Rugby
RUGBY UNION: Chippy are champs
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| Chippy's Sam Townsend is tackled by a Phoenix player |
Chipping Norton were crowned BB&O Premier Division champions after beating a hard-working Phoenix side 36-5 at Greystones.
They have bounced back to Southern Counties North at the first time of asking, having lost just one league game all season.
Phoenix started brightly and used the wind well, as Chippy took time to settle.
Sam Townsend popped up to score Chippy's opening try after some fine forward play from Lee Tustin and Ian Hancock.
Matt Dawson then crossed from five metres, with Jamie Lakin adding the conversion.
Chippy seemed to be finding form and taking control of the game, Meryck Royce carving several superb breaks.
But some poor decision making, together with several handling errors let the visitors off the hook time and time again.
When Royce was denied what seemed a perfectly good try, Chippy went into frustration mode and gifted Phoenix a try.
It was 12-5 at half-time, but Craig Korszewski finally gave Chippy some breathing space after a delightful one-handed off-load from Barry Nutt.
Lakin converted this and Townsend's second after Ian Waldron and captain Robbie Naish combined well.
Phoenix were struggling to hold on to a rampant Chippy side and Jason Gillett was unlucky not to score when a near-perfect chip from Royce just rolled dead.
Replacement Andy Millard had an immediate impact, breaking two tackles, before Dawson ran in a 40-metre effort for the fith try.
Andy Chapman freed Aaron Tustin to go on a slinky run for Chippy's final try of the day.
The final whistle cued champagne and celebrations.
Bicester crushed Swindon College 68-7, with full back Paul Leverton scoring a hat-trick of tries.
Prop Will Morris also crossed twice on a fine day, which saw Nick Evans come off the bench for his first game of the season after recovering from injury.
Bicester flanker Anthony Nightingale and Swindon prop Nigel Clarke were both sin-binned before Steve Risbridger's penalty put the hosts ahead.
No 8 Martin Linstrom set up a try for fly half Adam Spencer, which Risbridger converted.
It was 17-0 at half-time after Dan Spencer converted Anthony Lewis's try.
Morris (2), hooker James Davies, plus centres Chris Nash and John Rollason all got in the try-scoring act in the second half.
Leverton's treble and a penalty try completed the scoring with Dan Spencer (2) and Risbridger adding second-half conversions.
Swindon's Mark Williams converted a late consolation try by Mark Brown.
Adam Boodell scored a try treble as Abingdon thrashed Wheatley 50-12.
Matt Stalker bagged a brace, while Vince Barnes, Frazer McCairns and Richard Brorton also crossed over.
Simon North landed five conversions.
Despite suffering a massive injury list, Gosford All Blacks won 42-29 at Farnham Royal.
Their opener saw Matt Glithero shimmy his way over for his notable first try of the season, with Tim Ellis converting.
Ellis also converted try No 2 from centre Anthony Murray, then added a penalty.
Murray ran in his second, which Ellis converted, but Farnham hit back with tries from Kerry Ingles, converted by Mike Olsen, and Tom Southern.
After the break, Gosford scored again through Rob Eynon and an Ellis penalty.
Farnham reduced the deficit to 32-22 with tries from Ingles and Ben Furmingan.
Gosford skipper Dan Hughes scored twice to put the result beyond doubt, although the battling hosts had the final say with Ben Furmingan's try being converted by Mike Olsen.
Oxford, missing many of their younger players, dropped to fourth after losing 26-5 at home to Drifters, who leapt to third.
They started well when flanker Tim Knapp touched down from a catch-and-drive.
But Drifters led 7-5 at the break and then came on strong in the second half.
6:59pm Monday 14th April 2008
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