TO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Funny old game is rugby. One minute one team is comfortably cruising to victory after a comeback and then allowing the opposition back into the game .They ,in turn, looked to be cruising to a deserved win only to have it taken away in the final minute by a tremendous comeback from the other side to secure a draw and bonus points.

So it was for Rochford in their first game of the New Year and since 11th December. Likewise for a much improved Chelmsford who were determined to get something from their visit to Magnolia Road.

The pitch was extremely wet and conditions boggy , overcast and windy, all you would expect for a first game after Christmas but both sides wanted to play rugby and put on an entertaining exhibition in spite of the conditions.

Chelmsford started the better team and controlled the ball early on using the power of their forwards and releasing fast running backs.

From such use of this tactic they scored a fine try when their winger scorched over the line to open their account.

Rochford are not top of the table for nothing and they responded in typical fashion by moving the ball fast and wide to stretch Chelmsford.

This resulted in impressive flanker Darren Spencer bursting through to score under the posts for Tom Ashton to convert.

Very soon after another piece of good handling by forwards and backs gave wing Nick Brown a chance to use his speed and guile which he duly used to good effect. Another try and another conversion by Ashton and suddenly the home side were 14 – 5 up and good value for it.

The lineout was working beautifully with Tape, Ellis , Murphy and Chipper producing excellent ball for the ever improving scrum half Dan Bracknell to distribute to the excellent Dan Needham and his backs.

The visitors ,however, were too good a side to go down quietly and they forced Rochford into errors and punished them with two penalty kicks just before half time to bring the score line to 14 – 11 to the home team.

The second half was a case of Rochford losing their way and continuing to make errors . An increase in tempo from the visitors put Chelmsford in the driving seat where they started winning more lineout ball and competed aggressively in the loose. The set scrums were evenly fought where the front row of Billy Rowe, Tom Corbet and Jon Berry worked tirelessly all afternoon and which paid dividends much later in the game.

Chelmsford were rewarded for their hard work when their second row drove over for a converted try to take the lead again as pitch conditions worsened and ball handling became more difficult. This suited the bigger Chelmsford pack as they controlled the ball supply for the majority of the second session and Rochford struggled to find any rhythm.

When the visitor’s wing raced in for an unconverted try, followed up by another penalty kick the game looked lost for the home side at 14 – 26 with only ten minutes left.

There is one thing this Rochford side do not lack and that is character and fighting spirit when the odds are stacked against them.

From nowhere they found the spark they needed and forced the opposition back into their own half and put together some lovely rugby with the ball finding it’s way to Nick Brown on the wing who out smarted the defence to score.

The conversion was narrowly missed from way out but at 19 -26 with only time added on Richford threw everything at a rattled Chelmsford.

They parked themselves on the Chelmsford line and forced a number of five metre scrums being awarded penalty after penalty which they took in set pieces.

The referee was on the verge of awarding a penalty try when one last excellent scrum allowed no.8 George Chipper the chance to pick up and drive. He did so with great effect and the try was given just under the posts. Tom Ashton had the task of converting for the draw which he did so to the relief of his team and supporters as the final whistle blew.

Rochford were not on their best form for a great deal of this match but three points from a game that at one stage seemed beyond them speaks volumes for their fighting spirit and determination.

Chelmsford were good, hard opposition and they might feel they should have come away with more but as I said rugby is a funny old game and fate favours the brave