Chinnor take early control (but don’t tell Twickenham)

■ By MO SHER

Chinnor …………..33pts

Tries: Crowley 9, Bourton 13, Watson 27, Dugmore 47, Pascoe 78

Conversions: Bourton 10, 14, 28; Smith 79

Cambridge …… 24pts

Tries: Bretag-Norris 16, Hanks 38, Green 51, Grimoldby 58

Conversions: Grimoldby 17, 39

ALMOST 1,500 souls crammed into a buzzing Kingsley Road on Friday night as the two Championship ‘outsiders’ met to contest ‘The Not Prem Cup’, a proverbial two-fingers up to the establishment at Twickenham.

With both sides omitted from this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup, there was a desire to fill the void, on and off the pitch, from both camps. Cue the birth of this competition, which will be played over two legs, the second taking place in March.

There was a party like atmosphere in the stands, the booming sound of a DJ on the tannoy only adding to the occasion. And the hosts were humming right from the off.

Ryan Crowley got them off to a cracking start, coming in off his wing to collect a perfectly flighted cross-field kick from Nick Smith before James Burton crashed over from close quarters just four minutes later, Cambridge’s faltering set-piece a real Achilles heel.

Having spent the best part of the opening 15 minutes soaking up everything being thrown at them by an amped-up Chinnor side, Cambridge realised they too were allowed to party.

George Bretag-Norris was the man to inch over the whitewash from close quarters but Chinnor struck back when Tom Watson broke a tackle inside his own half before going the length of the field.

Having watched all of this unfold before him, Sam Hanks, as he so often does, took matters into his own hands for his team, flying over under the posts to keep Cambridge in the tie.

Harry Dugmore scored for Chinnor after half-time but Cambridge never went away. Joe Green and Louis Grimoldby both dotted down in opposite corners before Callum Pascoe’s fine finish late on ensured Chinnor would go into the return leg with a decent-sized advantage.

“We made some simple errors which really cost us,” said Cambridge boss Richie Williams, whose side are next in league action against Doncaster in a fortnight.

“Some 90 per cent of the points we conceded were from our mistakes. Defensively we have to be much better and that’s something we have to brush up on going into that Doncaster game. The difference between us and them tonight is them taking their opportunities.

“But, there’s a positive feeling around all of this and both sides have come out of it with some to show for their work.”