South travel away and gain a bonus point

Words by Des Hickey, Chester Web Site

This match was a 12 try, 75 point, entertainment for spectators, played on a perfect, cool but still, afternoon for rugby. Chester were always in front, but could never fully break free from a South Leicester side which managed to find ways to pull back the home side when they threatened to disappear out if sight.

Chester got into their stride quickly with a try penalty after 7 minutes, when the S. Leicester forwards illegally tried to stop an irresistible lineout maul driving over their line. The home side was all over the visitors in the loose, with Kyle Joseph and Freeman Payne both managing strong breaks against some tepid tackling. On 12 minutes, a breakdown penalty allowed Chester to set up another attacking lineout deep in the S. Leicester 22. Mike Craven took the ball in the middle and moved it quickly to scrumhalf Will Morecombe. Will found Andy Bastin to his left and Andy battered through a cover tackle to score an unconverted try.

The only significant blot on Chester’s performance so far was a tendency to try risky passes when patience would have served them better. One such pass from the S. Leicester restart yielded a penalty, which their flyhalf converted to put them on the scoreboard. However, Chester quickly struck back. Freeman Payne made a 35 metre break to his right, fending off several fragile tackles as he went, before being brought down 10 metres short. By this time the visitors’ defence was all over the place and a quick recycle allowed Craig Ross to score a try on the left, converted by Alex Burrage.

S. Leicester now began to gain some territory, but were unable to capitalise initially, because their passing under pressure let them down and because the home side were able to turn over the ball at crucial moments. However, on the half hour, they benefitted from some inattentive Chester defence. Having been awarded a penalty in the home 22 their flyhalf, Rickie Aley, didn’t go for goal or into the corner as anticipated. Instead he moved the ball quickly right into midfield, where there was a big defensive gap, to allow Ryan Hough to score an easy, but unconverted, try. Chester struck back at once. From the restart a loose S. Leicester clearance and a slow chase allowed Sean Green to make a long break before the ball went left to Andy Bastin, who once more battered his way over the line for a converted try, and the bonus point, after only 32 minutes. The home side were now 18 points to the good and looked set to run away with the match, but on the point of half time a patient build up allowed Rickie Aley to cross for a try which made the half time score 26-13.

Chester began the second half with attacking intent, but on 46 minutes a loose pass in midfield allowed Leicester inside centre Andrew Gates to break from half way and score a soft try, which put his side well in touch at 28-18, with well over half an hour to play. However, it was Chester who regained the initiative, first driving over an excellent lineout maul for a try, converted by Alex Burrage on 51 minutes. Then, almost from the restart, Kyle Joseph won a five man lineout. Guy Ford carried the ball in midfield before offloading to Craig Ross, who appeared off his wing and broke 20 metres into the visitors’ 22. Once again missed tackles in midfield broke the S. Leicester defence, and a quick recycle allowed Sean Green to cross for a sixth home try.

It says much for the visitors that they bounced back yet again with a converted try of their own from a lineout maul on the hour mark. Chester’s 7th ,and last, try came once again from their dominant midfield. Freeman Payne once again found space in midfield and Sean Green carried on the break, before the ball was moved to the left, where Ross White easily beat an outflanked defence to score from 20 metres. There was still time for one last twist, and with ten minutes left S Leicester ran a penalty through three phases. This drew in too many Chester defenders, and an astute cross kick to the right found Will Bown isolated. He was just unable to control the bouncing ball and the Aaron Martin fell it for the 5th visitors’ try. This was converted by Rickie Aley to make the final score 43-32.

This was an exciting match for the spectators, but one suspects it was frustrating in some respects for both sets of coaches - inevitably in a match where the sides concede 7 and 5 tries respectively. It was, nevertheless, a good Chester win, against the side immediately below them in the table on Saturday morning, but South Leicester’s resilience earned them a deserved bonus point.