Following on from last weeks heroic win over league leaders Chinnor, Chiltern 2XV avenged the team that lost at Reading Abbey by convincingly beating their opponents on a snowy day at Weedon Lane. With Chinnor losing to Bracknell, the gap between 1st and 2nd in the league is now only 3 points, meaning bonus point wins are critical if Chiltern wish to snatch the league title from their rivals.

A much changed side turned up to Weedon Lane to find the pitches partial covered in snow and their opponents not too keen to take the field due to the lack of visibility of the pitch markings. With the pitch markings swept of snow and a short, sharp warm-up (never has one been needed so much) undertaken, the game was on!

(A more in depth report will be provided if your reporter has time at a later date, for now the below shall suffice).

Chiltern played a scrappy first half (perhaps due to the conditions) but scored regularly and entered half time with a satisfactory lead. The second half was far more structured but Chiltern were very unlucky to be reduced to 13 men, first from a high tackle infringement (after repeated high tackles by the opposition) and then from a bizarre deliberate knock on call.

Regardless of the reduction in numbers, Chiltern raised their game and played some of the best rugby of the game, scoring even more points to put the game well and truly to bed. With Chiltern players slightly fed up with the consistent stop start nature of the game, another penalty was given on half way against them. With the referee paying no attention to the quick tap (taken behind him, not from the spot and still talking to other players) Reading Abbey scored an odd consolation try that was given for some bizarre reason with the referee admitting that if the game had been closer it wouldn't have stood.

Anyway, it was a good enough performance from a mish mash team that was pulled together at the last minute due to far too many last minute drop outs - thanks to all who stepped up to play! Chiltern travel to Aylesbury next week and need a strong performance to maintain the pressure on Chinnor.