Injury-hit A&C succumb to high-flying Barnstaple

Amersham & Chiltern’s injury jinx continued this week, the latest being the team’s star full-back, Chris Jack, who broke a bone in his foot in the closing stages of last week’s game at Avonmouth. In all, there were six first-choice backs unavailable for selection due to injury before this game against West Country high-flyers, Barnstaple.

Chiltern actually started well, putting pressure on the visitors from the kick-off and soon forced a penalty, calmly converted by David Hughes for a 3-0 lead. The home side were, however, soon under pressure in the scrums and only brave defending kept the visitors from scoring for around 25 minutes.

Then, turn-over ball and strong running by the Barnstaple backs led to a try, converted and the lead at 7–3. This score seemed to galvanise the visitors, who now realised that Chiltern’s defence in the three-quarters was not really up to the task and, running everything, they forced and converted two penalties and scored a converted try from a missed tackle in the centre, for an 18-3 half-time score.

Barnstaple started the second half where they left off. A drop-goal was followed after eight minutes by a try on the left, converted, to take the lead on to 26–3. To give them full credit, Chiltern never did give up and were unlucky when a loose pass, when threatening the Barnstaple line, was hacked on by the Barnstaple centre, who ran the full length of the pitch and beat the defenders to the touch down. From the restart, a kick into the home side’s 22 was collected, but the clearance kick was gathered at pace by the visitor’s backs and slick hands along the line led to another try and put Barnstaple out of sight at 40–8.

Then followed a rare period of sustained pressure by Chiltern, with the forwards making good ground, maintaining possession and, following a number of phases, the ball finally popped up for centre Pete Johnston for the touch-down. The conversion was missed, but the lead was reduced to 40–8. That was as good as it got and the visitor’s scored two more tries, one converted, for a convincing full-time score of 52 points to 8.

Hopefully, this will be the end of the club’s injury problems and with key players gradually returning and new signings due to commence playing in the next couple of weeks, Chiltern will begin to improve greatly and start winning ways.