CHINNOR maintained their unbeaten record for the season with a strong 44-10 away victory over Old Patesians, scoring seven tries in the process.
With both pip Seymour and Tom Gray unavailable, Mark Chase, back from a long injury lay off, and Richie Williams covered the wings.
Chinnor attacked up the slope for the first-half in very windy conditions. In the fourth minute Chinnor lost the ball near the Old Pats line.
From the resultant scrum, hard tackling dislodged the ball and Andrew Smith for Chinnor was on hand to power across the line for the first try.
The conversion and a further penalty from James Cathcart gave Chinnor a 10-0 lead.
Old Patesians worked a field position in Chinnor’s 22 and the full-back went over for Old Pats first score of the day, which he converted himself to reduce the deficit to 10-7.
This heralded a period of pressure from the home side which culminated in a penalty goal to level.
Old Pats kept the pressure on but turnover ball allowed Chase to put the supporting Colver over for Chinnor’s second. Chase then scored one of his own to give the visitors a 20-10 lead at half-time.
Great approach work from Chinnor’s backs led to Gilbert scooting over before Goode broke out from his own 22 to score Chinnor’s fifth. Two tries then followed in quick succession from Stoop and Gilbert. Cathcart’s conversions brought the final score to 44-10.
Elsewhere the game against Redingensians, which was controversially called off part-way through, will be replayed after Chinnor’s appeal was turned down by the league.
The game was halted with Chinnor in the lead after 62 minutes due to a serious injury to Ken Prinsloo.
Mike Gee league secretary wrote that as there was still over a quarter of the game remaining and that the scores were relatively close the game should be replayed.”
The issue was controversial because Chinnor were willing to continue the game on an adjacent pitch but the offer was refused by the home officials.
The match has to be replayed on February 11.