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Sat 28 Feb 2015 · National League 3 London & SE
Chichester
1st XV
14
8
Tries: D IrvinePenalties: D Dorton
A game lost rather than a game won!
Mike CUBITT1 Mar 2015 - 10:08
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Changes in the line-up saw double barrel Dave at lock for the absent Remus Neclar, Chris Meddings for the injured Tom Goss.
Coming down to the cauldron that is Oaklands Park, home of the well drilled Chichester, Gravesend found they were 7-0 down before they had time to rub the sleep from their eyes.
Changes in the line-up saw double barrel Dave at lock for the absent Remus Neclar, Chris Meddings for the injured Tom Goss, Gary Gray at fly-half, Dave Dorton on the bench with George Montgomery (late arrival) and Nathan Moorey.
A huge drive by the Chi forwards, ably marshalled by the sprightly scrum half Ed Durkin, saw the later interchange with fly half Alex Marsh, and with Gs still under the duvet, Marsh was able to run in unopposed, before adding the conversion for 7-0 after just four minutes.
Gravesend began to join in, but not until they had been forced to defend from a number of good Chi attacks, with Jack Bentall leading from the front.
It is the ninth game into the second half of the season, where three officials have been appointed and at last the benefit had effect, as the men in charge could be seen working together, and a breath of fresh air it was, even though the home bench could be clearly heard trying to coach them, to no avail.
After the initial onslaught and when Gs had got their act together, there were occasions when they began to spread the ball along the line, and it was now Chi's turn to defend, and this they did to a man, as Gray, Moorey, and Skinner aimed for the gaps, only to be stopped in their tracks.
So much line-out ball lost, I counted seven early on, and the worst of these were on the five metre line. Scoring chances lost by their own mistakes.
Penalty chances were spurned for the line-out, (yes the one that wasn't working), this coupled with the odd knock-on was letting Chi off the hook.
As has often been seen this season, instead of competing at the line-out, the opposing line stands back in the hope that a catch and drive would be penalised for off-side, but on the occasion of a Gravesend five metre line-out, instead of driving, the catcher, Dave Irvine, turned and stormed over the line to touch down.
The conversion from wide-out drifted past the uprights, but there was still fifteen minutes of the half remaining, and although Gs pack, who had dominated all but the first few minutes of the game, were pressing for the score, Chi’s defence held firm to a man.
The half time whistle brought what had been a bruising first half to a close, with the score standing at 7-5 and all to play for.
The efforts of Forsyth, Klus, Stevens in the front row, Irvine and Brooks-Smith at lock, and the tireless work of the back row of Bird, Atkins and Stevens deserved more reward than they had so far achieved in the first forty.
It was again a battle of the defences as neither side could find a way through, but within ten minutes of the restart, Chi had lost two players to the sin bin, Chris Johnson the first to go following a dangerously high tackle on Temi Okenla, and two minutes later, Ken Dowding for pulling down the maul as Gs drove for the line, (one wonders if this should have been a penalty try) and was not the first offence in the red zone during this phase of play.
Gravesend's failure to capitalise on this two man advantage, by playing into the strength of Chi's defence, instead of going for the overlap, was, in the end, to cost Gsss dearly.
The inability to keep hold of the ball did at times let Gs down, turning advantage over the Chi, but it was Gravesend who at last took a shot at the posts after Chi got caught interfering at the break-down.
The successful Dorton kick, put Gs were they deserved to be, in front, all-be-it by a single point at 7-8.
Seventy minutes on the clock, and Gravesend had withstood a huge battering from the home forwards, and as they found it impossible to break Gs defence down, they attempted an easy penalty, but had to stand a watch it go wide.
The golden rule of playing to the whistle went out of the window as Gsss waited for an obvious interference to be blown for, fly half Marsh had other ideas, with the final pass reaching Ben Robson who ran in behind the posts for the try, before Marsh added the conversion for 14-8.
Gravesend fought to the final whistle, and having kept the ball alive to get within seven metres of the try line, again proceeded to lose it at the crucial moment.
With unexpected possession, Chi hastily kicked the ball dead to secure the result.
Changes in the line-up saw double barrel Dave at lock for the absent Remus Neclar, Chris Meddings for the injured Tom Goss, Gary Gray at fly-half, Dave Dorton on the bench with George Montgomery (late arrival) and Nathan Moorey.
A huge drive by the Chi forwards, ably marshalled by the sprightly scrum half Ed Durkin, saw the later interchange with fly half Alex Marsh, and with Gs still under the duvet, Marsh was able to run in unopposed, before adding the conversion for 7-0 after just four minutes.
Gravesend began to join in, but not until they had been forced to defend from a number of good Chi attacks, with Jack Bentall leading from the front.
It is the ninth game into the second half of the season, where three officials have been appointed and at last the benefit had effect, as the men in charge could be seen working together, and a breath of fresh air it was, even though the home bench could be clearly heard trying to coach them, to no avail.
After the initial onslaught and when Gs had got their act together, there were occasions when they began to spread the ball along the line, and it was now Chi's turn to defend, and this they did to a man, as Gray, Moorey, and Skinner aimed for the gaps, only to be stopped in their tracks.
So much line-out ball lost, I counted seven early on, and the worst of these were on the five metre line. Scoring chances lost by their own mistakes.
Penalty chances were spurned for the line-out, (yes the one that wasn't working), this coupled with the odd knock-on was letting Chi off the hook.
As has often been seen this season, instead of competing at the line-out, the opposing line stands back in the hope that a catch and drive would be penalised for off-side, but on the occasion of a Gravesend five metre line-out, instead of driving, the catcher, Dave Irvine, turned and stormed over the line to touch down.
The conversion from wide-out drifted past the uprights, but there was still fifteen minutes of the half remaining, and although Gs pack, who had dominated all but the first few minutes of the game, were pressing for the score, Chi’s defence held firm to a man.
The half time whistle brought what had been a bruising first half to a close, with the score standing at 7-5 and all to play for.
The efforts of Forsyth, Klus, Stevens in the front row, Irvine and Brooks-Smith at lock, and the tireless work of the back row of Bird, Atkins and Stevens deserved more reward than they had so far achieved in the first forty.
It was again a battle of the defences as neither side could find a way through, but within ten minutes of the restart, Chi had lost two players to the sin bin, Chris Johnson the first to go following a dangerously high tackle on Temi Okenla, and two minutes later, Ken Dowding for pulling down the maul as Gs drove for the line, (one wonders if this should have been a penalty try) and was not the first offence in the red zone during this phase of play.
Gravesend's failure to capitalise on this two man advantage, by playing into the strength of Chi's defence, instead of going for the overlap, was, in the end, to cost Gsss dearly.
The inability to keep hold of the ball did at times let Gs down, turning advantage over the Chi, but it was Gravesend who at last took a shot at the posts after Chi got caught interfering at the break-down.
The successful Dorton kick, put Gs were they deserved to be, in front, all-be-it by a single point at 7-8.
Seventy minutes on the clock, and Gravesend had withstood a huge battering from the home forwards, and as they found it impossible to break Gs defence down, they attempted an easy penalty, but had to stand a watch it go wide.
The golden rule of playing to the whistle went out of the window as Gsss waited for an obvious interference to be blown for, fly half Marsh had other ideas, with the final pass reaching Ben Robson who ran in behind the posts for the try, before Marsh added the conversion for 14-8.
Gravesend fought to the final whistle, and having kept the ball alive to get within seven metres of the try line, again proceeded to lose it at the crucial moment.
With unexpected possession, Chi hastily kicked the ball dead to secure the result.
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