Nice to see you, to see Eunice!

Match Report by Luke Donnebaum

As the great Bruce Forsyth used to say, “Nice to see you, to see Eunice” (see what I did there?), it was nice to see Fullerians confirm a fixture that most of us probably thought wouldn’t be happening due the fact, like many, Fullers have struggled to fulfil a number of fixtures this season. Indeed, A&C 3XV have only had one opposition turn up since the turn of the year.

So, Friday comes and moods are disheartened with news that the pitch at Weedon Lane was looking pretty waterlogged. We waited with baited breath as the rain cleared and Storm Eunice left us with just the extreme wind. Saturday morning and news comes through that the wind had done the trick and the pitch was looking playable. Queue the tail end of Storm Eunice as players travelled to the ground.

By kick off, the pitch’s suitability for a game of rugby could most definitely be called into question but, by the time you’ve got two full sides (well, nearly two) there and ready for a game, it’s going to take a brave man to call it off. And so we played.

Fullerians declared 14 during the warm up so Louis Hughes gracefully accepted being sacrificed to the bench to even up numbers. Come coin toss at 2pm and Fullers declared 13 players with one not having arrived. Jonny Keen this time gracefully stepping aside.

Chiltern kicked off and the first half was a mixture of some great play in the conditions and a tendency to force the play at the wrong times. With Chiltern seeming to have the upper hand but failing to find the breakthrough, it was Fullers who capitalised on some slack tackling for their winger to score. Converted 0-7.

Chiltern restarted and continued their dominant play without making it over the white (well, brown) wash until Vas eventually managed to find his was through a small hole close to the line to get us on the scoresheet. Converted 7-7.

A minor delay in the first half happened when Tom Fletcher, who had been demonstrating his solid tackling technique on a few occasions also demonstrated why it hasn’t been seen on a rugby pitch for quite some time. Running hard into contact, it sounded like the gale force winds of Storm Eunice whistling through a small gap in a window but was in fact Tom. His knee had failed him again. In my own personal competition with him to see who can ruin their knees the most times, I think this puts us at somewhere around 6 plays 4 in my favour.

It was Vas again who popped up before half time with a similar try, this time further out wide. Conversion missed. Half time 12-7.

Changes were made at half time with promising youngsters Tim Hayes and Ollie Webb coming on to the field with an almost immediate impact. Capitalising on a loose ball on the deck, Jonny Keen slipped in the mud but fortunately managed to toe punt the ball forwards towards the Fullers posts with Tim Hayes reaching the ball first to slide in under the sticks. Converted 19-7.

Not to be out done by his Colts’ teammate, it was time for Man of the Match, Ollie Webb to introduce himself to senior rugby with two well taken tries of his own. Finally, Louis Hughes rounded off the score breaking through the defence as he had threatened to many times throughout the game.

The game was called a little early with Chiltern looking like they were starting to run away with it and it becoming difficult to distinguish Fullers players from Chiltern players as everyone was essentially a brown, shivering shell of a person. Indeed, I’ve only just recovered the feeling in my fingers in order to pen this report.

The win keeps Chiltern in the title hunt as they go on to face Finsbury Park 2XV in a rearranged fixture next week.