Narrow win ensures survival for Chiswick

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Rugby Result - Chiswick 12 Hemel Hempstead 11

A nervy start by Chiswick against the wind culminated in a try for Hemel, poor tackling allowing their centre to power into the home 22 before putting his winger in at the corner. Before Chiswick sorted out their lineout work in the absence of Mark Williams, Hemel were obtaining lots of ball, and they kicked well with the wind to keep the pressure on. A penalty soon put them eight points up.

With Matt Vinden and Marco Chraplewczyk urging them on, the Chiswick forwards began to show, but it was a misdirected pass by Hemel that allowed Tom Lovell to pick up the loose ball, and feed it out, with Simon Slattery taking the final pass from Lewis Hammond to score. Keith Luckman just missed the kick. Scrum half Ian Walker was putting the Hemel No 9 under great pressure, and with Graham Robbings controlling the Hemel centres, Chiswick looked much more secure.

A determined surge up field early in the second half gained Hemel three more points, but as the home side began to use the wind, Hemel were slowly knocked back. Despite a scintillating display by Walker, inspirational for the young budding scrum half on the touchline, the Chiswick threes could not quite get their act together. Nil desperandum.

Slick lineout work, followed by a training session drive for the line, left a smiling, rejuvenated Kelvin Campbell rising from the mass of bodies to accept the plaudits of the large crowd of supporters. In the ensuing hush, Walker ran in and kicked the ball dead straight between the posts to send the unfortunate Hemel down, whilst keeping Chiswick up. The new clubhouse, although not yet completely fitted out, was a welcome venue for all at the end.

Chiswick team :- Donaldson ( Johnson ), Nichols, Campbell, Hood, Chraplewczyk, Vinden, Robbings, Pickering, Walker, Luckman, Slattery, Fraser, Lovell ( Hinze ), Coffey, Hammond

April 17, 2005