Comeback kings Chosen Hill take the derby spoils
CHOSEN Hill took the local bragging rights home after scoring 19 unanswered points in the second half at Cheltenham to win their Regional 2 Severn derby clash 27-24.
Cheltenham took the lead on six minutes when a clever kick through produced a foot race with the Cheltenham full-back Lewis Neal and two defenders as the ball rolled into in goal.
To prevent Neal grounding the ball to score a Chosen Hill defender knocked the ball over the dead ball line with his hand, and referee Chris Elliott being extremely well positioned shot between the posts to award a penalty try.
Chosen Hill reduced the deficit with a penalty for an offence on the floor but Cheltenham extended their lead to 12-3 when a blind side break found Henry Kirchner in space and the centre cantered in from 30 metres out,.
Hill then scored following good work by their backs with the blind side winger entering at a great angle and pace to score out wide.
On 26 minutes Jardel Cooper fielded a kick through in his own 22 and, avoiding the first advancing tackler, set off on a run that took him nearly the length of the pitch before being hauled down but good support play from Joe Sokiveta saw the Fijian score his first points for the club, with a huge lunge for the line. Craig Holder adding the extras to give a half time score of 19-8.
The second half continued in the same vein, with Cheltenham on the offensive.
After sustained pressure, Cheltenham gave away a Penalty right on the Chosen Hill line, only for the referee to reverse his decision for some afters on the floor.
Forgoing an easy shot at the posts, Cheltenham scored after several sorties to the line when captain Ryan Bradnam crossed.
With a 16 point advantage and the breeze at their backs Cheltenham must have thought they were nearly home, however it was not to be the case.
Chosen Hill took the game to them and crossed following good forward play to reduce the arrears to 24-15 and scored again when a crash ball caught the defence flat and with the conversion there was two points in it at 24-22.
With Chosen Hill on the attack again, they coughed up the ball following good defence on the Cheltenham line for Sokiveta to set sail only for an excellent tap tackle to fell the flying Fijian.
Cheltenham, having gathered themselves and set a defensive ruck, inexplicably allowed the ball to roll onto their goal line, and it was an invitation that Chosen Hill didn’t refuse.
The conversion was missed but Chosen led 27-24. The last five minutes had Cheltenham trying in vain to get something out of the game but it was to no avail.
Stow-on-the-wold maintained their fine start in Regional 2 South with a 38-15 win over Reading.
Despite a cracking start from Reading to get the game’s opening try, Stow hit back in kind through Will Oughton, with Ollie Clements adding the extras.
Reading were defensively very well organised, but Stow made too many errors in the opening 20 minutes.
James Hillier, who had another barnstorming performance, went over for Stow’s next score before aindiscipline from the black and whites allowed Reading in to make it 12-10.
As Stow started to get into our rhythm, they began to stretch Reading at stages, resulting in a fine try to Toby Stayt with Clements adding the extras. Stow 19- 10 Reading.
The fourth try came from some excellent ball movement and heads up rugby, with Ellery Millar coming up with the ball and Clements adding the extras for a 26-10 half-time lead.
After the break, an excellent no. 8 pick up from the Craig Chapman off a creaking scrum saw Stayt open the second half scoring with a drift and straighten to go over for the next try.
Clements went to the sin-bin for 10 minutes and Stow also lost vice captain James Holmes to what looks like a long term injury.
But they responded well, finishing some great defensive efforts off with another try to Sean Thomson.
This score seemed to finally galvanise Reading, who went through their forwards before taking the ball wide and scoring their third try.
The final try came when a great read from Thomson saw him intercept a screen pass by Reading and race away 70m to score, with Clements adding the final two points.
In Counties 1 Western North, the Nailsea & Backwell v Cheltenham North game was called off.
Gordon League are a point clear in Counties 2 Gloucestershire North after their 41-33 win over Old Richians, tries from Kian Buhagiar, Liam Thomas, Conor King, a penalty try and Ben Gamston sealing the win, with Ashley Kocheran’s boot adding the rest.
Darren Nolloth scored a try hat-trick for Richians and Jack Andrews added two, with Adam Wallace converting three and Jamie Mayall one.
Brockworth are second after tries for Scott Thomas, Si Vono, Kurtis Herbert, Chris Humphrey and Andy Mitchell sealed a 29-5 win over Cirencester, Herbert adding two conversions.
Carl Fritchley, with a try and three penalties, scored all of Coney Hill’s points as they beat Smiths Rugby 14-11, a Duncan Spurrier try and two Marcus Raymond penalties replying.
Old Centralians II came back from being 12-0 down at half time to record a fine 31-19 win at Ross-on-wye.
Their try scorers were Luke Forsythe, Rob Tucker, Thaine Roberts, Lewis Cameron and Jordan Smith with Alex Mathers converting three of the tries.
Old Cryptians scored 10 tries as they beat Cheltenham Saracens 62-10, Sean gardner scoring a hat-trick.
John Zecca, Elliott Gardner (two), Rob Trigg, Dan Tyler (two) and Joe Freeman also scored, Tyler converting six, with a Chris Botham try and a Keane Mazowiecz conversion and penalty replying for Sarries.
Hucclecote got their first win with a 58-29 win at Spartans, thanlks to tries from Ben Ashmead, Patrick Hanslow, Josh Mcgill (two), Gaz Davis (two), Alex Runciman (two), Alex Mcewan and Charlie Hurst, Mcgill converting four.
The Red Ants took a try bonus thanks to Ethan Badham, Elliot Mayer, Ben Stratton and George Boughton, and had a penalty and three conversions from Marty Cummings.
Old Patesians and Gloucester Old Boys top Counties 3 Gloucestershire North, Pats beating Bredon Star 45-12 while Old Boys beat Tewkesbury 36-12 with a Spencer Miller hat-trick, a James Murphy double and Conor Maguire on debut their try-scorers, Murphy converting three.
Pats consolidated their position at the top, running in sevenn tries to two at Everest Road.
It was a scrappy start with neither side gaining the upper hand but after 30 minutes powerful tight head prop Charlie Maker drove over following a penalty on the visitors’ 22 for a try converted by Sam Rhymes.
Within moments Rhymes who fielded a poor goal-line drop out with a break committing tacklers to link with Archie Long putting the Pats centre in for their second, converted by Rhymes, as half time approached.
Bredon scored a try through Henry Tarrant until huge pressure came on their defence.
Josh Lawrence and when the Pats winger intercepted on halfway, he outpaced the visitors down the right wing before stepping inside to dap down between the posts for an outstanding individual try, converted by Rhymes.
The Everest Road men were rampant sweeping the ball from left to right taking the game out of sight and the bonus point try came following a series of pick and drives with Jack Harvey finding Rhymes who put Maker in for his brace, the score converted by Rhymes.
A huge 50-22 kick from Laurence set up a line out drive for Damien Dinwiddy’s first try of the season notching up Pat’s fifth try and Maker then put the Pats 14 in for his brace.
The visitors responded with a try out wide, Tarrant scoring again with Jack Dowdeswell converting, but Maker crashed over to claim his hat-trick as the final whistle blew.
Matson II were 37-17 winners over Cheltenham Civil Service thanks to tries from Shane Burford, Kian Bayliss (two), Mark Brown, Darren Collier, Connor Gwilliam and Josh Claxton, with a Jordan Woodhouse coversion enough, despite Service tries for Alex Richardson, Ross Ruck and Paul Bartlett, Rhys Ruck with a conversion.
The Widden Old Boys v Fairford game was called off due to the large amount of military players on duty at Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral.
Counties 4 Gloucestershire North opened with Painswick beating Longlevens II 24-19 with tries for Paul Watson, Sam Andrews, Rogan Wolhuter and Keyan Littleton, plus two penalties from Sam Andrews.
Tries from Ryker Barrowcliffe, Tyler Farley, Jarrod Campling and Harry Barrett with two conversions from Kieran Cox gave Cheltenham United a 24-15 bonus point win over Greyhound.
Old Patts II conceded to Drybrook III.