A very cold afternoon, a sticky pitch but bright and sunny. This should have been a recipe for lots of running rugby. The fact that is wasn’t was down to Chinnor not having much to offer in the backs and to Maidenhead dropping the ball virtually every time they got some decent ball. Nobody was exempt from this criticism. Still a win is a win and the points were very welcome with three teams on the same points in the league and only points difference keeping Maidenhead, in fifth place before today’s games, as the third of those three.

The game itself was very scrappy thanks to the mistakes from both sides. Chinnor had much the stronger pack and after about 20 minutes they decided to play a simple forwards game with relentless pick and drive tactics that kept Maidenhead on the back foot for all of the first half. Their set scrums were causing Maidenhead lots of problems as were the line-outs and it was well against the run of play that Maidenhead scored an excellent try on the half-hour when a short pass to Ed Poulding put him in close to the posts. The conversion was missed by Mike Andrew. Chinnor replied with a penalty to make it 5 – 3 at half time and anyone’s game.

The second half continued in much the same vein. Rob Wilkins missed a long range penalty from near the halfway line, but then slotted one from near the 22 metre line making it 8 – 3 to Maidenhead.

The next score was going to be vital but still the mistakes kept coming not helped by a whistle happy referee. The score when it came was as the result of another break by the midfield backs and was finished with a clever overhead pass by Mike Andrew to Rich Parsley who dotted down under the posts. Rob Wilkins duly converted. 15 – 3 to Maidenhead. Game over? Absolutely not! The last 10 to 15 minutes seemed to be played almost entirely deep in Maidenhead’s 22 metres area with drive after drive and set scrum after set scrum going to Chinnor. But Maidenhead’s last ditch defensive effort, particularly from the forwards who were under immense pressure really ensured the win.

Written by David ‘The Pencil’ Anthony.