CHARD RUGBY REPORT
FOR
SATURDAY
28TH OCTOBER 2006
Chard 1st xv did not have a game and this gave some of the players an opportunity to recuperate from early season injuries.
The 2nd xv and 3rd xv were both due to be playing Minehead but although the 2nd xv game at Minehead went ahead as planned, the 3rd xv were left disappointed as Minehead failed to turn up. However as 20 chard players were present at the club the appointed referee agreed to a 10 aside match rather than have everybody leave without a game.
Minehead 2nd xv 10pts Chard 2ndxv 14pts
With no first team game Chard coach Pete Harrison took the opportunity of casting his eye over the 2nd xv in a rare chance for him to see these players in a competitive situation. Skipper Lee Brun took a squad of 20 to the game which included first team back row forward John Porter looking to regain fitness after 4 weeks on the sidelines with injury .
Chard won the toss and elected to play up the considerable Minehead slope in the first half. Predictably Chard were on the defensive for much of the opening quarter as Minehead did their best to take advantage of the slope. However they found that the Chard defence particularly the backrow of Hughes, Summers and Porter in superb form and they rarely looked like scoring even though they had a big territorial advantage.
As the game settled down after a hectic beginning Chard got much more into the game and made several good breaks into the Minehead 22metre area. Chard were awarded a penalty after 15mins play but Nicholls just failed with the kick which drifted wide of the posts. Chard were now in the ascendancy and looked good in the pack, particularly in the set pieces. After 35mins the pressure finally told on Minehead and Chard went ahead with a textbook try from a lineout. Summers won good ball and the forwards drove Minehead back over the line to set up a simple try for hooker John Wallis. Scrum half Paul Nicholls slotted the conversion with ease and Chard led 8pts to nil at the Interval.
Chard had lost the services of lock forward Jamie Adams to injury in the first half and Porter also had to receive treatment after suffering a blood injury.
At the beginning of the second half Chard looked and played as if they just had to go through the motions to win now that they had the slope in their favour. They soon realised however that the home side knew how to play the conditions and it came as no surprise to the spectators when they pulled 5 pts back with a nice try from Dominic Westcott in the left hand corner. The try was unconverted so Chard still had a narrow advantage.
The game was now very competitive indeed and evenly contested by two well matched sides. After 25mins Chard turned on the style to score a superb try. The forwards won good ball and for once the ball flowed down the threequarter line to wing Nigel Baker. He beat two men on the outside and linked up with skipper Brun and centre Danny Crabb. The ball went to ground, was recycled well and Twigg went over for a terrific try. Nicholls converted and again showed with his general play and his kicking that he could become a very useful player. Chard should have gone further ahead again but with a four man overlap outside him Wallis decided to kick the ball and a golden opportunity was lost. Minehead again showed what a useful side they were and a lovely counter attack resulted in full back Hayward going over in the corner for an unconverted try. Chard held on to win a tight game because they had been able to convert their scores which the home side were unable to do.
CHARD TEAM:- LOVELOCK, WALLIS, JONES. ADAMS, KING, SUMMERS , PORTER, HUGHES, NICHOLLS, TWIGG, KING, CRABB,GOLD, BAKER, BRUN. REPLACEMENTS (ALL USED) WRIGHT, LARCOMBE, PARTRIDGE, DAVIES,BAKER
NEXT SATURDAY
1ST XV AWAY V GORDANO (SOMERSET PREMIER LEAGUE ) KO 2.30PM
2ND XV HOME V NORTH DORSET (DORSET AND WILTS LEAGUE) KO 2.30PM
3RD XV AWAY V BATH OLD EDWARDIANS KO 2.30PM
GLYN HUGHES
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