19/12/11….Controversy after ‘sickening’ injury at Thame rugby match

REPORT contributed by Bill O’Donnell: Redingensians 5 Vs Chinnor 17; Match abandoned at 58 minutes – AN eagerly awaited clash between the top and third ranking side in the SW Rugby League on Saturday, was abandoned in the 58th minute in highly controversial circumstances after a horrific double injury to a Chinnor player.

Winger, Ken Prinsloo, dodging through the middle, avoided two tackles but was double tackled with one leg firmly stuck in the glutinous surface. A break and a dislocated ankle was readily and sickenly apparent to all. An ambulance was called but took some 42 minutes to arrive, ironically just one day after the local ambulance trust had been awarded Trust of the Year for leading the nation’s response times.

During the delay, the visitors from Thame asked to continue the match on the adjoining pitch which had just seen the second teams of both sides complete their league fixture. Redingensians? officials would not agree to the continuation of the match, claiming that the pitch was not of the right dimensions even though it is clearly used (as the second team game showed) for the playing of league rugby matches. When asked if the game could continue on the third pitch, Chinnor were told that the low sun would get in their eyes. Chinnor volunteered to play with the sun in their eyes in order to complete the match. The home officials would not agree. With the light fading (as the ground does not possess match level floodlights) and the ambulance still not yet arrived, the prospects of further play diminished. The referee was consulted and agreed to carry on the match if both teams agreed to continue. Chinnor brought their team back onto the pitch to resume the match but the home officials would not agree to continue the match and so the referee was forced to abandon the match.

Had the match completed 60 minutes, the standing score would have been declared the final result under league rules. However, having only played 58 minutes the match is officially declared abandoned and will have to be replayed in full. There remains some doubt as to the status of the result as the 60 minute rule seem only to apply to matches curtailed by adverse weather conditions.

The only heart-warming aspect of the debacle was the startling response of Ken Prinsloo as he was stretchered off. As the large Chinnor contingent present loudly cheered him off, Prinsloo raised his clenched fist in acknowledgement of the noise accompanying his enforced departure. The crowd just roared all the more.

The outcome leaves a foul taste in the mouth. Redingensians were offered three methods of completing the fixture but found flimsy excuses to not complete the match. The puzzle of why they refused to continue to play became more mysterious when the circumstances of their previous home league fixture on 10 December are considered. In that match, the visiting fly half from Old Redcliffians, Mike Schropfer, suffered a similar serious leg injury which required an ambulance and surgery at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The match was transferred to the adjoining pitch and completed to give Redingensians a 53-5 victory. On that occasion, there appeared to be no problem with Redingensians transferring the match to an adjacent pitch. The only difference between the two incidents appears to be that, in the previous match, Redingensians held a healthy lead but in the Chinnor match they were well behind.

And what of the rugby? Four minutes after kick-off, Redingensians flanker, Michael Clarke, was sin binned for illegal use of the foot at a ruck. The first points of the match went to Chinnor with a well struck penalty goal from James Cathcart on the 11th minute after the home side were guilty of holding on in the tackle. The first try of the match came in the 16th minute when the Chinnor pack, after a series of punishing pick and drives with Smith prominent, saw Gilbert slide around the blind side and dive in the corner for a try. Cathcart’s touchline conversion bisected the posts to give Chinnor a 10-0 lead.

Redingensians then began to apply pressure and a neat midfield break was stopped just 5m from the Chinnor line. Although the home side pressed, Chinnor managed to clear the ball. Pressure on the visitors began to tell as the Chinnor scrum began to look underpowered against a big Redingensians pack. In the 28th minute from a free kick caused by a bent Chinnor scrum feed, Redingensians took a tap and ran the ball to score a wide out on the left, courtesy of Gosling. With the conversion attempt hitting the upright, the match score was now Redingensians 5 Chinnor 10.

On the 35th minute, a delightful Chinnor backs move saw Colver slice through the home defence line. He was held up some 5m from the try line but managed to off load to the supporting Harrison who dotted down for Chinnor’s second try. Cathcart improved the try to increase Chinnor’s lead to 17-5.
The remaining time in the half was spent exclusively five metres from the Chinnor line as Redingensians desperately tried to score. Chinnor’s last line defence held firm and the home side, penalised for crossing, allowed Cathcart to clear the Chinnor lines and end the first half with their 17-5 lead intact.

The second half began with increased pressure from Redingensians who, dominating in the scrum, began to disrupt the Chinnor lineout. However the Chinnor backs were always a threat and continued to ring alarm bells for the home side. On one such occasion, Prinsloo came in off his wing with the home defence backpedalling. However with one horrifying crack his match and the whole match, courtesy of the home officials, was over.

Scorers:
Chinnor: Gilbert T; Harrison T; Cathcart PG, 2C
Bournemouth: Gosling T

Chinnor team:
Colver, Seymour, Goode, Stoop, Prinsloo, Cathcart, Jones, Winpenny, Tattersall, Pickett (Whelan 62), Mowbray, Smith, Harrison, Waddingham, Gilbert
Replacements: Whelan, Ramsdale, Gray