Buoyed by an emphatic win vs Beaconsfield at Floyds Fields the previous weekend, Buckingham travelled to Chippenham with aspirations to progress a winning run in a tough and unpredictable league.
From Chippenham’s exceptionally high ball kick off excellently taken by Euan Prime, the home side conceded a penalty. Ed Kidman cleared into Chippenham’s half to set-up a Buckingham line out from the 10M line. The resulting turnover and clearance by Chippenham led to a quick and emphatic counter attacking run by their backline. The home team 11 scoring by the left corner flag within 3 minutes of the kick off to take a 5-0 lead. The resultant conversion missed, but the tone set for an afternoon of quick counter attacking and attritional rugby by both sides.
An injury to Tyler Green having to be subbed early for Ruairi Wharton was an indicator of the physical contest that lay ahead for the men in green and white.
From the resulting kick off deep into Buckingham territory a great take by Goose and a deft chip forward showing great attacking intent broke down with a Buckingham knock-on resulting in the first scrum of the game.
Chippenham sought again to break the Buckingham back line with some quick handling but fierce tackling from Cracker and Hulston forced them into touch. From the resulting Line out turn over Chippenham showed more attacking intent with a grubber kick expertly taken by Tommy Oi and resulting clearance back up to the half way line.
From the Lineout a high tackle called on the Buckingham 10M line gave Chippenham a penalty. The resulting kick to 5M line allowing further early pressure on the Green and white try line. From the lineout staunch defensive from Mike Lynch and Jim Barker couldn’t prevent a questionable not rolling away infringement and further penalty conceded.
Chippenham took advantage and from another line out and maul extended the score with a try in the 12th minute to 10-0. The conversion missed – Buckingham knew after the first quarter that they were in a competitive game.
From the resulting KO again Euan Prime imperious in taking the high ball set-up a maul which was illegally taken down by the hosts, the penalty opportunity set-up between the 22 and 10M line was missed by Ed Kidman and the score remained 10-0 after 15minutes.
From the resultant clearance and some penetrative kicking from the hosts flyhalf, Buckingham were back on their 5M line under pressure. Harry Scarr rising like a phoenix to secure vital line -out ball on the 5M line, yet more infringements by the hosts allowed Kidman to clear the danger with a great kick to halfway.
The resulting Buckingham line out wasn’t straight and scrum needlessly conceded but provided a platform for the Green and Whites to galvanise themselves for the next quarter.
A fantastic drive by the Buckingham pack drove the hosts back who folded like a pack of cards, a penalty conceded enabling Buckingham to set-up a meaningful attack.
Kidman`s kick to the hosts 22M line was followed by a Lineout won taken by Harry Scarr and an ensuing maul led by Jim Barker penetrating up to the hosts 5M line. Yet again a penalty conceded by Chippenham, set up a scrum on the hosts 5M line.
Finally, it was the visitor’s chance to shine, quick pick-up, feet and thinking by the effervescent Wiggy Gurney allowed him to dive over for our first points of the game on 22Minutes to take the score to 10-5. The conversion missed; but Buckingham finally had a deserved foothold in the game.
From the kick-off Euan Prime again receiving drove the green and whites forward, but a knock on conceded a scrum to the hosts on the Bucks 10M line. The next 10 minutes were frenetic, Buckingham rolling the hosts scrum back like a hallway carpet, Kinman forcing the hosts back into their 22 with penetrative grubber kicks. Both conceding advantages. Bucks jumping across the line the hosts last a no-arm tackle allowing the Green and whites to camp just inside their hosts 22.
Jamie Temple, Seth, Matt Warren and Jim Barker mauled their way to their hosts 5 metres only to concede for “obstruction” a penalty allowing some temporary relief for the Chippenham at this stage beleaguered defence.
On 30 minutes another high ball clearance by the hosts expertly taken by Tommy Oi was again grubbered into the hosts 22. From the resultant line out the ball kicked to touch to relive pressure from the flagging hosts defence.
The pressure building and yet another penalty conceded by the hosts on 10M line, Ed Kinman again pushed them back into their 22 with an accurate kick. From the line out Harry Scarr dominating the air released the ball to Gurney to Kidman who from a deft left footed chip in behind the hosts backline set-up the chasing Stuart Cracker to score and Buckingham to deservedly draw level on 35 minutes. 10-10.
The conversion missed by Ed Kinman but Buckingham in the ascendancy were hoping at this stage for the half extended.
The next 5 minutes played in the Chippenham half with Buckingham seeking to take the lead was frenetic, Jamie Temple took a great high ball from kick off, kicked back into the hosts 22 by Kinman.
The lineout stolen by Jim Barker a joy to behold but a knock-on allowed Chippenham to clear their lines. Tommy Oi joined the fray kicking deep into the hosts 22 forcing another kicked clearance and line out on 10 M line. A blood injury to Matt Warren followed who was replaced by Will Cooper. Four further penalty exchanges with the hosts who were pinned in their 22 hampered any further scoring opportunities. Buckingham failing to score further from their undoubted best period of pressure in the game. It was the hosts breathing a sigh of relief at the half time whistle.
As the second half kicked off the game reverted to the pattern at the start of the game, the hosts revitalised returning the Buckingham kick off with a penetrative kick deep into the Bucks 22.
Pressure was relieved following a penalty for holding on against the hosts, but Euan Prime was substituted after just 4 minutes with a hamstring injury to join Mike Lynch who was injured just before half time.
Two further penetrative runs by the hosts into the Bucks 22 were ably rebuffed by stout defence from the Green and White back line Hulston and Glendinning ensuring no further points were conceded.
A line out from the hosts 10 M line and a resultant penalty conceded between the 10M and 22 adding to the growing infringement count, allowed Ed Kidman the opportunity to move the visitors ahead for the first time.
An emphatic strike saw the kick sail through the uprights, Buckingham taking the lead for the first time in the match on the 47th minute.
From the kick off a “knock on” by the hosts set-up a scrum on Bucks 10M line, but the early set-piece dominance by the Green and whites was tested with a turnover and the injury`s sustained at the end of the first and beginning of second half could of proved pivotal to set-piece dominance for the rest of the match.
After 10 minutes yet another injury, Wiggy Gurney came off with a head injury for a few minutes bucks were down to 14 men.
After some open play between mutual 10M lines and three aerial clearance exchanges, it was Ed Kinman once again who drove the hosts back deep into their 22 with a deft kick from the 10M line.
Clearing from the resultant Lineout it was Chippenham who drove back up to half way and began to assert some forward dominance. Some staunch defence followed and a turnover forced by Jamie Temple allowed Kidman another opportunity to push back the hosts into their 22 with another penetrative kick.
From the resultant line out Harry Scarr imperious yet again forced a turn-over and Jim Barker led the pack mauling up the hosts 5M line.
Somehow Chippenham managed in desperation to turn over possession and send yet another clearance kick to their 10M line. Unfortunately, a knock on allowed the hosts a reprieve on the 10M line and a scrum to further set a base to clear their lines.
Against the run of early play Chippenham from the resultant scrum managed to break out chip forward and score a breakaway try taking the score to 15-13 after 55 minutes, the try converted from the touch line providing the hosts a 17-13 lead.
The Buckingham kick-off was called offside by an over eager backline, a penalty awarded to an adjudged collapsed scrum allowing the hosts to advance back deep into Buckingham territory.
From the resulting Lineout Buckingham were awarded a penalty for an adjudged crossing, but in attack up to the halfway line a knock on provided a turnover scrum back to the hosts.
From the resulting scrum it was again a runaway try that proved decisive, the hosts backs combining with some deft handling to score a try again, it could be adjudged against the run of play. On 65 minutes the hosts increased their lead to 22-13, the conversion missed on this occasion.
From the Kick off a penalty was awarded to the hosts in the ensuing ruck, holding on called against the luckless Green and Whites at this stage.
A deep penetrative kick into the Buckingham 22, a Lineout overthrow to the hosts number 8 who gratefully dived in to increase the hosts advantage to 27-13.
It was time for a comeback, digging deep from the kick off Buckingham fought there way up to the hosts 22 for a line out. Yet again another offside infringement by the hosts saw penalty awarded to Buckingham. A kick to the 5M and a Buckingham Line out secured by Harry Scarr enabled the galvanised pack led by Jim Barker to maul up to the 2M line.
Two more penalties were conceded by the hosts bringing down the maul, would on another day led to a penalty try for continued infringement. But it was left to an excellent take from the Line out by Harry Scarr, latched onto by Seth to drive over the hosts line and deservedly bring back the score to 27-18. A fantastic conversion by Kidman reduced the deficit to 27-20. The comeback was on, with only time was against the visitors at this point.
For the remaining 8 minutes it was Buckingham in the ascendancy but excellent territorial and defensive kicking by both sides prevented any further scores being translated from effort on the pitch to points on the board and any visitor comeback assured.
A day to rue injuries, what might have been but at the very least a deserved Bonus losing point to Buckingham. The return at Floyd Fields will be an must watch!

Match report
John Nagy