Chiswick Bounce Back From Disappointing Defeat

Rugby result: Imperial Medicals RFC 12 Chiswick RFC 42

Chiswick bounced back from last weeks disappointing defeat with a well earned away win against a side who will be up in the higher places in the league come the end of the season.

From the opening kick off Chiswick set the tone of the match with Davies catching the kick off and from the resulting ruck centre Simon Hallett was released in midfield and side stepped his way up field where only last ditch defence by Imperial stopped Mark Jones going over in the corner. This tempo was kept up by Chiswick for the first ten minutes with forwards Chris Morris, Ben Kelly and Glenn Tucker making separate rampaging runs which required last gasp defence from Imperial to deny Chiswick getting their first points in the match. On ten minutes Imperials defence was finally adjudged to be illegal and offered Chiswick the chance to kick for 3 points, unfortunately the wind conspired against fullback Tom Duffy and his kick sailed just wide.

Chiswick had all the play but with no end product in the first 30 minutes of the match with raid after raid on the Imperial try line being thwarted either illegally, Duffy missed 2 more penalties, or by bad execution by Chiswick backs which lead to at least 3 scoring chances being ruined. Finally on 32 minutes Chiswick got on the board from a lineout ten meters out from Imperials tryline, a good take in the line by Matt Pickering was followed by quick ball from Gill to Luckman who used Kelly to set up a ruck, using the quick ball Luckman finally released his backs in a constructive way and the ball moved down the line to winger Ade Gardener who went over in the corner, Duffy added the extra 2 points and Chiswick were finally leading 0-7, The remainder of the first half saw Chiswick dominating but unable to add to their one try lead.

A plea from the coaches to improve the performance in the second half was clearly shown by Luckman who within minutes of the restart marshalled his side into the Imperial half before sending Mark Jones through a gap who had the fullback to beat, he found a supporting Kelly on his shoulder who sprinted under the posts to score, Duffy added the 2 points and Chiswick lead 0-14. Imperial were now starting to crack and on 53 minutes Scrum half Neil Gill took a quick tap from a free kick and danced his way through the retreating defence to again go under the posts for a converted try to make the lead 0-21, two minutes later another 7 points were added with a try to Tucker after good work from Luckman, Hallett, Jones and Morris resulted in a 3 on 1 opportunity which Chiswick took with aplomb and converted to take it to
0-28.

Imperial got their act together for the next ten minutes and started to test Chiswick’s defence and move the ball around, Chiswick’s almost impenetrable rearguard was finally broken on 68 minutes for a converted try to take the score to 7-28. The Imperial score woke Chiswick up again and after sterling work in the Line out by Hood, who was now dominating both on his and the oppositions throw unleashed the Chiswick back line and Hallett broke through midfield finding Jones in support who likewise had Gardener on his shoulder and he raced past his man and went under the posts for his second try and Chiswick’s fifth to make the score 7-35. Chiswick scored their sixth and final try on 77 minutes when good work at the break down by Tonkin and substitute Matt Cooper saw Simon Hallett scamper over for the converted try which left fullback Tom Duffy with a record of 6 from 6 conversions on the day.

Chiswick let their concentration slip in the last minute to allow Imperial over for a consolation try on 79 minutes, however the reaction that Captain Jon Gibson asked for in the remaining seconds was given as Chiswick had one last raid on the Imperial line before the referee called for full time.

This was a good team performance which left the coaches happy but with plenty to think about in the first half performance. Man of the Match after much debate, mainly due to the outstanding performances of Kelly, Morris, Tonkin, Tucker and Hallett, went to Sam Hood who managed in the 80 minutes to steal more than ten lineouts from the opposition throw.

Team: Duffy, Jones, Hallett, Gibson, Gardener, Luckman (Helliwell), Gill, Davies (Parmeter), Tucker, Hood, Pickering (Cooper), Morris, Kelly, Joyce

T: Gardener (32 min), Kelly (48 min), Gill (53 min), Tucker (55 min), Gardener (68 min), Hallett (77 min)
C: Duffy x6

MOM: Sam Hood

September 27, 2010