Classy Chinnor ease relegation worries

From the archive, first published Tuesday 4th Feb 2003.

Chinnor 37, Berry Hill 7

By Michael Knox

INSPIRED by the brilliant displays of two young flankers, Chinnor surged clear of the South West 1 relegation zone with a comprehensive victory over fellow strugglers Berry Hill at Kingsey Road on Saturday.

Actually, Chinnor should struggle no more after this result which lifts them two places to fourth from bottom. With four of their last six games at home, they should escape the drop with ease.

The encouraging aspect for Chinnor was the relative youth of their side, highlighted by flankers David Seymour and Tom Johnson, both of whom scored tries.

The 18-year-old Seymour, a product of the club's thriving mini-rugby section and son of former prop Cec, opened the scoring after ten minutes following a drive by the pack.

A few minutes later, a great individual try by Louw Kruger increased their advantage. The fly half caught his own chip ahead and went over wide out.

Chinnor's domination of the mauls kept the pressure on their cumbersome, one-dismensional opponents, who conceded a penalty and a penalty try as they came under the cosh.

Conor Begley did the honours with the boot to put Chinnor 20-0 ahead after 26 minutes.

Berry Hill, whose attacking ideas were limited to giving the ball to one of their big forwards, were awarded a penalty try of their own following a series of Chinnor infringements close to their line. Ex-Gloucester fly half Lee Osborne added the conversion.

But their hopes of a revival were dashed just before half-time with a superbly-worked home try. Kruger switched the direction of an attack, and the pacy Johnson, a 20-year-old Oxford Brookes student, sped over the line without being touched.

Begley kicked the conversion and then added a penalty to give Chinnor a match-winning 30-7 half-time lead.

The second half was a scappy affair as Berry Hill sought to salvage some pride with a series of attacks which Chinnor repelled, thanks to some sterling defence by hooker Tom Whelan, before he left the field injured.

It looked as though there would be no more scoring, but in injury time, the referee awarded his third penalty try of the game - this time to Chinnor - following further infringements close to the Berry Hill line.

Begley converted to take his tally to 12 points and seal an important victory.

Chinnor: Cawston, Simpson (Winpenny 50-58), Oxley, David, Begley, Kruger, Phillips, Matthews, Whelan (Winpenny 58), Harris, Borgnis, Nel, Johnson, Seymour, Hennessy (Fincken 71).

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