Wells Preserve Record Against Improving Chiswick

Rugby Result :Tunbridge Wells 46 Chiswick 18

With over thirty wins on the trot, Tunbridge Wells found themselves 13-12 down at half-time to lowly Chiswick. A vociferous team talk, tastily laced with suitable invective, brought them out fighting for the second half, and lo-and-behold, the heavens opened to assist them.

In the first half, Chiswick had failed to take full advantage of wind and slope, some of the inevitable kicks being too easy to field, and with a speedy Tunbridge back division eager to run, the end result was often to lose ground, rather than gain it. Tunbridge dominated early possession, were quicker to the ball and very confident. Continuous initial pressure met determined Chiswick defence until the excellent home scrum half danced his way through the thin line from ten metres out and touching down behind the posts. The easy conversion followed. Within a couple of minutes Tunbridge were further ahead after they had contrived a three-man overlap on the narrow side of a ruck on the Chiswick 22. The kick failed, but Tunbridge could relax under a bluish sky.

Chiswick began to buck their ideas up, and after a home player had challenged the Referee’s decision, the ten metres gained allowed Simon Hallett a kick at goal. It was pulled just left. Another home mistake allowed Hallett to gain a five metre lineout, from which Mat Newman nearly scored. With the Chiswick pack on the rampage, Tunbridge came under real pressure, and started making mistakes. Hallett had another kick, and slotted this one. Chiswick were gaining an advantage in the scrums now, and with over-eager home players getting offside the momentum was with the visitors. A brilliant break by the home centres, however, nearly led to a breakaway try. In turn a poor kick by a home defender was turned into a blistering attack by James Bunbury, taking play well into the home 22. Chiswick did well to select the scrum option, but could not manage a try even after pushing the home pack back five metres. Another Hallett touch kick gave Chiswick another five metre lineout, with the ball thrown straight into Sam Hood’s safe hands. After abortive attempts by Bunbury, Gabs Lowe and Simon Allen-Clarke, it was Tom Muskett who got the touch-down in the right corner. Hallett’s kick was blown just right of the posts.

Within a couple of minutes, Chiswick gained another similar lineout, and this time the pack mauled over the line, with Riki Darroch taking the congratulations. Hallett’s miss was a carbon copy of the previous one, but half-time arrived immediately, as did the rain.

Facing the slope and 45 degree rain, Chiswick no doubt wanted to tuck the ball under their shirts and ride it out. Unfortunately it was too easy to knock the ball on, and the mistakes which followed gave the home team plenty of chances. Firstly they went ahead with a simple penalty kick, and then scored a try under the posts after winning a lineout. 22-13 after the kick, and no let up in rain or pressure. Ed East did well to beat a rapid opponent to the touchdown after a clever home kick, but the next attempt, a diagonal one from the right wing, towards the posts was a killer, bouncing back from the post straight into the hands of the home wing. 29-13, twenty three minutes to go and no really conceivable way back for the visitors. The rain did ease, but Chiswick had lost Jamie Millais to injury by this stage, with Rich Stratford coming on to face the onslaught. Almost immediately he was the successful last line of defence as the home No.6 showed his paces against a tiring pack.

Not to be outdone, the home fly-half sprinted right round the Chiswick defence to score under the posts. 36-13. Chiswick were not done, however, and Darroch’s tackle from behind on a home prop who looked clean through was exemplary. Bunbury and Muskett both made useful runs as Chiswick refused to lie down. With five minutes to go, Hallett put East away from the Chiswick 22. Finding Steer in support, East gave him the ball, and the full back, who had been limping just before, raced the home full back to the right corner for a splendid try. Hallett could not convert this one, however, and Tunbridge wrapped things up with two late tries.

Next match – Maidstone (H) on the 22nd of October.

Chiswick team:- Shattock, Filbey, Newman, Hood, Allen-Clarke, Hobbins, Darroch, Leslie-Miller, Lowe, Hallett, Millais, Bunbury, East, Muskett, Steer; Chraplewczyk, Biss, Stratford

October 11, 2016

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