Chiswick Vets Enjoy Their Revenge

Rugby result: Chiswick Vets 43 West London Vets 10

With huge support from numerous older boys wanting to shake off the winter blues, and starved of competition for several months, this was a romp in the sun for the home team, boasting an impressive back line, and very solid forwards.

The lineouts were more like aerial mauls than the conventional sort, with giraffes held precariously by their ankles, but the scrums were authentic enough, with plenty of grunts, and the general standard of play was high, with some moments of magic to stir the memories.

Chiswick attacked from the off, and Tombo ( Tom Bartholomew ) got very close to the line. Charlie Philips, at fly half, found his full back Frank Smal, coming at pace on the inside, and the latter took several tackles before a beautiful off-load gave Andy Lee the sort of pass five metres from the posts that we all dream of. Smal converted.

The home backs ( girls?) were enjoying lots of possession, courtesy of the hard-working pack, and some useful turnover ball. Simon Slattery produced a trademark long kick just inside the left touchline, and would have scored on the follow-up if the ball had not taken a final ( inevitable ) roll into touch. Dan Wellings then demonstrated the perfect dummy before the ball was knocked on. Typical Chiswick, sublime or cor blimey.

A penalty for failure to release gifted the home team another three Smal points before West London produced the goods. A break by their fly half found their No.8 in support, and although he was cover-tackled just short of the line, a lock up in support got his due reward. The kick failed. Slattery chased a Philips kick and made it to the line before realising that the referee was summoning him back for an offside offence. Dave Perkins managed to disrupt a promising rare West London movement, causing a knock-on, and with a quick heel from the ensuing scrum Chiswick produced a simple but classy move. The ball was passed smoothly from Philips to Tom Lovell to Lewis Hammond, and an inside swerve drew the defender before an outside pass put Slattery away. Third time lucky, and the conversion a gimme. West London came straight back, with a fly half break and a conjuring trick that mesmerised the defence, the resultant gap inviting the inevitable attack and leading to a try. The kick was, sadly, pulled well left.

Chiswick catapulted into action in the second half, and Roy Rhys Williams opened up the narrow side for Tom Lovell to put brother John in for a family try. Philips’ conversion attempt was not quite good enough. With Jack Sane throwing in near the visitors’ line, Chiswick got a quick ball from the middle of the lineout, and Tom Lovell, deciding it was time for the younger brother to score, duly did so. Philips converted.

Tim Yearwood was finally allowed a streak down the left line, finding Tomba inside him, but the cover defence was still good, and Chiswick could find no way through. The home backs were still hungry, and Philips, having scooped a loose ball up with his finger tips, set Tom Lovell loose again. Brynley Price, cruising up on the outside, got the ball, considered passing, thought long and hard, and then scored himself. Smal converted, and it was party time. Kelvin Campbell, with a hand clapped over a hugely swollen eye, gave the commands, and the antonymously nicknamed monarch of the Chiswick pack could be seen rescuing the ball from a determined mass of West Londoners.

The final try was another beaut. Andy Higgins sprinted down the right touch-line, took a couple of tackles and hurled the ball infield. It evaded a couple of tired Chiswick grasps, but Hammond managed to take control of it, and selling an immaculately conceived dummy, he mentally donated the money to charity and sauntered through. Smal slotted the final kick, and that was it.

Chiswick players :- Allen, Campbell; Parsonage, Sane; King ( cpt ), Perkins; Bartholomew, Mason; Price, Jarlaith; Lee; Barrington; Rhys Williams, Higgins, Wellings; Philips; Slattery, Defoe; Lovell T; McMorran; Yearwood; Smal, Hammond, Lovell J

February 8, 2010