Chinnor Vs Taunton Titans

The fact that a game of rugby took place at all at Chinnor last Saturday is a tribute to the thirty players, the officials and an amazingly stoic bunch of supporters who had to endure the most gruelling weather conditions imaginable.   The air temperature was 2C but the wind-chill factor took that figure way down below zero as the most ferocious wind blew across the pitch throughout making the playing conditions something like trying to play a game in extreme Arctic conditions, writes Dick Macey.

Chinnor emerged as 22-5 victors lifting them to third place in National League One but not without having to dig deep into their playing reserves to edge past a determined but finally frustrated Titans side.   The difficulties in trying to adapt to the difficult weather factors was highlighted almost at the beginning of the game.    Titans amazingly began by throwing the ball around almost in an attempt to play champagne rugby and then realised that the only way to play it was to stick the ball up your jumper and try to hang on to it against a determined opposition. Chinnor were first on the board with a maul from a line out that led to a try in the corner but the conversion attempt failed to threaten the posts due to the wind and 20 minutes later they were able to replicate the score in the same fashion.    The score line remained 10-0 in favour of the home side until yet another Chinnor attack at the stroke of the half-time whistle broke through the Titans defence for a try which this time was converted.  A hammer blow for the Taunton lads who had played with such spirit and determination and suddenly they found themselves trailing 17-0, and not a true indication of how the play had gone.

Their difficulty was compounded almost from the kick-off of the second session as they allowed Chinnor in for another try to make it 22-0 and they had barely blinked after the start whistle for the second half.  In the event this was to be just about the last time Chinnor would be in the vicinity of the Titans line as our boys lifted up their skirts and waded into the Chinnor line and that set the pattern for the half. The Titans had a slight wind advantage as the ferocious blast came over their right shoulders and putting that to good effect, they hammered away at the Chinnor defence. Amazingly , despite penalty after penalty going Taunton's way across the Chinnor line, it was late into the game when the referee finally produced a yellow card, taking Chinnor down to 14 men.    The Titans gained some reward from a battling maul to get Charlie Wright over for a try but the conversion attempt was blow away in the wind and the final whistle gave Chinnor some respite and the points.

To an ill-informed observer it might appear that the Titans are struggling to keep their heads up but they are acquitting themselves really gamely and are learning fast how to play the game of rugby at a seriously intense level.   Come and watch them take on Cambridge at home this coming Saturday and you will see what I mean!

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