Well-drilled Chinnor have the edge over Bletchley

Bletchley suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday when they were edged out by a well-drilled Chinnor Wildboys, going down 24-20.

Despite the defeat, Bletchley showed great heart against a side with an experienced front row that dominated the scrums throughout the match.

Chinnor, playing at home, made an impressive start, taking control early on with a turnover that led to their opening try from a scrum. The conversion was successful, giving Chinnor a 7-0 lead.

Bletchley responded quickly with determination, stringing together some solid phase play. A well-organised maul from a lineout saw Joshua Bradley cross the line for Bletchley’s first try. However, the conversion was missed, leaving the score at 7-5 in Chinnor’s favour.

Chinnor continued to exert pressure, particularly in the scrums, where their experienced pack made life difficult for Bletchley. Their dominance paid off again as they scored a second try, which was converted, taking the halftime score to 14-5 in Chinnor’s favour.

The second-half began poorly for Bletchley as some loose defending allowed Chinnor to score once again, extending their lead to 19-5, although the conversion was missed. Bletchley, however, refused to back down. They responded with another powerful maul, and Joshua Sprules powered over for a try, narrowing the gap. Although the conversion was missed, a penalty kick from Kyle Gibbings shortly after brought the score to 19-13, putting Bletchley right back in the contest.

Momentum swung Bletchley’s way, and they made it count when Elliot Hales finished off a great attacking move, scoring in the corner after making several strong runs throughout the game. The score now stood at 19-20, and Bletchley had their noses in front.

The game took a dramatic turn when a Chinnor player was shown a red card for a high tackle, giving Bletchley a numerical advantage heading into the final 10 minutes. Despite this, Chinnor’s powerful scrum once again proved decisive, creating chaos and leading to an unconverted try that put them back ahead, 24-20.

Bletchley pushed hard in the dying moments and came close to snatching a late victory, but unfortunately, they couldn’t convert their chances. Chinnor’s disciplined, physical pack, combined with their experience, proved to be the difference.

A standout performer for Bletchley was Glen White, who was awarded the Tuk Tuk Thai Man of the Match. White put in a tireless shift around the park, contributing in both attack and defence, and his work rate was crucial in keeping Bletchley in the game until the final whistle.

Although the match ended in defeat, Bletchley can take great pride in their performance. The team battled hard, putting their bodies on the line against a formidable Chinnor side. It was a narrow loss, but one that highlighted Bletchley’s spirit and resilience against tough opposition.

Next Saturday (September 28) rugby returns to Manor Fields, with both Bletchley teams playing at home, the 1XV facing Wallingford and the 2XV going up against Bedford Swifts. Both games kick off at 2pm.