Chinnor exposed

From the archive, first published Saturday 27th Dec 2003.

Chinnor 22, Oxford Harlequins 28: Oxford Harlequins leapt up to fourth in the South West 1 table after their backs exposed Chinnor's defensive deficiencies in an entertaining derby at Kingsey Road on Saturday.

Although Chinnor scored four tries to their opponents' three, Quins deserved the victory, which levelled the series with their close rivals following their one-point home defeat last month.

It is not too simplistic to describe this game as a contest between Chinnor's forwards and Quins backs - and on this occasion it was the backs who won the day.

With a horrendous injury list, Chinnor fielded a makeshift back division. And their situation was not eased when a new Fijiian recruit from Bicester Garrison cried off at the last minute as he was unable to find a babysitter!

The home side badly missed the services of fly-half James Cathcart, for both his kicking out of hand in the windy conditions, and for his place-kicking.

Choosing to play uphill into a strong wind, Quins took the lead with a close-range penalty from fly half Chris Penney, who played an astute game.

But the well-drilled Chinnor pack soon started to take control, and from a driving maul, young prop Joe Winpenny touched down for their first try.

Leon Westerman's conversion attempt, and a previous penalty kick, were nothing short of woeful.

Quins had prop Simon Chadbone sin-binned for swinging a punch, and while they were down to 14 men, Chinnor capitalised with a try by flanker Tom Johnson after a pick-up by outstanding No 8 James Kindon at a five metre scrum.

To no one's surprise, Westerman missed the conversion, leaving Chinnor 10-3 in front.

It was in the second quarter that Quins won the game with two breakaway tries.

The first came when a Chinnor attack broke down. The ball was quickly recycled to Quins full back Dave Boreham, who broke clear to score, although his 60-yard run into the wind clearly exhausted him. Penney missed the conversion.

Chinnor responded when, following a break by winger Charlie Oyebade, outstanding flanker Dave Seymour took an inside pass to score their third try. Darren Oxley, taking over the pace-kicking duties, fared no better than Westerman.

The home side looked like taking a narrow lead into half-time, but then Quins' centre Martin Nutt got a clear run to the line from halfway to score.

Penney's conversion levelled the scores at 15-15 and made Quins favourites, as they had the wind behind them in the second half.

In the first minute after the break, good work by Nutt and skipper Jamie Cope set up a try for hard-working No 8 Paul Nye.

With Penney landing the conversion and later adding two penalties, Quins moved 13 points ahead - and that's how it stayed for most of the second half.

Chinnor did not help their cause by having both scrum half Ger Phillips and Kindon sin-binned for voicing their discontent with the referee.

The result was never in doubt, although Chinnor did score with the last move of the game, when Seymour tore away from a ruck to race in from halfway. Oxley could not miss the conversion from in front of the posts.

Chinnor: Cawston, Oyebade, Warner (Basson 9), Oxley, Westerman, David, Phillips, Matthews, Harris, Winpenny, Millburn, Borgnis (capt), Johnson, Seymour, Kindon.

Oxford Harlequins: Boreham, Sims, Nutt, Mawle, Recchia (Noyce 68), Penney, A Cope, Chadbone, Mitchell, Silversides (De Lange 68), Dow, Stephenson, J Cope (capt), Baxter (De Lange 15-25, Anderson 68), Nye.

Referee: C Pocock (Bristol). HIGH FLIER: Harlequins' Elliot Stephenson wins this lineout unchallenged during Saturday's derby Picture: Steve Wheeler Order No. 182410 Steve Wheeler

Copyright Steve Wheeler

Record Number: 182410

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