Old Whits were on the road this week, away to fierce rivals Chipstead in the Quarterfinals of the Surrey Shield. Whits, having not lost in the competition in 3 years and sitting top of Surrey 1 were full of confidence and looking forward to avenging the defeat they had received from the hosts on the opening day of the season. The visitors were greeted by the Chipstead microclimate of cold, sidewards sleety rain and mud, mud, lots of mud - similar to conditions seen in the Burma Campaign of the Second World War.

Whits, almost back to full strength, offered a start to young Sam at 7 with ageing veteran number 8 Jonathan Mount requiring time away from the game for an urgent hair transplant. The pack was also missing Barney Rumble Hoskins at loosehead prop due to a random finger injury picked up in an off the field incident, giving a start to teenage brute Luca Criscuolo.

The opening exchanges between the two teams saw an early scrum which, in the first meeting this season was the host's main weapon. With a different front row this day - the Colossus Alex Emeni and Hooker Chris Hall joining Criscuolo on top of the returning Skipper Tom Hipsy and partner in crime Jim Ryan coming into the engine room made for a very different outcome. The whits power pack turned the ball over, taking one against the head and giving Number 8 Charles Petschi easy ball to pick and go and make yards against the Chipstead defence. Marshall at stand-off guided his troops with vigour and after 5 phases inside the Chipstead 22 yard line spotted try machine Dave Moyise running an inside line. Moyise crashed over with the delicacy expected from the svelt centre. As expected, the try wasn't converted. 5-0.

From the restart, the ball ended up in Graham Johnson's hands, the mud-loving back rower threw his body into contact. Quick ball gave scrum-half MT the armchair ride all nines love. MT and Marshall pulling the strings like Jepeto and his mate found holes all over the Chipstead defence. The mounting pressure finally told and Marshall, seeing a gap on the inside of the dog-legged defence, gave the pill to entrepreneur James Schad. Schad sliced through and scored under the posts much to the relief of Marshall and his fifty pence shaped boots. 12-0.

The Visitors, playing down the slope and with the gale like conditions behind them, knew they needed to build a solid lead. With Whits camped in the Chipstead 22 and all scrums becoming a Whits ball, Petschi picked up from the base and hammered into the scrumhalf, turned and popped to Johnson who scored a tricky finish. The try wasn't converted but the lead was extended to 17-0.

The latter parts of the first half were free-flowing from both teams, making for lung-busting work. The Whits defence, which is best in the Surrey 1 league, kept out the chirpy resurgence of Chipstead. Young Sam turned over the ball on the whits 5m line. A combination of Norman Lewis, Billy Cheeseman and Luca Criscuolo in a jazzy-like move put elderly Schad in for his brace and what would seem like an unassailable lead of 22-0 as Marshall missed the conversion. Again.

Classic Whits, the foot came off the peddle and after solid defence the Chipstead flyhalf, who loves to kick the ball, found his winger in space with a delicate chip to get their first score and reduce the lead to 17 points after another conversion was missed.

Halftime was a quick one with everyone wanting to get back to the action. Within minutes the hosts had scored in the corner and Chris Hipstead converted for the hosts. 22-12

Coach Youngs brought on Republican Neal Gordon to sure up the defence and add an extra step to the team. The Chipstead scrum now stronger and holding its own, was found to be boring in and was duly penalised. Marshall stepped up and to the amazement of the 100-strong crowd slotted it home and increased the lead to 13 points with 30 minutes to play.

Both teams, head to toe in sticky mud, slugged it out like a couple of heavyweights in a 15 round epic from the 70s, It was Chiptead’s turn to use a dogleg in the defence as their standoff weaved through and slid in under the posts for a seven-points that the hosts were baying for.
25-19 meant the hosts needed a converted try with 5 minutes to play. A cracking cup game for the neutrals. Young threw his final cards on the table looking for a full house bringing on Mathew Clark for Mark Thomas at nine and Matthew Gunnasakakaquera for his first 1st fifteen appearance in 2 years for try scorer Davy J Moyise at inside centre.

For the third game in a row, the Jazzers were not to be denied. In spectacular style Ryan broke up the middles and passed on to the supporting runner in Gunnasakakaquera and onto Clark. Clark whipped the ball to old iron nerves Marshal who slotted a 40-meter drop goal to send the travelling masses into ecstasy and the Whits onto a Semi-Final against CR2 Rivals Mid Whits at a date yet to be confirmed.

28-19 was a fair reflection and credit to both teams to produce the quality rugby that was on display.