Sat 14 Sep 2024
The CABs set off for one of their longer away trips, to Chew Valley, who were protecting an unbeaten home record for nearly two seasons. Chew had had a significant turnover of playing staff, particularly in the backline, and were also coming off the back of a somewhat unexpected first game loss, at Royal Wotton Bassett. For the CABs it was a case of whether their improvements could hold away from Polson. The weather was set fair and playing conditions perfect which was handy as the CABs arrived nearly three hours before kick-off and were able to relax and enjoy the conditions, before setting off with a real bang. Within 30 seconds of the game starting, George Hillson had crossed over in the corner, from a quick tap and go following a high tackle infringement, to put the CABs 0-5 up. A few minutes later, he slotted a penalty in front of the posts (Chew off their feet in a breakdown) for 0-8. It was then that the CABs started to create problems for themselves and let the powerful Chew pack into the game with a variety of penalties at the breakdown and tackle zone. Eventually this would tell, as another 5m catch and drive opportunity was taken by Chew to close the gap to 7-8. Several minutes later, the CABs were down to 13 men Mitch Hawken & Ethan Pearce Cowley having temporarily left the field with yellows for high tackle and scrum. Remarkably, in this period the CABs produced the only score. A lineout steal, by Daniel Goldsmith, gave the CABs a chance to counter-attack; the ball whizzed out to full-back Ollie Bebbington (just outside his 22) and he evaded a number of defenders to score in the same corner as Hillson did in the first minute. (7-13 the scoreline). However, the penalties continued to come (eleven in the first half) and Chew took another 5m lineout and eventually worked their way over for the first half to finish 14-13.
The main focus at half-time for the CABs was increasing the work-rate (in particular getting to the breakdown and ball carrier a touch more urgently) so as to sustain a really high tempo and it wasn't long before the change paid off. The ball was worked to Jose Luiz Juarez, about 60m out and he cut a lovely line and beat the cover defence to dive over (14-20). Then the key bit was following that up with the next score and the CABs duly did. A lineout 30m out was worked down the blindside and some lovely interplay between flankers Lloyd Duke and Dom Ellery resulted in the ball popping to Cam Fogden for a score (13-27). By now the CABs were starting to really flow; the tenacity and sharpness of Hillson and Tom Sandercock at ten was enabling the rest of the backline to zip the ball around and find space and create huge issues for the fading Chew pack and backline. Zerren Hammond added the next off a well worked lineout move (13-34). Another Juarez try followed, cutting a short line off a series of phases (13-41) before Bebbington added his second from a multi-phase passage (13-48). A consolation score by Chew, from close range, gave the home side a sniff of a try bonus point, but this was snuffed out with Fred Bulut being the beneficiary of the CABs pack one and only lineout maul opportunity for the game to end 21-53 and ensure the CABs finished with a second 5 point game.
The CABs now move onto their next fixture against unbeaten Exmouth, at Polson, in what promises to be another delicious fixture and one the Polson crowd will surely enjoy.
