Rugby Result - Chiswick 29 Old Millhillians 12
By the time Chiswick had brushed the cobwebs aside, Millhillians were five points in front, courtesy of a snatch and grab by their scrum-half at a five metre scrum as the ball came loose behind the home pack. Indignantly, the home threes got into their stride, but it was obvious that Millhillians were going to throw everything into their tackling, and good breaks by Ben Hinze, Simon Slattery and Mark Jones were all stultified.
The home forwards soon got on top in the scrums and lineouts, where Mark Williams was outstanding, but it was a mid-field turnover by flanker Al Pickering that led to the first home score, with Jones and Hinze making mini-breaks before getting the ball to Williams, who held off tackles to score near the posts. Luckman converted. Soon Chiswick were further ahead, Jones accelerating through a small gap after a lineout take and simple passes along the line. Luckman pushed the conversion attempt wide.
The second half brought a Millhillians revival, although Chiswick scored first when right wing Adrian Lewis fielded a hopeful clearance kick and produced a brilliant cross-field kick of his own for a grateful Lee Miller, on the other wing, to run onto and score wide out. Strangely, this conversion caused no problems for Luckman. Millhillians started pressurising the home defence, and eventually were rewarded, when a well-worked tapped penalty routine, going left and then switching right, led to their centre burrowing through the middle of the defensive line to score under the posts. The conversion succeeded, and it was game on.
Both teams were struggling to make an effective break, but Chiswick dominated territorially, and Luckman slotted a penalty kick to relieve the pressure. With the visitors beginning to tire, Chiswick got well on top. The final score was a deserved try for the rampant No.8, Nick Pritchard, after hooker Elliott Pickering had nicked one against the head. Prichard picked up, and sailed past several defenders as if they were dummies, to touch down elegantly under the posts. Luckman added the icing.
Chiswick team :- Donaldson ( Johnson ), Pickering E, Campbell, Williams, Pickering M, Maguire ( Smith ), Pickering A, Pritchard, Ambrose, Luckman, Miller, Hinze, Jones, Lewis, Slattery
January 9, 2006
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