Chiswick RFC Middlesex Bowl Final

25/03/2007

Chiswick Win Final at Second Attempt

Chiswick 22 Teddington 5

Chiswick went one better than last year, beating Teddington in the final of the Middlesex Bowl. An excellent day for the club, the pitch looking great and playing well, plenty of people enjoying the new clubhouse, the bar busy, the food well-received and some top jamming from ‘boy band Ben’. When Chiswick do things together, it’s a special place on and off the field.

Played at home, on a dry day, in front of a large and vocal crowd, Chiswick played aggressively in defence and majestically in attack to confound and then dumbfound a larger Teddington team who, in reaching the final, had done Surrey league three proud.

The match started with Teddington on the front foot. Stronger in the scrummage and dominant in the line-out, the opposition held possession, pressing the Chiswick line. It felt like this would be a long afternoon. But some heroic defence prevented a first score for Teddington and raised the question why Chiswick have one of the poorest ‘points against’ records in the league.

Then a breakout from Chiswick’s own 22. Keith and Ian setting Mark Jones free down the right wing, a delicate kick ahead, re-gathered and through several hands for Ben Cheston to touch down by the posts for a 7-0 lead. The vision to take the space, the pace and accuracy of execution were excellent, which did much to silence a vocal Teddington support.

The match fell into a pattern. Decent first phase for Teddington, smashed down in mid-field and turned over by the Chiswick back row, which reigned supreme all afternoon.

After half-time Chiswick showed more confidence, moving the ball away from the Teddington pack, playing to their strengths of strong running, support and strike power. In fact, the only blot on the scoresheet came after a mazy, penetrating run out defence by Mark Jones who, in reaching to supply Lee Miller with the killer pass, succeeded in putting the Teddington right winger in for an interception score. 7-5.

More pressure was applied by the Teddington forwards. Some strong individual carrying and some punishing forward drives, but from too deep and with no creativity on release, had Chiswick growing in confidence and control.

The introduction of Marko steadied the scrum somewhat and as the match progressed Teddington began to run out of steam. More straight hands from Ian Walker to Mark Jones put Gibbo away on the right for a score, un-converted by Keith Luckman.

Leading by just one score, Teddington felt they were still in the game. This was put to bed when Luckman, showing a new-found poise which highlights him as one of this season’s real success stories, swivelled to drop the goal that killed the contest.

The introduction of Als Pickering and Ben Maguire to the back row, Slatts to left wing, and Tubsy (shrugging off the pain of stitches in his right hand) at tight head, underlined the strength in depth at the club. Inevitably another score would come, this time after a period of sustained attacking rugby, when the amazing Ade Lewis touched down under the posts. Final score 22-5.

Overall, the achievement was summed up by the pleasure taken in a job well done, a sense that Chiswick had won by doing simply what we know we can do. Brilliant defence, great lines and support play in attack. A shame, then, that this has not been a consistent theme throughout the league season – an opportunity lost and one to exploit next season, perhaps.

Too many heroes to list every one. But, and it surely isn’t true, if this really was Kelvin Campbell’s final appearance for Chiswick, appropriate that it came with a victory. A superb rugby player, a terrific clubman, a special man.

As we approach the end of season, three things to look forward to. First, to take this performance forward to the Abbots fixture. Second, that we enjoy our sevens. Third, that we don’t do what we did last year and ‘expect’ success next September – every season is a new beginning. We will learn the art of forgetting. And move on.