Chiswick Charge To Top

Rugby Result: Old Hamptonians 10 Chiswick 49

The youthful home team gave Chiswick a match in the backplay, but failed to cope with the surging confidence of the Chiswick pack, boosted by the recent stunning demolition of Hemel Hempstead. With Ashmoleans finally losing a game, Chiswick are now top of London 4 NW.

Although the Chiswick forwards were in control of the scrums from the outset, the Hamptonians tackling made progress slow for the talented Chiswick backs and the hard yardage was achieved mainly by the forwards. Marc Jones proved the exception, recovering his own chip over the home back line, and needing three tacklers to stop him.

The Chiswick pressure was inexorable however, and with their pack wheeling the home eight at will, the home line was soon at their mercy. Soon captain John Gibson got close enough to dive over, only for the ref to decide the ball was held up. After Al Pickering and Jan Joubert had also gone very close, Tom Duffy used his long arms to stretch over for the first try, which he proceeded to convert.

Chiswick then conceded a penalty for preventing release, and Hamptonians kicked a good long penalty. Chiswick’s finishing was untidy, and it looked as though they were going to pay when Hamptonians achieved a sizzling midfield break. Adie Lewis and Ben Cheston managed to overhaul the home player just in time. Lewis Hammond, the last line of defence then had to produce a well-judged try-saving tackle, before Lewis decided enough was enough, snaffling a poor pass from behind a home player and lolloping the necessary eighty odd metres to the home line. Duffy got a good conversion, and Chiswick were on their way.

Al Pickering and Aram Delaney were rampaging in the loose, but Hamptonians came back, and a high tackle followed by some criticism put the in a strong position. Good mauling took them close to the Chiswick line, but a knock-on gave Chiswick relief. A further advantage came when a home forward was sin-binned for persistently offending. Deciding, rightly to take a scrum, being close to the home line, Chiswick’s pack achieved enough momentum for Pickering to pick up at the back and swivel his way over the line. Duffy obliged with the kick.

Hamptonians started the second half well, a good move from their lineout putting their outside centre through on the inside shoulder of the fly-half, and side stepping neatly around a bemused Hammond to score under the posts. 21-10 after the conversion, but after the try-scorer had to leave the field with a leg injury it was all Chiswick. A Hammond-started counter-attack, involving Joubert and Rowan Tonkin, provided Cheston with the ball and a little room, he took off with Jones and Duffy in support, and the latter ran in a good try, which he converted himself. As Chiswick got more and more on top, the chances became more frequent, and despite Hamptonians’ best efforts further tries came from Cheston; from a great inside pass by Gibson; Pickering, and Dave McConnell. Duffy completed a great day’s work by converting all these for a full house.

Chiswick team :- Donaldson, Joubert, Davies ( Parmeter ), Tonkin, Delaney, Adams ( McConnell ), Robbings ( Rowley ), Pickering, Feltham, Duffy, Lewis, Gibson, Cheston, Jones, Hammond

December 23, 2008