Old Style Resurrected

Rugby result: Chiswick 34 Welwyn 14

After last week’s debacle, playing against a ponderous, if determined, Welwyn team was just what the doctor ordered for the home team.

With a completely changed back row, the forwards started off energetically, but it was hooker Jan Joubert who caught the eye with a trademark burrowing surge into the opponents. Tom Duffy, at fly half, then did well to take advantage of a mistake at the tail of the Welwyn lineout to initiate a sustained attack, ending sadly with a dropped pass.

Chiswick scrum half Luca Vannini had his hands full dealing with the breaks by the Welwyn No.8 from the back of a solid scrum. Welwyn shaded the early possession, but the Chiswick wingers Pete Townsend and Adie Lewis looked dangerous when they got the ball. After fifteen minutes it was Duffy who emerged with the ball, nicked by Chiswick in some confused open play, to run in and out of a scattered defence to score wide out on the right. His kick went just left of the posts.

From a five metre lineout, Welwyn got a pile of players over the line, but Chiswick managed to hold the ball up. Welwyn kept pressing, and a neat inside pass by their fly half put their centre in for a try under the posts, duly converted. Chiswick attacked well from the kickoff, but eventually dropped the ball. The next home attack started with a ball-ripping act by Sam Hood, a reassuring presence in the second row, and continued with a side-stepping act by Lewis.

The Welwyn full back made a break through the home line, but couldn’t get past Ben Cheston, well-supported by Lewis. Welwyn’s outside centre was then dispossessed by Jon Gibson and Pete Townsend as Welwyn tried to open up, and Vannini tried a high kick. Welwyn obliged with a knock on, and Lewis found Cheston up in support, able to run round the defence for the second unconverted home try. Welwyn obliged again, minutes later, trying a grubber kick towards the home full back. Cheston pranced through almost the whole Welwyn team before finding Gibson with a scoring pass. Another acute kick, and another failure – but Chiswick were back in the groove.

Welwyn missed an easy penalty kick after early second half pressure, and Chiswick came back with an astute kick by Duffy into a large gap in the visitors’ defence. Following up fast, Duffy dispossessed the Welwyn full back, and the ball went along the line to Lewis who scored wide out. Too wide for Duffy. Simon Hallett, usually an attacking centre, was having to spend most of the game putting in vital tackles as Welwyn kept attacking down the middle. Hood got in a good charge down, and then what appeared to be a speculative kick towards the right corner by Duffy bore unexpected fruit as Lewis managed to reach it just before it rolled over the dead ball line. Duffy finally found the right line, and that was 27-7.

Some dodgy play by the visitors was followed, strangely, by a couple of yellow cards for the home team. During this period Welwyn managed to get a good breakaway try and put on a bit of pressure, but towards the end Chiswick were on top, with captain Rowan Tonkin and Joubert prominent in the forward drives. With Hood finally winning all the lineouts Chiswick kept moving the ball around. Hallett found himself in a one on six situation, and sensibly took the ball back towards the pack, where Matt Addison tidied up. Sub Keith Luckman picked out Cheston, who jiggled around before diving for the line and the sixth try, converted by Duffy.

Chiswick team :- Tonkin, Joubert, Addison, Hood, Pickering ( Adams ), Joyce ( Kelly ), Biss, Fletcher, Vannini, Duffy, Townsend ( Luckman ), Hallett, Gibson, Lewis, Cheston

October 10, 2011