If you are going to draw, draw big!

An ‘interesting game’ were the words used to sum up the mighty Choughs first league game of the season.
With a last minute ref sourced the Choughs took to ‘Stade REMPF’ on a bright September day with a strong squad sprinkled with Vets, Newbies and Choughs stalwarts.

The opposition were the familiar OP Saints, a side we have a decent record against and hopes were high that we could get a good home result to kick start a season where the league win is our ultimate aim. Plan was simple as ever, hit them hard up front, wear them out in the set piece and jab like Coatesy on a night out in Clapham. The oppo 10 had a different plan.

*** The following match report bares very little resemblance to what actually happened ***

Losing the coin flip **Shocker** the Choughs were receiving and ‘Surrey Lock’ Pete Calvert took the ball into the first ruck. Some rugby then happened for a while.

It was not long before it became clear that OP Saints had very little interest in humouring us up front with their 10 opting to kick the ball or get it wide at the earliest opportunity. Unfortunately for us the fly-half had an exceptional boot, putting a lot of pressure and turning our back three on their heels regularly. With Turner and myself in the back row not adverse to the odd late hit we weren’t getting the opportunity to get anywhere near the 9 and 10.

An early penalty (not given away by me for once) a decent distance outside the 22 was opted to be kicked to the posts and the opposition 10 obliged with ease. Some disgruntled Choughs, upset that the oppo had a very effective game plan against us now even more furious that they were kicking for points!

Unfortunately for us we didn’t heed to the early warnings giving there back three easy possession and allowing them far too much space to kick and run back at us. An OP Saints try wide left was easily converted by the boot of their 10. 0-10 down with 10 mins on the clock.

We may be many things but the Choughs are not a quiet bunch and led by Choughs legend Ali Springer the forwards got together and talked up their game like heroes. We soon gave away another penalty and the score was 0 – 13……

Slowly though we were beginning to get a foothold back in the game. Pick and goes from inside our own 22 were going to become regular now and strong carries from the likes of Farid Hashemi, Ed Monkley and Pete Calvert were hauling us up the pitch. With our scrum dominating and the lineout functioning well, a trademark driving maul wide right saw Chris Turner elegantly falling over the line for a try. I think Lawley converted and the game was 7 – 13.

Annoyingly for Chris this was to be his last action in the game as a split chin requiring stitches took him off to be replaced by a relatively sober Joe Forster.

The game continued to be a bit of a yoyo for the rest of the half with the points tally increasing on both sides. Pete Calvert and new Fly-Half Iain Buscombe (from bloody Devon….) tries being cancelled out by a try and Penalty from Saints.

We went into the break slightly behind on points but 3 tries to 2 up…..

As ever it was time for the skipper’s great management skills to come into play. To the delight of the 7 strong crowd I subbed myself off with Tom Riddolls coming into the back row. Further changes saw Monkley having a break with soon to be deported Aussie Ryan McGregor taking his place in the row.

Unsurprisingly with me off the pitch we stormed out of the blocks. Joe Forster scoring a try just to the left of the posts. Heads were up and OP Saints looked to be struggling with the physicality in the middle of the pitch. Ian Keith was hitting some hard lines at inside centre and starting to put their 10 onto the back foot ably supported by outside centre and MFACAGIJ Harry Hurst.

As I was returning to the pitch with some full water bottles I saw something very unusual. A hand off and step followed by a mazy galloping run saw the ‘graceful’ figure of Pete Calvert running 30 yards and diving under the posts for his second try of the game, early contender for Try of the season!

Just as our heads were up, Saints came back into the game some pace down the right and a broken tackle saw another try. James Tovey was brought on at 9 to replace Lloyd Richardson, Jake Cannon was on, on the wing for Thom Lang and Josh Clement on at prop for the impressive Farid Hashemi playing there for the first time.

I’m mostly making this up but we missed a penalty to go a point ahead they got another Try at some point and it was 31 – 38 with about 10 to go.

Some late pressure and a try under the posts by us put the score 36 – 38 and the ref added plenty of pressure for Lawley by telling him ‘Make this kick and it’s all square with 2 mins left on clock’. Lawley tried his best to miss but scooped the ball over and setup a nervy last couple of minutes.

Both sides tried to win it late on but a run down the wing by Jake Cannon, supported for Matt Taylor was to be snuffed out and the whistle blew for an entertaining game.

38 -38

Off to the telegraph and onwards to drink and wind up South Africans (and for Joe Forster to get beaten up by a girl!)

M.O.M - Ed Monkley (Going to have played everywhere in Scrum by third game of season)
D.o.D – Josh Clement (terrible linesman work)

Team: Hashemi, Myatt, Laverick, Calvert, Monkley, Springer, Newton, Turner, Richardson, Buscombe, Taylor, Keith, Hurst, Lawley, Lang

Subs: Forster, Riddolls, Tovey, Clement, Cannon, McGregor

Tries – Turner, Calvert x 2, Buscombe, Forster, Taylor
Con – Lawley
Penalty – Lawley x 2