‘Chiltern secure derby day double as Aylesbury never give up’.

Amersham and Chiltern RFC 1XV: 32

Tries: 4
Conversions: 3
Penalties: 1
Drop goal; 1

Aylesbury RFC 1XVF: 24

Tries: 3
Conversions: 3
Penalties: 1

Always eagerly awaited and it never disappoints. The Amersham Aylesbury derby is always hard fought with the winners undoubtedly being the biggest grinners in Bucks.

Top place versus 9th place and with home advantage, (following a 22-26 September win away) the betting was probably firmly with A&C. In good conditions and a freshly raked and rolled pitch the scene was set for a Bucks banger of a match.

Just a few minutes after kick off and early Amersham pressure Aylesbury found themselves a wee bit eager to defend. Offside Tom Fawssett secured an early penalty. After further pressure towards the Clubhouse it was our top scorer and try machine Jordan Scott (Number 8) who took the ball off the hip of a team-mate to then run under the posts untouched. Followed by a Fawssett conversion.

A brooding Lloyd Anderson at Centre then burst into action following some great build-up play slicing through a poor defence and again found space under the posts to flop over for a terrific straight forward try. Again, a Fawssett conversion (17-0).

Tom Fawssett then scored in the corner for our 3rd (missing a tough conversion) before the final try (jinky scrum half Alex Bower with a hop step and jump) securing our bonus point win.

Aylesbury fought hard throughout playing some decent rugby and relentless in defence. Outstanding performance from their stand-off both with the boot, distribution, and handling. Three tries in total and very late try to conclude. Good effort.

The grand finale and pride of place on ‘rugby dump’ was Aaron Lewis’s audacious drop goal. The crowd stood silent and in awe as they witnessed probably one of the best and longest drop goals in Weedon Lane history. From just over the halfway line.

Best wishes to Jacques O’Driscoll and Lloyd Anderson who both needed some love, care and attention at hospital. Jacques rescuing his good looks after a wee bit of head damage and Lloyd fixing his fingers and thumb after experiencing a wee bit of trauma after contact and running too fast.

After a weekend off we return to Weedon Lane on Saturday 27th January 2024 to welcome 6th place Chobham. This follows our (12–51) win back in October. This fixture follows our Friday evening’s entertainment celebrating the life and times of Rabbie Burns. The club will be decked in tartan as we celebrate the good poet and heritage of probably one of the finest countries in the world. Details on website re attendance and payment.

Team
1. Doug McKenzie-Smith
2. Joe Batt
3. Charlie Swerling
4. Charlie Bourne
5. Jacques O’Driscoll
6. Harry Doyle
7. Josh Finch (Captain)
8. Jordan Scott
9. Alex Bower
10. James Morrison
11. James Lewis
12. Aaron Lewis
13. Lloyd Anderson
14. MacKenzie-South
15. Tom Fawsett
16. Chris Joyce
17. Bojan Ceracic
18. Tim Hayes

To see the full match album follow this link: https://www.chilternrugby.com/photos/1xv-vs-aylesbury-1088720.html