Cheshunt 1st XV vs Datchworth

Cheshunt slipped to a heavy home defeat against a powerful Datchworth side, conceding 5 tries and they remain near the foot of the table.

Datchworth ran away with the match and had a 0-19 lead after just 15 minutes. An early Datchworth penalty had hit the post, but C’s were unable to clear and when they gave away another penalty, the visitors kicked to the corner. A catch and drive at the lineout got them over the line after 6 minutes. Datchworth continued to have all the ball, strong runners, well supported, kept pushing C’s back towards their line and when the left winger was prevented from scoring by a high tackle the referee awarded a penalty try. A third try followed minutes later, the No.8 surged through the middle and found the left winger in support, this time he went over unencumbered, under the posts.

The home side finally started to win some ball and they looked a better side, Scrum half Brad Ewing seized on a loose ball at the base of the Datchworth scrum, he was just beaten to his kick and chase by the visitors fullback, but at last C’s were building some pressure. Cheshunt remained camped in the Datchworth half and when a clearance kick was collected by Dave Lever on half way, they were able to get on the scoreboard. Lever ran across field, away from the chasing defenders, then gave a long accurate pass on the 22 to right winger Jack Gutteridge, he rounded his winger, then handed off the full back to touch down in the corner on the half hour mark.

With a 14 point deficit, the game was back in the mix, but Datchworth soon confirmed their superiority just before half time, a penalty after 39 minutes extended the lead to 5-22, then from the re-start and the last play of the half, Cheshunt let the prop forward waltz through the entire pack, he gained 20 yards and got behind the Cheshunt defence, a couple of phases later and the No.8 again was on hand to exploit some flimsy defending, in under the posts, Datchworth had their try bonus point and an unassailable lead at 5-29 at the break.

The visitors played almost the entire second period in the Cheshunt half, adding a 5th try when the hooker was given a run in from close range. It didn’t get any better for the home side when Tony Short was dismissed and Cheshunt did well not to leak any more tries, a further penalty, the only other addition to the Datchworth total. Although Cheshunt finished the game in the Datchworth half, it was a rare visit to enemy territory and will need to improve quickly in order to pick up points in the remaining games before Christmas. This weekend, they face their toughest test of the season with a visit to Priorians, the runaway league leaders.

Short, Girdlestone, Martines, Hounslow, Linsell, Thorn, Clark, Boulton, Ewing, Shoobridge, Lever, Johnson, Steyn, Gutteridge, Hayden. Replacements: - Phillips, Doyle, Chantler