14th October 2011

SOMERSET RUGBY: Chard beat Harlequins by ten

BRISTOL HARLEQUINS 18pts CHARD 28pts

The Chard club will not look back on this encounter with overmuch affection. A late withdrawal did not help their cause but they put that aside initially and started well.

In fact, within five minutes of the kick off they had driven the home pack over their line after a five yard scrum, with flanker Ryan Helliar coming up with the ball. Nicholls kicked the conversion and Chard were away.

They did have a couple of opportunities to increase their lead early on, but they came to nought and Harlequins worked their way into the contest by kicking a penalty goal around the end of the first quarter.

They kicked another on the half hour mark and probably had the edge throughout the second quarter. I fact, with the final play of the half they produced a sweeping move that sent their winger over in the corner.

They kicked the conversion from out wide and, overall probably deserved their 13-7 half time lead.

The Chard effort continued to stutter in the second half, but their back row of Carter, Wagstaff and Helliar came into their own, foraging well and getting amongst the home backs.

Then on the hour, Chard set up a driving maul on the home twenty-two and mauled their way to the line for Helliar to score his second of the game. Nicholls again added the extras to give his side the slenderest of leads at 13-14.

The home side were by no means done however. Their out half, spotting that Chard were defending rather narrowly, assayed a diagonal kick.

Winger Bearn followed well, gathered and touched down in the corner. Although the try remained unconverted, it had regained the lead for Harlequins with time running out.

Chard had to come back and they did. A kick ahead fell into space. Wagstaff was well up to gather, hold off a couple of defenders and crash over close to the posts.

Nicholls duly kicked the conversion and, to rub salt into home wounds, Stead, newly arrived from the bench, gathered the ball in space just in the Bristol Harlequins’ half, evaded several tackles with some mazy running and ran to the posts.

Nicholls again converted to take Chard clear after a game that was surely closer than the score suggests.

For one reason or another, Chard were not at their best. The home side would probably have expected more, given the pattern of play. At the end of the day however, Chard scored four tries to their opponentsí two and obtained a bonus point. Overall it was probably a win in adversity.

CHARD 2nds 23pts CREWKERNE 17pts

The home side just edged this one, thanks in the main to their superior back division. Crewkerne had the better of the early exchanges and scored a try through Mosley, with Godfrey adding the extras.

The home side came back however with two Stuart Gold penalty goals and a try by Carl Abercrombie, and led 11-7 at the halfway stage.

Clive Adams crossed for a further Chard try in the second half and, although Crewkerne countered with a Joe O’Hara touchdown, again converted by Godfrey, who also kicked a penalty goal, a good try by Robbie Walker, converted by Adams was enough to take Chard to the win after a closely contested encounter.

PREVIEW

CHARD will be looking for a better performance when they entertain BURNHAM ON SEA on Saturday next, and they will probably need one.

Their opponents have a certain Fijian influence and are certainly not to be trifled with.

I understand also that the home side are one or two players short of full complement for this one but, nevertheless I think that their pack will be good enough to take them to the win after a close, and perhaps high scoring, contest.

I think it is likely that MINEHEAD BARBARIANS 2nd will suffer from a CREWKERNE backlash when they visit Henhayes on Saturday. The home side will probably still be seething after coming second in the local derby at Chard, and will be looking for a suitable body on which to take out their frustrations. I think that Crewkerne will win this one comfortably.

Also in the Somerset league Division Two (South), Chard seconds travel to Morganians and can expect a rather easier afternoon than they encountered on Saturday last.

Chard thirds have no game and may well be seeking one in the fixture pool.

FIXTURES October 15th: Chard v Burnham on Sea (home); Chard 2nd v Morganians (away); Chard 3rd v No Game; Crewkerne v Minehead Barbarians 2nd (home).

SOMERSET RUGBY: Chard beat Harlequins by ten

Comments

Add new comment