Having suffered last minute heartache in their last two outings, Nottingham had to dig deep to put in a full 80 minute performance in atrocious weather conditions in order to defeat Chinnor 11-6.
A second half try from hooker Jack Dickinson was all that separated the two sides, ending the Villagers’ four game winning streak and meaning Craig Hammond’s men were the first team to come away from Kingsey Road with a win this season.
Archers’ number 8, James Cherry, described the mentality of his side going into the game: “We knew it would be attritional. The way the ground was, with the wind and the rain, when we arrived we were like ‘wow, we’re in for a proper battle here’.
“Massive credit goes to our skipper, David Williams, he said some really inspirational words before the game about how management and coaches build a squad but, on days like these, is where you make a team. That’s where you come together as a collective, you get tight and you win those close games. So I think, today, we came together as a team.”
After a first half characterised by several handling errors in the driving wind and rain, the only score on the board was a Gwyn Parks penalty midway through the period.
Using the wind to their advantage right from the outset of the second half, Chinnor were able to win a penalty in front of the posts and they opted to level the scores from the tee.
Nottingham were immediately back on the offensive, however, and found their way to the Chinnor five metre line with the aid of a couple of penalties. The Archers drove over the goal line and, after much deliberation between the officials, the only try of the contest was awarded. Parks, playing in the centres as Charlie Davies was still in concussion protocols after suffering a head injury in the Bedford match last week, couldn’t convert with the weather conditions against him.
The visitors were having their best spell of the game and won another penalty in a central position 35 metres out. With the rain abating a shot at the sticks was called but the wind was still strong and Parks’s kick didn’t make the distance. Chinnor knocked on in attempting to catch the kick then compounded the issue by giving away another penalty right in front and the Nottingham midfielder was able to extend his side’s lead to eight points this time.
With the game entering the final ten minutes the hosts pulled themselves back within one score by slotting a penalty after Nottingham were pinged for an illegal clearout.
That made for a tense ending to the game as Chinnor pressed for a potentially match-winning try but, with the clock deep in the red and the hosts deep in the attacking 22, the issues with ball handling resurfaced and the bedraggled Nottingham defence were able to effect the turnover and clear into touch to seal the win.
Cherry was as relieved as his teammates come the final whistle: “We’ve been on the wrong side of a few close ones so it meant a lot to us at the end, with the boys piling in and celebrating. The boys today, like Arthur Allen and Wilf McCarthy on debut, coming on and adding massive value, especially in that last set where we saw the game off. I think that’s one of the best team wins I’ve been a part of in my time at Nottingham Rugby.”