Rochford Hundred 17 Chelmsford 29 - London Two North East
CHELMSFORD Rugby Club won their opening league encounter at Rochford last weekend with an ultimately convincing victory, scoring 4 excellent tries and in the process securing a bonus point victory.
With ten of the side coming up through the colts system and five other players making their first team debuts, there is a younger look to the squad this season.
The side were dealt a blow beforehand when influential young hooker, Seth Robinson, was ruled out, following a back spasm injury sustained the previous week, but they did welcome back playmaker Simon Hoult at fly half who was absent from the Upminster game.
Debutant winger, Will Ferrier and full back Jamie Ash both scored two tries each and could have scored more had the final pass gone to hand. Even so, Director of Rugby Eddie Gooby can be pleased with the overall performance, but acknowledged that the score could have been more against a Rochford side who have suffered this pre-season with the loss of several key players to both London One outfit Thurrock and National league side Southend.
Chelmsford were on the attack in the early stages and had several chances to score. Unfortunately for them they lost prop Phil Dechamp early on with a back injury and he was replaced by Ben Franklin. The visitors opened the scoring after 15 minutes when a poor clearance kick from the home side was fielded by second row, Nick Sany and then the ball was spun down the back line and right wing Ferrier beat three men to score a great try underneath the posts, which was duly converted by Hoult to make it 7 – 0. Five minutes later from a scrum, the ball went down the back line and full-back Ash burst through the home side's defence and beat several men to touch down underneath the posts, and with Hoult converting again this took Chelmsford into a 14 – 0 lead.
At this point Chelmsford should have put the hammer down and gone on to score more points, but for some reason they allowed Rochford back into the game and a series of penalties, five on the trot, saw the home side score twice and come back into the game. Following a penalty kick to the corner, the ball was won from the line out and after several phases they managed to score an unconverted try in the corner. Five minutes later the home side were awarded a penalty, which went just wide, but then a further unconverted try was scored from a driving maul. This made the scoreline 14 – 10 to Chelmsford. On the stroke of half time following a line out the pace of the Chelmsford backs was once again to the fore and wing Ferrier scored a great try in the corner to extend Chelmsford's lead to 19 – 10 at half time.
Chelmsford continued to play some enterprising rugby and 10 minutes into the half, full back Ash made a great run down the left hand side touchline, only to be tackled a few metres from the line. A few minutes later a great kick ahead by Chelmsford resulted in the home side carrying the ball over the dead ball line.
The pressure was now being put on by Chelmsford, but despite a series of scrums near the Rochford line, they were unable to control the ball at the back of the scrum and some of the impetus was lost.
However, following another scrum, fly half Hoult put Ash away down the left hand side of the field and his pace saw him through to score another great try in the corner, which was superbly converted by Hoult to extend the lead to 26 – 10. Sadly for the visitors the home side scored once again following play through the phases and a converted try reduced the lead to 26 – 17. A final penalty kick from Hoult saw Chelmsford home to a well-deserved.
This coming Saturday sees Chelmsford at home to South Woodham Ferrers, with the kick off at 3pm at Coronation Park.
