Chiltern bounces back with 5 try bonus point win

The team put itself under undue pressure by missing some fairly routine kicks at goal which, had they succeeded, would have put them out of sight far earlier.

Chiltern started well, immediately putting the visitors under pressure, but missed two fairly kickable penalties by stand-in scrum half, Jack Kenyon, within the first five minutes. It was then Brixham’s turn and with almost their first touch of the ball, their excellent young No. 8, Sam Simmonds, broke blind from a scrum, broke two tackles and put his winger in for a try, converted and a 7-0 lead. Minutes later a catch and drive from a lineout on Chiltern’s 22 line gave the visitors another try, this time unconverted, but left a rather shell-shocked Chiltern reeling at 0-12 down after only 15 minutes.

Undaunted, however, they came back and forced another penalty, this time successfully converted by Kenyon, reducing the lead to 3-12. After 25 minutes gone, Chiltern won a lineout on the half way. Quick ball found full-back, Chris Jack coming into the line at pace and with a fine break and surge into the visitor’s half he found winger, Sam Portland on his shoulder and in for the try. This time Kenyon managed a brilliant conversion from wide out, bringing the score to 10-12. Minutes later, Chiltern were pressing on the Brixham line, but lost the ball. Quick thinking by centre, Dave Skelton, however, saw him charge down the intended clearance kick and then pounce for the try, again well converted by Jack and the lead for the first time at 17-12. Just before half time Brixham managed a penalty kick leaving the score at the break, 17-15 to the hosts.

From the restart, a long kick down the left hand side was gathered by the visitor’s defence, but in seemingly copy-cat style, Chiltern’s other centre, Tom Shiel, charged down the clearance kick, gathered and ran in unopposed for the try, converted this time by fly-half, Ross Bugden, taking the lead to 24 – 15. After 22 minutes gone the defining moment came. Having been kept in their 22 for a long period, Chiltern suddenly broke out. Winger, James Carty, showed his pace carrying the ball right into the visitor’s 22 and when finally halted, found second-row, Matt Craggs, in support and in for the try, superbly converted this time by scrum-half, Craig Burgess, now on for Kenyon and the lead increased to 31-15.

It was then the visitor’s turn and, exploiting space in the centre due to the sin-binning of Tom Shiel for a high tackle, they moved the ball swiftly along the line giving a try to their right winger. The conversion was missed, so the score remained at 31-20. Then, with 7 minutes to go, Chiltern exerted massive pressure on the visitors on the right hand side of the pitch in their own half. Quick recycling and a move left, extraordinarily, found mighty prop, Stuart Day, relatively unmarked on the wing and not much was going to stop him thundering in for the try. The conversion was missed but Chiltern were virtually unassailable then at 36-20. All Brixham had left to play for was a losing bonus point, so they threw everything at the hosts when going into injury time and, with both front rows standing up at a scrum on the Chiltern line, the Referee decided that Chiltern were to blame and awarded the visitors a penalty try. The successful conversion was followed immediately by the final whistle which left the final score at a good win for the hosts at 36-27.