Chiswick Win Includes Try of the Season Contender

Rugby Result : Chiswick 18 Brighton 5

A cold January afternoon got steadily warmer for the hosts, but more miserable for an increasingly desperate Brighton team, marooned below Chiswick near the bottom of London 1 South.

In the earlier fixture, at Brighton, Chiswick had secured victory with a penalty goal in the last minute, and from the outset Brighton were clearly determined to reverse this result, attacking strongly and keeping Chiswick penned in their own half for the first ten minutes.

1st XV Man of the Match Award, Sponsored by Snappy Snaps Chiswick

Scrums and lineouts were pretty even, and the tackling good by both teams. Dave Hill, at full-back made a couple of early breaks, with Ed East and James Bunbury providing speedy support, but Brighton swallowed these thrusts well. They also kicked effectively into space, and Dan Purkiss, having taken a good catch, was penalised for holding on. The Brighton kick for the corner went dead, however, and luck remained with Chiswick for most of the match.

A relieving kick by Hill was run back down the left wing by Brighton, the move, however, being stopped almost at source by the flying figure of James Dibble, the Chiswick tackling machine. Seventeen minutes in, and Chiswick, having finally got into the Brighton half, were awarded a penalty for obstruction, whereupon Simon Hallett opened the scoring with a penalty goal. The first try, which followed 7 minutes later, was probably the try of the season. A clean lineout take was moved swiftly along the line in the home half. Simon Allen-Clarke was in the middle, taking the pass from Hallett. The ball was shipped wide to James Bunbury, but he was stopped. Possession was retained, and Hill came into the line. Stewie Parmeter and Russ Dovey carried on the move up to the half way line. Sam Leslie-Miller and Allen-Clarke were the next two handlers, followed by Hill, Bunbury and Purkiss. Leslie-Miller and Rikki Darroch carried the move forward into the Brighton half. Dovey, Sam Biss and Hallett set up the next surge, Hallett handing off one defender before passing inside to Sam Hobbins, in the Brighton 22. How magician Allen-Clarke managed to take the next pass and get it out backwards to Leslie-Miller will remain a mystery, but after this feat Chiswick just had to score. Leslie-Miller got close to the line before Dibble had to help out. Hallett, Godfrey and Bunbury then each took tackles and passed out, allowing Ed East to swoop in at the left corner. 26 phases at least. How everyone wants Chiswick to play.

Brighton came back strongly, and Chiswick were forced into a series of hard tackles, with everyone having to pull their weight. Sub Tom Steer had to replace a limping Bunbury as the onslaught continued, and Dibble did well to hook a ball whilst going backwards fast as Brighton upped their scrummaging pressure. A series of well-aimed high kicks tested the home defence further, but they survived until a Brighton knock-on heralded half-time.

Chiswick started the second half with renewed vigour, and a good kick-off by Hallett was retrieved by Darroch to set up a home attack. Matt Cooper had a couple of runs at the Brighton defence before they incurred the ref’s wrath, allowing Hallett to slot an easy kick. Brighton soon had Chiswick under pressure, and got to the try line before Chiswick managed a turn over. Back to the other end, and Chiswick got a second try after Leslie-Miller had taken the catch near the tail of a five metre lineout.

When the ensuing maul came close to a halt, backs joined in the fun, and it was East again who got the touchdown. A tremendous conversion kick by Hallett gave Chiswick a (fairly) comfortable lead, and although Brighton got a great try back after a clever kick by their fly half into the tiny in-goal area at the river end of the pitch, the home team held out in a very physical battle to the end.

Chiswick team:- Cooper, Dibble, Parmeter, Hobbins, Allen-Clarke, Biss, Darroch, Leslie-Miller, Dovey, Hallett, Purkiss, Godfrey, Bunbury, East, Hill, Chraplewczyk, Copperwheat, Steer

January 16, 2017