Bournemouth RFC

Season 2008/2009

Bournemouth Lions sponsored by Wood of Bournemouth, BMW Dealers.

Bournemouth Lions v Chippenham

The English Clubs Rugby Union Championship – South-West 1

Saturday 11 October 2008, KO 3.00 p.m. at Chapel Gate

Result –Bournemouth 51 (5G, 2T, 2P) v Chippenham (2G, 1T). Half-time – 15-12.

Attendance – 300 approximately.

Referee – Matt Carley, Kent.

Touch Judges – Steve Buffery, Bournemouth. Andrew Fielding, Chippenham.

Bournemouth Team – 15: Domenick Davies; 14: Anthony Dunkerley; 13: Tim Gray; 12: Scott Chislett 11: Mike Pope; 10: Ngapaku Ngapaku (Simon McFarlane 55); 9: Jamie Mitchell (‘Eddy’ Edwards 61); 1: Tim Wareham (Andy Spikings 55); 2: Dan Cawley; 3: Alan Manning; 4: Jayson Kenny; 5: Callum Forrest; 6: Chris Hughes (c); 7: Iain Crombie; 8: Matt Kiely.

Debuts – Jamie Mitchell (Full), Ngapaku Ngapaku (League).

Scorers – Tries: Mike Pope 3 (50m, 61m, 80m); Dan Cawley 2 (2m, 53m); Davies (23m); Ngapaku (43m). Cons: Mike Pope 5 (23m, 43m, 53m, 61m, 80m). Pens: Mike Pope 2 (40m, 41m).

Yellow Cards – Chris Hughes 30m; Dan Cawley 69m; ‘Eddy’ Edwards 73m.

Milestones – Mike Pope sets a new club scoring record of 31 (3T, 5C, 2P) in a Championship match overtaking Frankie van Schalkvyk’ s record of 27 (5T, 1C) against Henley Wanderers 5 February 2005. He also scores the first hat-trick of the season. Ngapaku Ngapaku (‘Pucks’) scores on his league debut.

Chippenham Team – 15: James Dazeley; 14: Dom Ricchio; 13: Rupert Crockett; 12: Karl Brant (2C); 11: Rory Davis; 10: Grant Trewartha (2T); 9: Hentie Martens; 1 John Angell; 2: James Down; 3: Kieran Marshall; 4: Matthew Bye; 5: Adrian Price; 6: John Turner; 7: Luke Hanham; 8: James Gaiger (c). Substitutes: Alex Buchalik, Ben Shuker.

Scorers – Tries: Grant Trewartha 2 (7m, 73m); James Gaiger (34m). Cons: Karl Brant 2 (34m, 73m).

Yellow Cards – John Turner 41m, Adrian Price 69m.

Scoring Sequence – 2m: Cawley try 5-0; 7m: Chippenham try (Trewartha); 23m: Davies try, Pope con 12-5; 34m: Chippeham goal (Gaiger try, Brant con) 12-12; 40m: Pope pen 15-12; Half-time 15-12; 41m: Pope pen 18-12; 43m: Ngapaku try, Pope con 25-12; 50m: Pope try 30-12; 53m: Cawley try, Pope con 37-12; 61m: Pope try, Pope con 44-12; 33m: Chippenham goal (Trewartha try, Brant con) 44-19; 80m: Pope try, Pope con 51-19; Full-time 51-19.

Bournemouth gave an outstanding display in the second half that Chippenham could not live with. Record breaking Mike Pope led the way with his record-breaking points tally (and he might have had another couple at least) but he was well supported by strong running backs and a pack that had locks at the breakdown and props in some flowing three-quarter moves.

The day was breathtakingly beautiful with bright Autumnal sunshine and a pleasant southerly breeze blowing across the pitch. The pitch itself looked in wonderful condition making the whole inspiring to play a game of rugby football. Bournemouth won the toss and chose to defend the westerly end, i.e. played from left to right as viewed from the stand.

Bournemouth were soon on the attack with a Scott Chislett kick and chase into the left-hand corner. The home side forwards secured the ball and drove for the try-line forcing Chippenham to offend inside their 5-metre line. Hooker Dan Cawley quickly grabbed the ball and was over in a trice before Chippenham could react. Mike Pope’s kick was well short as kicked into the breeze from wide out on the left but Bournemouth led 5-0 after just two minutes. Chippenham almost immediately had the chance to reduce the arrears when they were awarded a penalty on the Bournemouth 10-metre line after an infringement when Bournemouth knocked on as they received the ball. Right-wing Dom Ricchio’s kick was drilled low but left of the nearside post. Bournemouth kicked the drop-out long but that simply set up a lively Chippenham attack as they returned the ball with interest. Again Bournemouth were penalized as they sought to stem the threat again on their 10-metre line but Chippenham this time kicked for touch just inside Bournemouth’s 22-metre line down the right. From the back of the line Chippenham drove at the Bournemouth three-quarters who did well to keep them out. However Chippenham made sure they retained the ball as they were forced wide back to that right-hand touch where fly-half Grant Trewartha sneaked in wide out. The right-winger’s kicked was pulled across the face of the goal but his side were back on terms at 5-5 seven minutes into the game. Chippenham failed to secure the restart and lock Callum Forrest nicked the ball and gave cahse to his little chip but ran into the dead-ball area for Chippenham to touch down. Outside-centre Tim Gray did very well to secure the lofted drop-out under some severe pressure but Bournemouth did something of which referee Matt Carley disapproved. Scrum-half Hentie Martens in his eagerness to take quick advantage knocked the ball on and, despite his protestations to Carley, Bournemouth had the put-in at a scrum. New scrum-half Jamie Mitchell got the ball away well to equally new fly-half Pucks for it to be moved quickly into the hands of left-wing Pope who showed great pace down his touch but as he passed back inside at the contact it went to a Chippenham hand and the ball was gratefully hoofed into the safety of touch. However, the ball was not straight at the line-out and Bournemouth were forced to concede a scrum. The clearance kick from the base of the scrum was well fielded by full-back Domenick Davies and his chase of his own kick forced Chippenham into touch. Bournemouth did much better this time at the line-out and set up a strong three-quarter move going right. Alan Manning was there in support but this quick strong running tight-head prop was not able to hold on to the ball as he strove to dent the Chippenham defensive line. At this point, referee Carley had a quiet word with the two captains. From the penalty, Chippenham set a strong attack through their three-quarters but Bournemouth did well to nick the ball and there was Pucks calmly clearing to the right-hand touch. It got even better when Forrest using his immense reach and exceptional timing nicked the ball. He then orchestrated a great drive by the forwards as they took the ball into enemy territory. The ball was released for another kick and chase for Chippenham to be given a line-out on their 22-metre line down Bournemouth’s right. This time Chippenahm secured their own ball and Trewortha was able to find touch down his right. Bournemouth set another promising three-quarter attack but again they were penalized in the contact and Chippenham found touch some 30 metres out down their right. Bournemouth were awarded a scrum but immediately conceded a penalty in that same scrum giving Ricchio another opportunity for a pop at goal. Again his attempt was pulled across the face of the goal to leave the score at 5-all a quarter of the way into the game. From the drop-out, Chippenham countered down the right but Bournemouth won a penalty and found touch with a kick thirty metres or so out from their own line down the left. Chippenham won the ball back from the drive and first with Martens sniping and then a chip from Trewortha Bournemouth were penalized for a high tackle but nothing more after Carley had another quiet word with the offender. Rather than kick for touch, Chippenham rather half-heartedly tried to run the ball an lost it. Pope made another quick dash down his wing and when the ball was moved back right, Gray, showing great awareness, did well to get the ball in behind his tackler for Domenick Davies to be put into the clear enabling the full-back to run twenty or so metres in and round behind the post. Pope duly put the first of his thirty-one points on the board and Bournemouth had regained the lead at 12-5 after twenty-three minutes of play. Bournemouth thoroughly messed up the kick-off receipt and conceded a scrum to Chippenham. This set up a sustained attack and it was Gray that rescued the ball to feed No-8 Matt Kiely. He made ground in characteristic fashion and Pope was again released down the left. The ball, however, was knocked-on in the contact. From the scrum, Chippenham captain and No-8 James Gaiger set off on one of his equally characteristic runs punching holes in the Bournemouth defence using that formidable shoulder, carried so low, to give his would-be tacklers a very uncomfortable time. Captain Chris Hughes was shown the yellow card for tackling from an offside position as Bournemouth desperately sought to stop the attack. However, Forrest stopped any further nonsense by taking Chippenham’s throw-in and Pucks duly found touch but still within Bournemouth’s 22-metre line on the Bournemouth left. Chippenham’s attacking ambitions were further dented when they knocked on at the back of the line-out. However a poor pass to the feet of Pucks by Mitchell saw the former, in turn, knock on right on his own 5-metre line and Chippenham had regained the advantage. Experienced Martens is not the sort to fluff his lines in these circumstances and a deft pass back inside to Gaiger saw the No-8 step through a wide gap and walk round under the posts. Inside-centre Karl Brant was given the not over-onerous duty of kicking the goal to level the scores at 12-all with some six minutes of the half remaining. This left plenty of time for more action and again it was the ever-present Manning looking to punch through the Chippenham three-quarters but unfortunately the ball was again spilled to bring another promising move to a halt. Chippenham however contrived to bott the ball out on the full down their right. Again Bournemouth didn’t take advantage with another crooked throw but despite Chippenham being awarded the scrum, Bournemouth put them under so much pressure they resorted to some illegal handling on the floor and Pope landed the first of his two penalties with a fine kick from some thirty metres out and fifteen metres in from the right-hand touch. As the ball sailed between the posts, referee Carley blew for half-time with Bournemouth back in the lead at 15-12.

Bournemouth scored, courtesy of a second Pope penalty, within a minute of the restart and flanker John Turner was shown for the yellow card for his misdemeanours that resulted in the sanction. Straight from the restart, Gray made did well to evade his tacklers as he went left and found Pope every ready in support. He made ground going back inside as Chippenham sought to cut off the threat of the speedy winger but he in turn was well supported by new boy Pucks who took the pass back inside to scamper twenty or so metres to score his debut try just left of the posts. Pope kicked his second conversion for the home side to lead 25-12. Straight from the restart, right-wing Anthony Dunkerley illustrated Bournemouth’s attacking intentions with a typically mazy run out of the 22-metre area but spoilt it with a knock on in the contact. Bournemouth compounded their problems by giving away a free kick by pushing too early at the scrum which enabled Martens to set up a strong Chippenham attack down the left. Bournemouth were penalized five metres out but a, perhaps injudicious, quickly taken by Martens saw him robbed of the ball. Bournemouth did not take advantage as they knocked the ball in the contact. As Chippenham went right from the scrum they in turn lost the ball in contact and Gray did well to win it and break out with the help of Davies He found Pucks and the fly-half put Pope into enough space on the half-way line for the left-winger to out pace the defence and dive over in the corner to record a quite spectacular try. He then had to pick himself to have a crack at goal from the left-hand touch but the kick was short and wide to leave the score 30-12 after just ten minutes play in the second half. They were signs of desperation in the Chippenham side as they threw wild passes trying to work the ball left under the pressure of some pretty aggressive Bournemouth defence with Dunkerley in particular catching the eye as they forced a scrum. It was the same player with another of his runs looking for the weakness in the Chippenham defence but, with players outside, he mistimed his chance to get the ball away. However it was the same desperation in their passing that saw the Chippenham three-quarters drop the ball and there was Cawley, who combines his role as hooker with being a very sharp thorn in the side of Chippenham, swooping to scoop up the ball to run twenty-five metres unopposed to spot the ball under the posts. Pope added the two points and Bournemouth had stretched their lead to 37-12 after thirteen minutes of the half. It was Dunkerley again who was looking to break out from the restart but his pass was disappointing although Bournemouth managed to win the scrum. At this point Andy Spikings came on for loose-head Tim Wareham and Pucks was replaced by Simon McFarlane making a return to 1st XV duty after almost two years. The new fly-half was quickly in the action with a deft chip and chase as he sought to keep Chippenham under pressure. He recovered the ball but his pass back inside, unfortunately, went to a Chippenham player and a promising move came to naught. It was kick out by the fly-half that saw chase being given by Pope who did well to keep the ball play with some neat foot work. He regathered the ball and went for the line. However while he was playing football it gave time for the Chippenham defence to recover and he was forced to pass back inside to Gray who was through for a score. However the touch judge was signaling that Pope was in touch before releasing the ball and an exciting passage of play resulted in disappointment. Just two minutes later it was Pope again chasing down a kick and this time he fly-hacked the ball back inside and followed it up, shepherded by Cawley, to dive on the ball for his second try. His kick from just left of the posts bordered on being a formality but it meant Bournemouth were leading by a somewhat incredulous score of 44-12 with a quarter of the game to go. At this juncture, Jamie Mitchell, who had done so well in his first game, was relieved by the third replacement ‘Eddy’ Edwards. This meant a slight reshuffle with inside-centre Scott Chislett taking over from Mitchell, Gray taking over from Chislett and Edwards moving to outside-centre. A few moments later the attempts by Chippenham lock Adrian Price to lance the festering caused by the aforesaid thorn were considered illegal by referee Carley. He was asked to take a breather for ten minutes to reflect on such matters as was his antagonizer whose reaction to the administrations were also considered illegal and Cawley was asked to join him in his ten-minute sojourn. From the penalty, Bournemouth found touch down the right but promptly lost it as they drove off the resultant line-out. Chippenham went left and it took all of Bournemouth’s resolve to keep them out. Chippenham won a scrum in mid-field which meant Wareham had to come back on in the front row because of the loss of hooker Cawley and openside-flanker Iain Crombie was sacrificed as a result. In an identical move that led to their second try, Martens released Gaiger who made twenty-five metres with another bullocking run which had the Bournemouth in a bit of a frenzy. He was stopped and Chippenham went right where Edwards to threw out a hand to try and intercept the Chippenham pass only to receive a yellow card for his efforts. Referee Carley went back for a Chippenham scrum in front of the posts which saw Trewortha find the gap to score under the posts. There’s always a feeling of ant-climax in these situations when the opposition score and apparently soft try. This was no exception but full credit to Chippenham who still strove match their opponents. Brant added the two points to make the score 44-19 with some seven minutes of play left. With Bournemouth looking to attack at all opportunities it was testament to efforts of the Chippenham defence that Gray who seemed to be through on another of his strong attacks was brought down to earth with a classic tap-tackle as the Chippenham player flew to get his man. That defence got back in numbers to initially thwart Bournemouth when a score seemed almost inevitable but Bournemouth drove for the line with a typical Jayson Kenny drive and there was Pope on hand to step through the remnants of the defence to crown a fine personal display with a third try. His successful kick brought proceedings to a close at 51-19.

Of course the Bournemouth supporters went home very happy but they were also pleased that their side seemed to have recovered some of their confidence they showed last season, especially in the light of their poor form in the two away games played. Set-piece plays were much better than last week with the scrummage much stronger. Callum Forrest also brought some authority to the line-out play; not only securing our own ball much more effectively but frustrating the Chippenham jumpers on a number of occasions. So the extensive personnel changes seemed to work with a much more dynamic performance. A special mention for young Jamie Mitchell in his first game and up against an experienced campaigner in Hentie Martens. He did all that was asked of him by keeping it simple with a generally effective long pass and not taking on too much in the hothouse of South-West 1. What the coaches said at half-time I don’t know but it reached parts that haven’t been reached before this season?