Fixtures

Half Time: 15 - 8

Scorers:

James Moy (T), Dan Boughtwood (C), Dan Boughtwood (P), Donagh Fitzgerald (T)

Donagh Fitzgerald (T), Dan Boughtwood (C), Matt Lockwood (T), Dan Boughtwood (C)

KO 3pm

Scorers:

Brandon Hart (T,C,P)

KO 3pm

Chingford welcomed Braintree to the Valley Playing fields for the first time in 10 years with 7 changes to last week and 2 more on the bench. The first 20 minutes saw both teams with fine chances frittered away due to bad handling. Unfortunately Chris Garstin’s first match this season was to finish soon after with a leg injury replaced by the indubitable Duncan Haywood. He immediately had a penalty in front of the posts which he converted to open the scoring. Braintree went straight back up the other end and scored from a good three-quarter movement to take a 7-3 lead which they still held at half-time even though Haywood had had 2 more kickable penalties to reduce the deficit.

In the second half Ollie Hoad came on for his first game this season post marriage to replace Ben Jeynes, with an injured hand, and Chingford dominated for long periods which firstly led to a push over try from debutant Dave Brown, calmly converted by Haywood. Braintree recovered the lead again with a converted try before losing it again with a penalty from Haywood to make it 13-12. Braintree again retook the lead with a penalty but then another push over try was scored by John Burnage again converted by Haywood.  At this point it looked like Chingford were going to cut loose and score again immediately but a freak injury saw Guy Gavan suffer an horrendous dislocated knee which took some 30 minutes for the ambulance to clear the pitch. From the eventual restart, with Tom Regan on for Gavan, Chingford kicked into the corner and then pushed their third try over for Dave Brown to score. At 25-15 and nearly time you might have expected Braintree to buckle but no they came back again to score after multiple phases in front of the posts. This was duly converted but they were never to get any closer to winning and Chingford held on for the 25-22 result.

Scorers: Duncan Haywood (2P,2C), Dave Brown (2T), John Burnage (T)

KO 3pm

Chingford welcomed Diss, after a 3 year gap, to Waltham Way in more ways than one on a bright sunny afternoon. An early penalty was the least of their gifts, and although equalising a Dan Boughtwood penalty, constant pressure on the Diss line was squandered and a try was allowed when all their pressure should have built a first half lead of at least 4 tries. In extra time penalties were exchanged to make the half time score 13 - 6 to Diss.

The second half promised a complete surrender and Diss were not let down as they scored three tries to Chingford's one. There was only one side who wanted the 5 points and they didn't have to work too hard to get them. Lack of motivation and spirit allowed Diss to score a simple victory, little extra is expected of the long away match to North Walsham next week. 

Scorers:Dan Boughtwood (T,2P)

KO 3pm

Scorers: D Brownn Try, Dan Boughtwood 2Pen

The strong westerly breeze determined to have a large say in this match and although Chingford had it behind them in the first half they did not dominate. Indeed Colchester missed a kickable penalty while Chingford missed a long range effort from their opponents half as well as one much closer. The break came in the 27^th minute when the Colchester tight head was yellow carded for a professional foul. Chingford then cascaded attack after attack and were eventually rewarded 5 minutes before the break with a push over try by David Brown. Unfortunately this was followed by a missed conversion and another penalty failure by the opposition to leave the score at half time 5 nil to Chingford.

Chingford started the second half as if they had the even stronger breeze behind them culminating in 2 penalties in front of the posts by Dan Boughtwood to give an 11 nil lead which they held for 18 minutes. At this point home wing forward Matt Hastings went off with a dislocated shoulder and Colchester swapped their Fly Half  for their left wing and staged a complete about turn. They scored 2 quick tries, one converted to take the lead 12 – 11 which remained the score until 5 minutes before the end when Chingford ran out of juice and allowed 3 converted scores with some very slack tackling.

For over 60 minutes Chingford showed the determination and defence to be deserving of points from this fixture but unfortunately this Colchester team proved to be a little fitter in the last quarter

17.       Ben Jeynes18.  

KO 2.30pm

A grey damp day greeted Chingford back to Rochford after a season’s wait for them to get re-promoted. Their backs and their loose forwards looked quick and very eager and this provided them with a solid base on which to launch attacks. However the wind and hill assisted Chingford in the first half and they used a rare visit into their opponents half after 15 minutes to grab a long range penalty by Dan Boughtwood. This released their defensive pose and after a flurry of phases, debutant Andre Cabrera dived over but the wide out conversion was missed. The game subsided into one of limited ability and constant infringements leading to a penalty to Rochford in front after half an hour which they converted. That looked like being that until half time but in injury time Rochford converted another penalty to make it 8 – 6 to Chingford.

Rochford started the second half as they did the first with constant pressure and this allowed them to take the lead after 54 minutes with a penalty. For the last quarter, however, Chingford took full control and won penalties every 5 minutes from the 65^th, converting 3, to leave them leading 17 – 9 entering injury time. Rochford then kicked off and scored a dubious charge down try from the restart which they converted. Not to be outdone Chingford through Cabrera again scored from their restart and ran out comfortable winners 22 – 16.

KO 2.15pm

What a game at Valleyside this afternoon in the bright sunshine and freezing conditions, it had everything for anyone but the faint hearted, Chingford faced Hammersmith and Fulham for the first ever time and it will be long remembered. The first half flattered to deceive with H&F pressing for the first quarter and missing 2 decent penalty chances, only for tries to be exchanged as if by arrangement. Chingford then took control and showed why their backs need to be shown respect as slick passing and good lines gave Brandon Hart a brace of tries. One conversion by Dan Boughtwood added to his earlier try gave Chingford a comfortable 17 – 7 lead at half time.

The light breeze behind them and the dazzling sun made Chingford the big favourites in the second half but H&F had not read the script and quickly converted a try to put things within 3 points. There followed a period of crushing tackles which caused substitute after substitute to bolster each side such that after 29 minutes H&F were reduced to 14 men. A speculative forward punt shortly after crossed the H&F line and the full back contrived to not touch it down allowing Andre Cabrera to take  advantage of the situation to restore Chingford’s lead.

The restart was a comedy of errors with Joe Perks missing the easy kick off and presenting the onrushing 14 man H&F with an easy score in the corner. Now with only 5 minutes remaining and the numeric advantage against them, it seemed impossible for H&F to come back but incredibly they picked up a stray attacking pass and their second row kicked through and again only to leave himself to dive on the prone ball to score. Yet even more incredibly he missed the score and allowed Chingford the opportunity to clear. Only seconds now remained and H&F were further reduced to 13 by another injury but they pressed and pressed with their scrum half and right winger leading attack after attack. How Chingford weathered the storm is difficult to portray but in pitch darkness and with drained and frozen spectators the referee had finally had enough.

A comfortable 22- 19 win said the locals but the travelling hoards from H&F were still bemoaning their fate some hours later but the real winner was rugby football.

1.       Billy Spink

2.       Ikenna Onwuka 

3.       Adam Raby

4.       Ben Jeynes

5.       Kenton Simms

6.       Joe Perks

7.       Ollie Hoad

8.       Dave Brown (Capt)

9.       JP Sharpe

10.    Dan Boughtwood (T.C)

11.    Andre Cabrera (T)

12.    Kalem Abbott

13.    Brandon Hart (2T)

14.    James Moy

15.    Abdel Giles

Subs:

1.       Nick Boraster Wright

2.       Tom Regan

3.       Tom Lowry

KO 2.15pm

Chingford arrived at Braintree with only 4 of the team that won the early season fixture at home due to their ongoing injury frustrations. The game could not have started any worse as they didn’t attack their own kick off leaving Braintree to run the ball to within 3 yards of their line. They managed to win the ruck but then Kurt Forward had his kick charged down and Braintree scored in the corner. An excellent conversion followed seeing Chingford 7 – 0 down within a minute. Chingford then weathered a near 20 minute spell of pressure by Braintree and on breaking out, won a kickable penalty. This was missed by Dan Boughtwood but he atoned for his error two minutes later as further pressure was finished off by the three-quarters and Kurt Forward scored the, duly converted, try. Braintree went back on the attack for the rest of the half and were themselves rewarded just before half time with a push over try. It seemed to have taken this long for Braintree to realise that Chingford did not have a second row on the pitch and their scrum was definitely creaking. This made the score 12 - 7 to Braintree at half time.

The second half started just as disastrously for Chingford with first Chris Moore yellow carded and then another penalty miss. They rode the imbalance of numbers well however and after 15 minutes Chris Moore’s return was heralded with Braintree’s fly half’s turn in the bin. Chingford then won a penalty in front of the posts which Boughtwood slotted. Chingford looked to have thrown it all away again as Ollie Hoad was yellow carded but the ever more weakened scrum was put under extreme pressure by Braintree but they didn’t buckle and indeed even won one against the head in their own 22. After Hoad’s return another bright three-quarter movement was rounded off with a Brendan Hart unconverted try. The last five minutes and 2 more of injury time were played in the Chingford 22 with 5 meter line outs and scrums the focus of Braintree’s attack but try as they might they couldn’t break the steely resolve of the Chingford team who for the second week running won a close fought battle.        

1.       Steve Piper

2.       Ikenna Onwuka            

3.       Wesley Mbewe

4.       Lawrence Macredes

5.       Chris Small

6.       Chris Moore

7.       Dave Brown (Capt)

8.       Ollie Hoad

9.       JP Sharpe

10.    Dan Boughtwood

11.    James Moy

12.    Kalem Abbott

13.    Brandon Hart

14.    Andre Cabrera

15.    Kurt Forward

Subs:

1.       Billy Spinks    

2.       Tom Regan