Big Crowd See Chiswick Fail to Take Revenge in Local Derby

Rugby Result: Chiswick 24 Hammersmith 42

With boat-race helicopters overhead, and a goodly number of spectators, this was an occasion for turning on the old Chiswick magic, and indeed for fifteen minutes it looked as if revenge for the defeat at Hammersmith was imminent.

Within two minutes a scorching break across field from the Hammersmith half by Sam Leslie-Miller was carried on and finally Gabs Lowe found Tom Steer in the right place outside him on the touchline to run over the line before cutting in to give Hallett a simple conversion.

A successful first scrum encouraged the home pack who had had a difficult time at Hammersmith, but the first Chiswick kick to touch showed Hammersmith’s competence in the lineout, and their desire to get the ball out wide quickly. Worryingly, on their first counter-attack, starting down the left wing, Hammersmith had a four man overlap by the time play got near the right touch line. Luckily, at this stage they dropped the ball.

When Hammersmith’s No.12 decided to run he broke two tackles, but then Chiswick had a good break down the right touch-line – conditions were really good for fifteen man rugby. Chiswick wasted a lineout in the opponents’ 22, failing to catch a long ball, which was collared by one of the Hammersmith’s backs. At the next opportunity, however, after a penalty for a high tackle, James Dibble found Jon Joyce with his throw, and an excellently-controlled maul ended with Dibble touching down amidst a pile of bodies. Hallett’s kick was pushed just wide.

Another long throw lineout by Chiswick was lost, and they then conceded a penalty. The resultant lineout in the home 22 was won at the tail, and Hammersmith, controlling possession well, switched the attack from side to side along the back line until a sudden thrust took their player through two tackles to score an unconverted try. Hammersmith, with plenty of possession, began to resort to high kicks as an alternative to passing the ball out wide, making it difficult for Chiswick to keep the game tight, obviously desirable in view of the need for the new arrangement of the backs, with Jon Olley at inside centre, Ray Brooks outside him, and Ed Peach on the wing, to settle down.

Chiswick, guilty of a high tackle, then allowed Hammersmith to score from the ensuing, very rapidly taken, tapped penalty. The kick failed. Hammersmith were soon ahead, however, with their full back coming into the line and beating an exposed Lowe with a couple of neat sidesteps. The kick came back off the post. Hammersmith had the bit between the teeth now, as Luca Vannini came on for an injured Lowe, and they soon got another try, in the right corner, tidy passing sending their rapid No.14 over the line, too far out for a conversion. Chiswick came back strongly, but then, desperate to finish a good attack by the home forwards in the Hammersmith 22, a weak pass was seized upon by that No.14, who ran the length of the pitch to take the score to 27-12. The same tactic, of the home forwards pummelling the Hammersmith defence in their 22, did produce a try just before half-time, when Chiswick created a rare overlap in the backs, and Peach scored near the left corner after five minutes of injury time. The kick failed.

Subs Sam Biss and Charlie Rigg came on enthusiastically in the second half, but Hammersmith made few mistakes, whereas Chiswick, chasing the game, made far too many. Rigg showed how to straighten the line, but usually safe hands kept dropping or knocking-on the ball. They very nearly got an interception, however, as Hammersmith kept up their passing game. It was Marc Copperwheat with a good bullocking run in mid-field who set up the next try, finding Ray Brooks in space, the outside centre transferring the ball inside to Olley, who made it to the line. Hallett converted this one.

It was probably the Hammersmith response which turned the match finally in their direction, when their bearded No.8 managed to get over the line from a five metre scrum despite the best efforts of several Chiswick defenders who actually stopped him initially. Soon after this, their No.14 really showed his skill and speed, given a few feet of space, running diagonally from left to right just in the home half, and then passing out to a tidy line of Hammersmith players who out-numbered the home defence. The conversion failed, but in the last fifteen minutes they got another unconverted try ( No.14, surprise, surprise ), Peach, as he had done previously, doing well to charge and put the kicker off, whilst Chiswick wasted several good opportunities which could have produced a very tight finish

Chiswick team:- Cooper, Dibble, Chraplewczyk, Copperwheat, Hood, Joyce, Kelly, Leslie-Morris, Dovey, Hallett, Steer, Olley, Brooks, Peach, Lowe; Rigg, Biss, Vannini

March 26, 2018