Chinnor Are Champions ! (Contributed)

SATURDAY, April 19 – DIVISION 3 – FINAL – Home match
Chinnor 25 pts v Oxford Harlequins 13 pts. MATCH REPORT

JUST twelve months ago, Chinnor came limping out of National League Division 3, South. They arrived back in South West 1 licking their wounds. Although there was talk of going straight back up, the more conservative rationalization was that the Club should avoid at all costs going into free-fall. There is an abundance of examples of cubs doing just this.

Chinnor did not want to become just another on the conveyor belt, destined for the lower echelons. However, with the retention of many of the squad who had experienced National League last year and the addition of star returnees, Zane Winslade and James Cathcart, the acquisition of Owen Gustafason, Andrew Maguire and Trevor Powell, the emergence of many promising young players like Pip Seymour, Bob Baker, Sam Black and Ben Hewitt, combined with the inspirational Matt Hutchings as Captain, they were well equipped to be in a position to challenge.

So, after a positive start to the season, winning four of their first five games on the road, they started believing. Some 16 games later they found themselves playing at home in the last game of the season, against arch rivals Oxford Harlequins, who had beaten them twice in the season, the latter just two weeks ago in the County Cup Final, wanting a win to give them automatic promotion back to National 3. A script writer’s dream, particularly if the end result was a win.

The biggest crowd of the season turned up at Kingsey Road for the game. With the wind blowing strongly in a South Easterly direction, Harlequins won the toss and invited Chinnor to play with the elements in their favour. From the kick-off it was evident that Chinnor had done their homework and decided to mix things up, particularly with their defensive alignment and this, along with the intensity of their play, saw them dominate the early exchanges. The referee made his intentions quite clear when, in the seventh minute, he sin-binned both Zane Winslade and Paul Delange for an off the ball incident. Although Winslade was yellow carded, in his two seasons at Chinnor no one had ever seen him throw a punch before, this in itself was an illustration that Chinnor were not going to be intimidated. Some six minutes later James Cathcart put Chinnor ahead with a well stuck penalty goal. With Harlequins spilling the ball from an attempted threequarter move, the alert Trevor Powell gathered a friendly bounce to run some 20 metres and score at the posts. With Cathcart converting this and, by virtue of Harlequins constantly infringing, kicking four more penalties from varying distances the last from 50 metres out, Chinnor held a 22 point advantage at half-time.

They were not home and dry by a long way as they had to defend into the wind in the second half.
It was felt that the first twenty minutes of the half were important becausee, if Chinnor would not concede any points during this period, then their task would be that much easier. Although Harlequins were well on the offensive during this period, the Chinnor defence held firm. With Frank Jones kicking two penalties in the 60th and 65 minutes, Harlequins were creeping back into the game and when Kenny Sewell took a quick tap penalty in the 71st minute to put Paddy Soper in next to the posts with Jones converting, it became nail biting time for the home support. However, Cathcart calmed the nerves when in the 74th minute he kicked another penalty to leave Harlequins needing to score twice in the last five minutes. This they could not achieve which left Chinnor both worthy winners and champions at the final whistle.

As Matt Hutchings has so rightly mentioned, the team spirit of the side has carried them through at vital times during the season. Yes, there have been some outstanding individual performances from a group of very talented players but it is what they have done collectively that has won the day. Add to this the coaching, the physio’s, the administration, the video work and subsequent analysis, all with just the one focus, then you have a recipe for success.

A couple of observations. Firstly the argument that we should stand still and be satisfied with a mid table spot in South West Div 1, season after season is patently flawed. Maidenhead just missed the play-offs last season and are relegated. Reading mentioned that this Division is within their comfort zone; they are relegated. Secondly, we must always have ambition. Next year we must not be content with finishing just outside the bottom three we should be looking at a mid table spot and then consolidate.

Finally, a little nostalgia. When Chinnor RFC was founded by Frank Angel, Cyril Perry and Marcus Cann some 46 years ago, would they ever, in their wildest dreams have thought that one day Chinnor would be playing London Scottish, Rosslyn Park and Richmond?Frank, after many pints and the odd whisky chaser maybe. Its a great achievement and I am sure that they would be justifiably proud. Well done you three.

By Kenneth Vaughn