVE YOU BEEN INSPIRED BY THE WORLD CUP AND WOULD LIKE TO GIVE RUGBY A GO?
Senior training is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm and juniors and minis on Sundays at 10am.
All welcome