THE opening match of the U14’s Bristol Combination Cup campaign was away at St Brendan’s, a team which Chippenham had roundly beaten in the same contest last year.

Chippenham started well after a rather clumsy take from the St Brendan’s kick-off, made a strong attack and then promptly lost possession before the opposition conceded a scrum which gave the irrepressible Hurring a chance to to pick the ball off the back and almost make the line.

However, a score was not long coming after St Brendan’s made a handling error on their own line having secured possession with a turnover.

Taylor was alert and capitalised to touch down the loose ball.

Another try quickly followed from the restart, Broom taking the ball in and making good ground before off-loading to Hurring who carved across the pitch to score in the corner.

The opposition was starved of possession and, when they did have it the ball, it was quickly won back by some excellent competitive work by the forwards.

A third try was added shortly after and this was a fine effort – Chippenham attacked down the left but, when tackled, secured quick ball to the backs where Mackenzie passed out of the back of hand to Broom who was in close support, who in turn fed Hurring who made a diagonal burst, carving through the defence. Gaunt converted).

St Brendan’s stuck to their task, scrummed solidly and competed particularly well at the breakdown.

On the occasions when the ball reached their backs some high tackling allowed them to make more ground than should have been the case.

However, Chippenham kept turning the screw and pressing hard and were awarded a penalty on the 5m line.

Hurring needed no invitation, tapping and going through an unprepared defence.

Full-back Davies made a superb counter-attack combining well with Atkinson on the wing, but a handling error right on the line let the opposition off the hook.

However, shortly afterwards, Chippenham pushed to the line again and Taylor seized on the ball in a mêlée and stretched over the line through a sea of bodies to take Chippenham in at the break 29-0 up.

The St Brendan’s team talk spurred them on and Chippenham, having made a few substitutions looked a little shaky, letting the opposition almost get to the line due to several missed tackles, but some desperate defending kept them out.

Against the run of play Chippenham added another try when Tillotson pressed the St Brendan’s full-back hard when the ball was cleared long, and the ball was fed to the blindside where Atkinson streaked away from half way. Gaunt converted.

Chippenham went through the phases well, having settled down after a period of uncertainty, and kept the ball alive well by good support play and passing out of the tackle.

This moved them upfield and Tillotson was very unlucky to make a direct run to the line only to fumble the touchdown in the covering tackle.

Turek worked hard in the centre and was tackled just short after an evasive run.

However another handling error on the opposition line was seized upon by Gaunt to add to the tally.

The following try was perhaps the best of the match. Turek snaffled the ball and it was swung wide where Waddington made ground before off-loading in the tackle to Tillotson who did the same to get the ball to full back Davies who drove through the defence to add the ninth.

St Brendan’s were still trying to secure a try and Taylor, Broom and Emery tackled consistently to hold them back when they did gain possession.

Logut added another when he picked off the back of a ruck close to the line and wing Atkinson streaked away from halfway after a turnover to round off a solid 0-63 win.

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