RUGBY: Chard defeated by Penryn

A HASTILY-REARRANGED fixture in deepest Cornwall during half-term is not what you would really wish for, and Chard took down a much-changed side from that selected for the original encounter, writes Glyn Hughes.

It did give a number of younger players an opportunity to show what they could do, and they played well against a team who are very strong on their own patch.

Chard played uphill but with a very strong wind behind them, hoping that the wind would level out what is quite a slope at Penryn.

The visitors were on the back foot from the off, and following a scrum in midfield, the Penryn three-quarters moved the ball left and right and stretched the defence.

This pattern of play was to be repeated several times during the afternoon and resulted in flanker Chris Hillier going over in the corner.

Penryn came again and Chard were undone by some slick handling, with scrum-half Sam Carter crossing in the opposite corner for the hosts’ second unconverted try.

Chard then spent a good deal of time in the Penryn half, but then lost possession and Josh Chambers ran in from 30 metres to score, and it was 15-0 at half-time.

With the visitors playing into the wind, but now down the slope, getting back into this match wasn’t out of the question after the break.

Chard took a quick tap and go, before a kick through and follow-up by Huw Edwards, who won the race to grab a try which was converted by Niall Crouch to make it 15-7.

The visitors soon found themselves defending again, however, and from a lineout Miska Fibbens crashed over for a converted try.

Tries now seemed to come with alarming regularity and Penryn showed that running hard, with good support play, would likely bring results - in this case, tries from Luke Tupholme and Mitch Vague to make it 32-7.

Late tries from Pete Mabbot and Andy Hughes sealed a 42-7 win for the hosts, which meant that the two sides swap places in the league table.

To their credit, Chard continued to try and run their way out of their own half, but losing the ball in contact led to a try by Pete Mabbot.

Flanker Andy Hughes went over for the last score of the game from another lineout, and Penryn’s 42-7 win meant that the two sides swapped places in the league table.

Chard team: Edwards, Prior, Brooks, Tinley (c), Smillie, Crouch, Nicholls, Lock, Helliar, Biss, Moore, Elliot, Aplin, Robinson, Hendy. Replacements: Stead, A Lewis.

This coming Saturday, Chard are at home to bottom side Saltash (2.30pm).

Before the game there will be a minute’s silence for Chard stalwart Kevin Templeman, who sadly passed away earlier in the week after fighting bravely against illness.

Templeman was a true rugby man and was still playing for the 3rd XV until a season or so ago.

The thoughts of everyone at Chard RFC are with his wife and children at this difficult time.

His funeral is at Taunton Crematorium on Friday, March 6, at 3pm.