Amersham & Chiltern 1st XV 38 - 22 Bridgwater & Albion 1st XV

AMERSHAM & CHILTERN BOUNCE BACK WITH 6 TRY, BONUS POINT WIN OVER BRIDGWATER & ALBION

Amersham & Chiltern 38 – 22 Bridgwater & Albion

Good weather greeted this lower table encounter at Weedon Lane last Saturday. Chiltern deserved their win through a dominant pack performance, but there was poor kicking from the backs and far too many penalties given away to say that this was anything like a vintage performance.

The home side kicked off, but the ball failed to go the requisite 10 metres, so Chiltern were immediately put under pressure and gave away a penalty, converted, allowing the visitors to go 3 points up after only 4 minutes. Missed kicks for touch again put Chiltern under pressure and they gave away another penalty soon after to go 6 points to nil down after only 12 minutes. The forwards were, however, looking solid and a good platform led to a break in the centre around the half way line. Good support and handling led to a try for centre Pete Johnson, unconverted, but bringing the score back to 6 – 5 to the visitors. With Bridgwater’s loose-head prop in the sin-bin, Chiltern then exerted even more pressure on the visitor’s scrum and, on 26 minutes, a huge drive and quick handling saw second row, Cam Gentles, in for a try, again unconverted, but giving Chiltern the lead at 10 – 6. On 34 minutes, again good pressure from the home side and a driven scrum on the visitor’s 5 metre line gave a try under the posts to flanker, Wayne Wilson, this time converted by Ross Bugden, for a score of 17 – 6. Chiltern were once again guilty of giving away penalties, however and the visitors converted two more before half time bringing the score back to 17 – 12 and remaining still very much in the game.

The second half kicked off with Chiltern in dominant form and a turn-over on the home side’s 10 metre line and quick handling found winger, Jerry Rice in space. No-one was going to catch the mercurial winger and he scored a good try under the posts, converted by Bugden, increasing the lead to 24 – 12. Ten minutes later, from a position deep in the visitor’s half, a trade-mark jinking run by centre Ross Bugden saw him scythe through the Bridgwater defence and score a brilliant individual try under the posts, converted by the same player, for a 31 – 12 lead. Bridgwater didn’t give up, however and scored a converted try themselves after a break through the centre and then converted yet another penalty to narrow the gap to 31 – 22. It was Chiltern that had the last word, however, when, with five minutes to go, good interplay in the visitor’s 22 put Cam Gentles in for his second try of the afternoon after an angled run, converted by Bugden and a final score of 38 - 22.

Next week Chiltern have the daunting task of playing second-placed, unbeaten, Chinnor away.