finally we have played a match

By Tony Kilos

After weeks of weather enforced inactivity all were hoping this fixture would go ahead before the overdue league campaign. Despite the heavy pitch, conditions were almost perfect and the indoor training of recent weeks was put to good stead as both matches showed the squad was not as rusty as may have been expected.

A Game

Amersham and Chiltern 5 - 44 Bracknell

Bracknell made a good start straight from the kick off which was knocked on by the hosts; from the scrum five phases of mauls mostly involving Jack Bull ended in Alex White charging over with good support and the home defence trying in vain to stop the score. From the restart a ruck was formed from which scrum-half Staunton appeared and ran three quarters of the pitch to score under the posts. Bracknell scored a third try in quick succession after some good play saw Ellis' grubber kick grounded by Olli Smith to make the score 15-0. This was not as easy as it appears here, the opposition tackled manfully throughout the match. Bracknell’s fourth try was similar to the first, this time captain Greg Brown scoring under the posts, Liam Grealis converting. Callum Staunton scored a fifth try and his second, after good work by the pack, involving good scrummaging, turnover at a ruck and forcing a penalty at the next ruck. From this penalty the scrum-half caught the home side napping to run in under the posts, the try converted to make the halftime score 29-0 to Bracknell.

After a few minutes of the second half, to give other members of the squad some valuable game time, Greg Simmonds came on. Unfortunately Simmonds 'get at them' approach which normally works well, was his undoing and a clash of heads, heard around the field of play cut short his appearance, to be replaced by Nat Miles. Despite this interruption Bracknell’s impetus was not impeded; Staunton, enjoying a lot of freedom at the back of the scrum, moved the ball down the line to Josh Blosse, who evaded two attempted tackles to score. The home side got on the score sheet after a turnover and a penalty given for feet off the ground as they moved the ball to the wing to score in the corner. Bracknell replied almost immediately , the ball taken from a ruck, followed by a White run, a drive and four phases of rucks and mauls Dex Ellis touched down. Staunton completed the scoring and his hat-trick after a fine forwards series of plays and a run by Blosse following a penalty. Another strong run by White, and a ruck resulting in a scrum saw the scrum- half score his third.

Final score 44-5