Chexit on Horizon?

Rugby Result : Chiswick 3 Sidcup 31

Compared with the euphoria at the end of last season, Riverside Lands grew ominously quiet as Chiswick suffered their third defeat, against a good Sidcup team, whose defence was excellent throughout the game. At the start, however, with the wind in their sails, the home team applied almost continuous pressure, in a vastly improved display. With neat passing, and with this season’s new half-back combination settling down, Chiswick were impressive, and a try looked odds-on after two minutes as James Bunbury made a scything outside run after a couple of short breaks by Jamie Millais. The switch inside looked promising, but no-one seemed to feel they could make the line, as the ball was passed around like a hot potato. A penalty ensued, and Chiswick possibly committed a psychological mistake in letting Simon Hallett take the three points on offer. Sidcup were further encouraged as Chiswick let the short Sidcup winger catch their kick-off.

Chiswick kept the pressure up, however, and Sidcup were forced on the defence for long periods of play. The Chiswick lineout performed a little better than last week, but the scrum was having some difficulty in holding a strong Sidcup pack. After ten minutes Chiswick executed a neat move down the right wing, but failed to find the killing final pass, the cross-kick for Millais rolling over the dead ball line. Chiswick got a penalty, however, and had Sidcup pinned for a while in their 22 until a careless pass, not the first of the season, was intercepted by the Sidcup No.5. With no-one in front of him, he made thirty metres up the left wing before giving the ball to the supporting winger, who just made it to the home line, despite the best efforts of Sam Hobbins, for an easily converted, and very cruel, try.

Sam Hood managed a clean take of a Sidcup lineout throw, as Chiswick fought back, but two promising openings were wasted with kicks going straight into touch. Another right wing attack by Chiswick took the ball to the line, but the Sidcup defence somehow kept them out. Unfortunately after several abortive attempts to go over from close range, the best opening foundered as the ball was spun wide to Bunbury, carrying a couple of injuries, and very soon to retire to the touch-line, who could not ship a pass on fast enough to the eager hands outside. Chiswick No.7, Riki Darroch, much more involved than the week before, soon followed Bunbury to the touchline an injury, and Chiswick had to re-organise yet again, with Jon Bendall making his debut. Sidcup picked up three points from a penalty, but Chiswick came back strongly, only for an un-supported Millais, after a scintillating run, to be held up by two defenders close to the posts, and then penalised for holding on, with the half-time whistle following immediately.

The second half was horribly reminiscent of last weeks match, except that Chiswick worked their socks off, against the wind, defended well and were coming back at the end, as Sidcup started making a few mistakes. In the meantime, however, Chiswick had given away three tries. In trying to find a way through, they were passing the ball out wide behind the gain line, hoping that the impressive Dan Sutherland would magic a try. Dangerous to be so stretched, as became more apparent. Chiswick’s bad luck continued when a flick-on by hard-working Marc Copperwheat, coming into the back line, was adjudged marginally forward, with an overlap outside. The next misfortune occurred when a straight Chiswick throw at their five metre lineout was caught by the wind just before Hood, thwarting the would-be maulers.

Twenty minutes into the half, after sustained home pressure, Sidcup got up-field after a kick was knocked on, and from the scrum their left wing set up a good try for the excellent scrum half, with a final one handed pass. With fifteen minutes to go, Chiswick got under a lot of pressure in their own 22, and eventually conceded a third try as the Sidcup No.20 hurdled his way to the line. The conversion succeeded. The final indignity happened when a Chiswick player, passing the ball in his own 22, managed to hit the intended recipient on the hip, the ricochet providing a joyfully received gift for the Sidcup No.8.

Chiswick team :- Shattock, Filbey, McDonough, Hood, Hobbins, Copperwheat, Darroch, Leslie-Miller, Sprangers, Hallett, Millais, Burrows, Bunbury, Purkiss, Sutherland; Chraplewczyk, Bendall, Steer

September 19, 2016