Weston-Super-Mare sets the standard

for a completely new-look Chiltern side going to the end of the M4 to play Weston-Super-Mare in the first League game of the season. Through injuries, new signings and other reasons, there were only four players in the side that ended the season for Chiltern just four months earlier.

In the event, Amersham & Chiltern were outclassed in all departments by a very physical and well-drilled Weston team, who were bent on revenge after their 'double' home-away defeat by us last year. Chiltern have now a very good idea of what level they will need to play at this season to survive in this League.

Following a successful 3-point penalty after five minutes, Weston produced a driving maul over half the length of the pitch that Chiltern were unable to withstand, taking them well into Chiltern's 22. A quick release then led to a try in the left-hand corner, unconverted, extending the home side’s lead to 8-0.

Chiltern did produce a good passage of play after this that took them close to the Weston line, but just when it looked like a try was inevitable, Weston’s full-back intercepted a pass and ran the full length of the pitch for a converted try.

Further Weston driving mauls followed and resulted in flanker Tom Grammenos being sin-binned for collapsing the maul. From a scrum on the Chiltern 5-metre line soon after, poor defending allowed the Weston No10 to drift through the depleted defence for another converted try. And, on the stroke of half-time, the same player repeated this for another try, making the score at the break 29-0.

Chiltern improved in the second half, scoring two tries through winger Sam Portland and centre David Hughes, following good handling and support from the forwards. There could and, maybe, should have been two more scores, with Chiltern being held up just short of the try-line. Then, suddenly, Weston’s full-back intercepted yet another pass right on their try-line, running the full length of the pitch for his own personal hat-trick.

With nine tries in total, Weston had proved their dominance and the final score was 58-10.

Chiltern, unsurprisingly, looked as they actually were - a side that had not played together before. They were also unlucky to lose their new skipper, Craig Webb, to a recurrence of a shoulder injury half way through the second half. However, with other players hopefully returning from injury soon, more new signings expected and, crucially, more time playing together, there is good reason to expect that the team will improve and will soon be back to winning ways.