Chiefs flying on the wings of Angell

Seven tries in a fine all round performance prove more than enough for a confident Chippenham.

On a cold and crisp Sunday morning, the young Chiefs made the short journey to local Wiltshire rivals Bradford on Avon. With the size of the Chippenham squad being so large it has been important to ensure everyone is getting game time and with a few players being introduced to new positions it could have been a very disjointed team that took to the field. With the wind and the slope in their favour the Chiefs knew that they would have to take advantage in the first half. After a scrappy start to the game, with Chippenham making a few unforced handling errors, BoA were on the attack on the Chippenham 22, a big hit from Tom H and a turnover from Ollie A gave the Chippenham back line some quick ball to attack against a disorganised defence, Will D hit Theo M at 10 who attacked the line before passing to Theo S, he made a great break down the wing, beating three defenders before being dragged down just short of the line, a series of pick and go from the base of rucks followed but the strong defence was proving difficult to break down. This didn't deter the Chiefs forwards who kept hammering away at the line, just when we thought the ball was going wide, Jack G found a interesting route to the line, picking up the ball from the back of the ruck, he leapt over the defenders and dotted down. The second soon followed, with the powerful Chippenham pack dominating the break down the backs were given quick, front foot ball to run with. A switch of play from Theo M gave the Chiefs a 2 on 1 on the blind side and with a perfectly weighted pass from Theo M to Theo S the winger screeched over in the corner showing the covering defence a clean pair of heels. Callum A grabbed his first of the day and Chippenhams third with a fine solo effort, showing footwork that would go down well on Strictly come Dancing. Theo M wrapped up the scoring in the first half with a trademark powerful run, receiving excellent front ball from Will D, Theo M broke through the first tackle before powering over the line from 20 meters out.
The second half started much the same as the first with Chippenham dominating possession and territory but finding the Bradford team hard to break down. Eventually gaps appeared and Callum A was able to quick step his way to the line for his second of the match. Callum completed his hat trick following a scrum against the head and quick ball down the line putting him into space and he waltzed his way into the corner. Will D completed the Chiefs scoring with a fine support line following a break from Theo M and a lovely offload to Will, who went in unopposed. Bradford on Avon grabbed a couple of late consolation try's that their solid defence had deserved. A very good spirited game between two tough teams. Chippenham look forward to welcoming Bradford back to Allington Fields in January.