Chingford catch out Tabard

Cobden Hill side fail to recover from early blows

London League 1 North

Tabard 0 Chingford 41

TABARD came down to earth with a bump on Saturday as a highly efficient Chingford team caught them flatfooted and went 14 points up within seven minutes, a point from which Tabard never managed to recover and, despite some good attacking rugby, they ended up losing by 41 points to nil.

In fairness to Tabard they took an early setback when their hooker injured his knee during warm up and a replacement from the second XV had to be drafted in.

Against another team Tabard may have been given a breathing space but Chingford were up for the game from the start and it was just five minutes before they scored. The ball went long in the line out and the Chingford stand off, Hayward, found space to score under the posts for the try which he converted.

Two minutes later the Chingford wing, Kells, was on the end of a fast cross field passing movement and he was in for another try which Hayward again converted. However, Tabard were now beginning to find their feet and steady their game, and although Hayward kicked a penalty for Chingford, the Tabard forwards began to win some ball and take the game to their opposition.

Although Tabard had some good moves including wing, Matty Roberts, being pulled down just short and some periods of pressure the scores did not come but it looked like the sides would turn round with Chingford only 17 points ahead.

However, just before half time Tabard were reduced to 14 men by a sin binning and Chingford were able to drive through a line out for their flanker to score so the teams turned round with Tabard 22 points adrift.

In the second half, Chingford took advantage of Tabard’s reduced forward strength to mount a sustained scrummaging effort on the Tabard line and were rewarded with a penalty try which Hayward converted.

Tabard also received another sin-binning but this co-incided with the earlier sin-binning finishing and Tabard remained at 14 men. Not for long however, as they were quickly awarded another sin-binning and thus had 13 men on the park.

Tabard did not cave in however but kept their heads although the Chingford scrum-half Bolton-Smith went over to stretch the lead. Back to full strength Tabard then once again put their game together and tried hard to put some points on the board but to no avail, despite Chingford having a player in the sin-bin.

Then Chingford tuned over a Tabard attack, their centre, Lockwood, went over for the final try of the game and this was converted to complete the scoring for the day, with Tabard losing by 41 points to nil.

Next week Tabard are at home to Brentwood, kick off 3.00 pm at Cobden Hill, Radlett.

Tabard: Cunningham, Austerberry, Murphy (Woodhead 65m), Edwards, Roberts, Reilly, Van der Vlught, B Lake, Dare, W Lake, Weizman, Kidd (Miller 70m), O’Connor, Stingu (Calnan 65m), Stoba.

n Tabard’s 2nd XV lost to Fullerians 22–15 in a merit table clash.