Sat 11 Jan 2025, 14:30
Lowly Weston took on top of the table Chippenham hoping for their twelfth straight win but things didn't go as planned for the visitors.
With the death of Weston head coach Steve Worrall firmly in the minds of all involved Weston held a minutes applause before the game.
Weston started strongly against the league leaders and after battering the Chippenham line were awarded a penalty which was successfully kicked by centre Archie Tilsley.
Chippenham tried to attack but were held at bay by excellent home defence.
Weston scored the opening try when a fantastic line by centre Cameron Maslen cut the visitors defence to pieces and although the full back made a fine tackle Maslens offload found his centre partner Tilsley to cross to the delight of the large home crowd. Tilsley then converted his own try.
Chippenham hit back and kicked a penalty into the corner.
Weston held out but skipper Chris Young was eventually yellow carded for a deliberate knock on. The visitors battered the home line but in the end knocked on to give Weston the chance to relieve their line.
Chippenham were then awarded a kickable penalty but missed the target.
A storming run by prop Will Bamsey had the visitors panicking and they gave up a penalty which fly half George Nuttycombe kicked to the corner but the away side stole the line out. But Chippenham couldn't clear their line and infringed again. Weston elected to take a scrum right by the posts. It worked well as excellent number eight Jay Davis scored under the sticks to make Tilsley's conversion straight forward.
Weston were dominating the scrum and were getting rewarded with penalties.
Lock Bede Brown then made a break and kicked a beauty to the right hand corner.
But once again Chippenham managed to clear their lines.
The visitors lock then made a massive break which put the hosts under pressure and they conceded a penalty right on the stroke of half time. From the resulting line out Weston kept the visitors at bay until the half time whistle was blown.
A tremendous forty minutes of rugby by the hosts.
Weston started the second period on the attack and were soon near the visitors line. From a line out following yet another penalty Davis raced clear to crash over for his second again converted by Tilsley.
Weston then gave a silly penalty but once again their defence held.
Weston scored their fourth try and extra point from yet another dominant scrum which Davis offloaded to left wing Hayden Main who galloped away to score in the left corner.
Chippenham countered but were held up over the line.
Chippenham finally opened their account in the sixty fifth minute when their outside centre broke through but the conversion was missed.
They scored again two minutes later but again failed to convert.
The visitors then tried to run it out of their twenty metre area but a loose pass was pounced upon by Main and Tilsley once again kicked the conversion.
This was the last meaningful play of the game and Weston ran out deserved victors on an emotional day.
For Weston the front row of Charlie Brabham Fatai Koloi and Will Bamsey were outstanding and played a major part in Weston's victory. Allied to this a near perfect kicking performance by Tilsley helped the hosts push the score along.
All in all a fine eighteen man performance and a fitting tribute to their head coach so sadly taken too soon.
