Villagers Nick it to keep up the chase at the top
MATT Williams hailed his Chinnor side as Nick Selway’s try earned the Oxfordshire club a late victory over fellow high-fliers Rosslyn Park in a pulsating fixture.
Trailing 21-19 with two minutes to go, the hooker crashed over from a driving lineout as the home side dug deep to claim a valuable win.
The result has seen the Thame-based side close the gap to second-placed Park to just two points, while Richmond moved ten points clear after beating Canterbury.
Chinnor director of rugby Williams was thrilled with the result.
He said. “I’m delighted. It wasn’t about the five points; it was about winning.
He added: “Since Christmas, we’ve turned things around.
“Whether we’re behind or in front, we play to the final minute now.
“We’ve now played the top three teams around us and it’s about getting as many points as we can between now and the end of the season and letting other results around us take care of themselves.”
Park had Stewart Maguire and Daniel Laventure sin-binned in the final seven minutes and director of rugby Kieran Power felt that was the crucial factor.
He said: “We faced quality opposition in Chinnor, and the conditions were tough for both sides.
“I think it was telling how people managed the game in either half. If we had kicked the ball out a little earlier in that first half it could have been a different story.
“Our guys put in a hell of a shift defensively, but ultimately ill-discipline cost us.”
The home side chose to play with the wind to their backs in the first half and headed into the break with a 19-7 lead.
Chinnor opened the scoring through Laurence May’s fourth-minute penalty, but they immediately conceded a try.
Arthur Ellis charged down a kick and collected the loose ball to cross under the posts, Gregory Lound converting.
Chinnor enjoyed the majority of territory and May’s penalty reduced the deficit to a point, before they made it 11-7 after 29 minutes through Joe Rees’s unconverted try.
Another May penalty stretched their advantage
to seven points, and they crossed again on the stroke of half-time when Camilo Parilli-Ocampo brilliantly turned over possession and the ball was spread wide for Jason Worrall to cross in the corner for an unconverted score.
There were question marks over whether the 12Chinnor’s point lead was enough, while a knock-on from the restart gave Park an early chance to reduce arrears.
The visitors went on to cross twice in the first ten minutes of the half through Ryan Roach and Josh Amadi, Lound converting both, to go 21-19 in front.
response was impressive, though, and, despite playing into a strong wind, they were not short of chances.
It went down to the wire and with Park’s Maguire and Laventure in the sinbin late on, they took their opportunity as Selway drove over for victory.