Having had Monmouth cry off again, Cinderford welcomed the unknown quantity of Chippenham to Dockham Rd.
Cinderford were lacking a number of key players and were expecting a stern test against a squad which numbered about twenty five. Rather strangely the game was to be played over three twenty minute periods. The weather was fine with a strong breeze.
Cinderford played with the wind behind them in the first period and started the brighter of the two teams, scoring after about two minutes. The ease and speed of the first try lulled the team into a false sense of security and a lack of concentration allowed Chippenham to level the score.
This score seemed to focus Cinderford’s attention and they put Chippenham under pressure for the remainder of the period scoring a further two tries.
Score after 1st Period Cinderford 24 Chippenham 7
Cinderford played into the wind in the second quarter and played some of their best rugby of the whole game. Chippenham struggled to cope with the power of the Cinderford forwards who used the controlled pick and drive to move the ball from their own goal line deep into the Chippenham 22, quick hands then saw Cinderford score wide out.
Cinderford added a further try, before Chippenham replied with one of their own
Score after 2nd Period Cinderford 34 Chippenham 12
With their limited squad numbers Cinderford might well have struggled with their fitness towards the end of the match. However they proved to be the more durable of the two teams and continued in the same vein. Three more tries were added before Chippenham scored a consolation try in the last minutes
Overall, considering their limited numbers, this was a good performance from the Cinderford XV. The forwards jelled together well and there were some good individual moments from the backs. There is still plenty to work on, but it bodes well for the remainder of the season.
Final Score: Cinderford 53 Chippenham 17