Scarlet & Golds achieve the Trinity : Chobham 38 v Trinity 20
Chobham got back on the tracks on Saturday and their performance was clinical; the trinity of fantastic player discipline, total pack dominance and fast clean backs ball saw them add 5 league points to their tally as they aspire to get promotion. The game was played in great spirit and in the Chobham class shone through to take the game away form the visitors Trinity in the second half.
With 9 changes this week from the starting team against Twickenham, it was an exciting prospect ahead for the home teams supporters. Dan Benton and Matt Bosworth return to the second row, Sean Robbings made his 1st XV debut at scrum half, Oli Guy, Ollie Blackmur and Sam Davies returned in the backs, on the bench Ben Puttock returned with Sam French and Reece Finnerty alongside him. It was a big moment too for Magnus Barber who captained the Fowlers Wells team for the first time.
At a blustery, but dry Fowlers Wells Trinity kicked off and following a few Chobham mistakes kept the home team pinned in their half. After 5 minutes penalty line out on the 5m saw Chobham drive over for their opening try from Leon Nell. Having started to pressure the visitors Chobham’s prop Angus Hargan went to the sin bin for playing the ball on the floor, Trinity took the penalty and a straight hands to the left wing saw Costa score in the corner.
10 minutes later a sniping run by Trinity scrum half from inside their half sent The Mids off for what looked like a try again in the corner stopped by the tackle of the game by Barber on the line, only for the marauding Trinity support set up Costa for his second try. Sadly, Chobhams dominance could not be converted to points and too regularly they squandered opportunities, but they were finally rewarded on a visitors scrum when the ball came out of the back and Barber collected the ball to score a converted try, his first of the season.
Nells darts were spot on time and time again, allowing the jumpers to run the lineouts. The home team dominated the set play and their driving mauls at the line out were a big positive time and time again, despite receiving no reward from the referee when a driving maul from 20m out was taken down 5m out. The teams went in with the Scarlet and Golds 12-10 to the better at half time, the home team must have been very disappointed by the opportunities they squandered.
From the restart the Fowlers Wells team heads were up and Trinity transgressed immediately, giving Davies the opportunity to convert a penalty immediately. 5 minutes into the half a poor pass in the centres by Chobham allowed The Mids to counter attack and after a missed tackle their centre Mouna was able to run from his own half to score the first try of the half. From the restart again the visitors had problems and knocked the ball on, giving Chobham a scrum. From the set piece the Scarlet & Golds got the ball wide for Mousley to score on the right wing. But from the kick off Trinity took advantage of a poor exit to send scrum half Wilson in for their bonus point try.
Chobhams bonus point try came a quarter of an hour into the half when Sheppard went in the left-hand corner. The home team continued to dominate and a penetrating run by Blackmur set a multi phased attack on The Mids line, finally the offside offence allowed Davies to get his second penalty of the game. Chobhams fifth try came from an interception by French on the Scarlet & Golds 22m, he ran the length of thee pitch to score his first try for Chobham, converted by Davies. The final score of the day was Davies third penalty, taking his tally for the season to over 100 points. The game finished with 38-20 win for the Scarlet & Golds.
Head Coach Billy Davison said “the Chobham 1st team returned to winning ways in a hard-fought encounter. With a redemptive performance built on discipline, patience and a stunning afternoon from the pack of forwards, the team were back on top….on the field and in the league.”
Director Rugby Harry Norman-Walker said “our performance was as good as it’s been all season, our pack dominated and gave the backs a great platform to play off, the squads discipline also definitely was a huge positive as well as a man of the match performance from captain Barber.
We are now top in a three-way tie with Hove and Tiffs at the half way stage, we have only ourselves now to guarantee where we finish this season.”
As we have now concluded the first half of the season in Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex, sadly, Old Emanuel will be leaving the league as of immediately and taking up the place of Staines in Counties 3 – Surrey. All points accrued in the first round will be wiped to zero. This also means that Chobham have an additional free weekend on 10th December.
Starting
Leon Nell; Sean Bellion; Angus Hargan; Dan Benton; Matt Bosworth; Dan Warren; Magnus Barber; Sam Goddard; Sean Robbings; Adam Peever; Ollie Blackmur; Oli Guy; Josh Sheppard; Joe Mousley; Sam Davies.
Game Changers
Reece Finnerty; Ben Puttock; Sam French.
Elsewhere, The Crusaders beat Old Emanuel 2s 39-29 on the infamous Chobham hill and sadly the Chobham Colts lost 22-5 to Esher in the Waterfall Oak Cup Final at London Irish Amateurs.
Harry Norman-Walker
Chobham RFC Director of Rugby
