Bournville impress in Avery Fields try-fest

Bournville 50 Chester 38

Bournville made it four straight home wins – and their eighth in all this season – in a 14-try extravaganza at Avery Fields.

Bourns won the try count 8-6 in a fast and open contest that provided plenty of entertainment for the crowd with Chester also playing a full part in the end-of-season frolic.

A strong downfield wind from the clubhouse end of the ground shaped the game with Chester opting to make use of it in the first-half but establishing a lead of only nine points which never looked like being enough.

Bournville scored 31 points with the wind at their backs after the break but the result was in the balance until Nick Murphy and Owen Williams scored tries in the last 10 minutes.

Although the wind was an important factor, Bournville’s scrum dominance was more significant in establishing a platform for victory.

Props James Burgoyne and Stef Thorp and hooker – and captain-for-the-day – James Weaver were so much in control that Chester changed their props after just one scrum and rotated their front-row at regular intervals thereafter in a vain attempt to disrupt Bournville.

A succession of scrum penalties meant that Bournville were able to dominate for long periods although Chester were dangerous on the counter attack and their try bonus point was wrapped up before half-time with scrum-half Harry Craven setting up wing Gethin Long for the opening try then scoring the second himself.

But Craven pulled up lame after dotting down and soon had to be replaced which meant Chester were never quite the same attacking force afterwards.

The first-half scoring was tit-for-tat with Nathan Decalmer dotting down for Bournville, Jay West rounding off a break from Alex Evans and Weaver finishing – with an extravagant dive – after Owen Williams had opened up the Chester defence.

Chester stayed ahead with number eight David Ford and centre Andrew McInimee scoring tries and fly-half Morgan Bagshaw adding four conversions.

Bournville narrowed the deficit within four minutes of the re-start when Jonjo Fanning went over from a five-metre scrum and then took the lead when Rhys Williams sliced through for the first of his two tries.

Chester regained the lead Long scored his second try but only briefly as Rhys Williams went over for his second 13 minutes from time and Bournville always looked the most likely winners with Louis Mifsud producing another rampaging performance.

Murphy’s try, after a sustained period of pressure, put Bournville 12 points clear which they tried to extend with two long-range penalty kicks from Rhys Williams that drifted wide.

But Owen Williams made the game safe when he cut clean through two minutes from time and a last-gasp effort from Tom Furnival came too late to snatch a second bonus point for Chester who are expected to return to National Two North next season.

“I said before the match that it could be the season for shouting “tag” rather than tackling and there was a little bit of that in the first-half,” said Head Coach Matt Price.

“But I was proud of the boys with the way they came out in the second-half and controlled the game. We let them back into it a little bit in terms of field position and giving some penalties away.

“But ultimately our attacking prowess in the second-half meant that we kicked on and away from them.

“We are a young side, we are learning as we go. We have a great home record, we just have to sort out the away one at Hornets next week.