Sat 17 Sep 2022
Wellington 41 Chard 22
Our near neighbours and hosts for this game, from over the Blackdown Hills, certainly claimed the local bragging rights and gave us a rugby education by one of teams tipped to be in and around the promotion spots at the close of the season.
After the “minutes silence “ had been so respectively followed by the large crowd and some 50+ Chard supporters, there would be more silence to follow from the Chard tacklers, however it was again the Chard forwards that put the hosts scrum under so much pressure first, and throughout the match, that a penalty was awarded and Emil Szydelko successfully converted to put Chard ahead 0-3 within under 5 mins, The hosts backs basically won this game of rugby, because of their sheer speed , strength and skill set that out matched the Chard defence time and time again, one of the tries scored, the Chard defence missed 6-7 individual tackles.
The set piece play from Chard forwards was working ok, with Jack Elliott winning his own lineout ball and stealing 2 or 3 from the hosts, during the game, some excellent play by the Chard 9 Oscar Andersen having his best game to date for Chard, made sure things didn’t run away with the hosts and at 19-15 with 2 tries from Fin Shoemark at half-time Chard were in this game..
After the break Chard kicked off and Chard were unlucky not to score through a fine move between Elliott and Szydelko down the wing, however the Chard touch judge well positioned to see the try to be disallowed for a boot in touch. The Chard defence were now trying to stem the attacking flow by the hosts, and the ref Chris Hoadley Somerset Society who had a good game
lost his patience with Charf after too many high tackles, by numerous defenders that put Chard flanker Jason Wright in the bin with a yellow card however this game throughout was played throughout in good spirits, Chard continued to attack and Jack Mills (man of the match)scored a superb try, after a Wellington mix up, from a quality high ball from Ross Colenso, for Jack to out pace the host 15 and score under the posts.
But as Chard tired, things went wrong and the hosts entered into the forties with a few more tries, to pull away from the Chard score.
Chard cannot deny that Wellington were worth this win, and had given Chard a rugby lesson in tackling, ball retention and discipline.. there will be equally sterner tests to come, but if Chard can improve on the above, then hopefully gifting tries will become a thing of the past.
