Sat 6 Nov 2004
Chesham 6 Wallingford 24 Powergen Junior Vase Round 3 (06.11.04)
Despite never really firing on all cylinders Wallingford managed to secure a hard fought 24-6 victory away against a very determined Chesham side. Both sides made a nervy start with the game being very stop start due to handling errors and some aimless kicking. As a result a lot of the play in the first 30 minutes took place around the halfway line. Despite the visitors being totally dominant in the scrum and second row Shaun BAILEY in the line out, the Wallingford backs were having difficulty in coming to terms with the very narrow Chesham pitch.
Eventually the deadlock was broken on the half hour mark when the visitors infringed at the ruck and the home side’s full back slotted a 30 metre penalty. The Wallingford forwards responded with a great 30 metre rolling maul which took them to within 10 metres of the Chesham line, but unfortunately they weren’t able to secure the final possession to finish the move off with a score.
Therefore the sides went in at half time with the home side holding a narrow 3-0 lead and Wallingford’s first half performance being described at best as lacklustre.
Wallingford made a couple of enforced changes at half time and came out in the second half in a far more positive frame of mind. The kicking out of hand and the continual domination of the set piece area gradually began to tell and in the loose flanker Johnny HENDERSON was beginning to turn things round. On the 50 minute mark Chesham conceded a penalty 5 metres from their line and instead of going for a straightforward kick at goal Wallingford opted for a quickly taken penalty, and were rewarded when prop Rae YOUNG crashed over (would like to say it was from 20 metres with 3
players on his back but that would be gilding the lilly a bit too much). The try was converted by Olli HENDERSON.
Then just two minutes later after a lineout on the home side’s 22 metre line the ball was fed along the backs and centre Johnny COLLETT went over for an unconverted try. However the home side weren’t out of it yet and came back to put pressure on the Wallingford line. They were rewarded when after being awarded a penalty their full back slotted the kick to cut the deficit to only 6 points. However with their superior fitness beginning to tell the last 10 minutes belonged to Wallingford and they were rewarded when prop Lee BLEWETT stole the ball at a maul and it was quickly fed along the back line and winger Gavin HULL broke three tackles to finish superbly. HENDERSON slotted the conversion. Then right at the end Number 8 Peter THORNS went over for a try which wasn’t converted.
The draw for the Fourth Round will be made at Twickenham this Wednesday and next Saturday the
side returns to league action with the visit of local side Harwell kick off 2.30 pm.
