Amersham & Chiltern 1st XV 0 - 44 Bournemouth 1st XV

AMERSHAM & CHILTERN 1ST XV 0 vs 44 BOURNEMOUTH 1ST XV

Amersham & Chiltern took on league leaders, Bournemouth, last Saturday 7th January, at home at Weedon Lane, hoping to improve on the 85 – 14 drubbing that they received from the same team earlier in the season at visitor’s ground. Bournemouth, having amassed 65 league points already this season and way out at the top of the league, were hoping for more of the same.

As it turned out, Chiltern put up a brave and stubborn defence to keep the Bournemouth attackers at bay, until a try just before half time, when they were a man short, turned the game.

With the home side falling foul of the (rather inconsistent, it must be said) referee on numerous occasions from the outset, but indicative, perhaps, of the pressure the visitors were exerting, Bournemouth were able to convert three penalties for a 9 – 0 lead, but with only 5 minutes to go to half time. Chiltern would have been happy with a 9 – 0 half time score, with the slope and, to a degree, the wind, going to be in their favour in the second half. However, the referee saw fit to sin-bin, Chiltern’s full-back, Chris Jacks on the 35 minute mark and a breakaway from the visitor’s 22 metre line soon after exposed the gap left by the absent Jacks for a score under the posts, converted, to give Bournemouth a 16-0 half time lead.

This score rather took the wind out of Chiltern’s sails and, with the scrum under pressure, as it was for most of the game and still a player short, Bournemouth scored two well-worked tries in the first quarter of the second half to take the game away from Chiltern. Back to full strength, Chiltern did manage a number of forays into the visitor’s territory, but were well repulsed. Time was running out, however, before Bournemouth scored their bonus point try through their scrum-half, Sam Hardcastle, who found a gap down the short side. The conversion made it 37 – 0 and with time ticking away, the visitors managed another try from a 5 metre scrum to end up convincing 44 – 0 victors.

This was disappointing for Chiltern, but it was a far better performance by them than the last fixture between the two sides and Bournemouth supporters acknowledged that the home side “made life very difficult for the divisional leaders for long periods, especially in the first half, with their defence, especially in the threes, giving their opposite numbers very little time on the ball”.

Despite the loss, Chiltern remain third from bottom of the league and only one point behind Oxford Harlequins. Next week Amersham & Chiltern play lowly-placed Newbury Blues away and, with some key players also returning from injury and unavailability, a big win is desired and should be within their grasp.