Amersham: We're no soft touch from well-off Bucks (From Bucks Free Press)

Amersham: We're no soft touch from well-off Bucks

1:10pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Sport By Alan Feldberg

AMERSHAM & Chiltern RFC might be fighting misconceptions every time they go out to play.

Because they are from well-to-do Buckinghamshire, on the commuter belt to London, and because many of their players are well-educated and holding down good jobs, there might be an idea that they don’t have the stomach for it when things get tasty.

Director of rugby Matt Allen bristles at the suggestion, and points to last Saturday’s match at Chippenham as his evidence to the contrary.

He said: “Because of where we are and because our guys are well-educated, Amersham can be perceived as a bit soft.

“Since I came to the club the guys have definitely added a hard edge to their game.

“The mentality has definitely changed and that was proved on Saturday. The guys fronted up. It was quite a bruising encounter. Both teams gave it their all. It was a very tough game.”

Allen picks his words carefully. When he says it was bruising and tough, you can be sure it was that and then some.

He said: “There was one incident that was over the mark as far as we’re concerned, where our ten got punched off the ball.

“I don’t think that should be happening at any level.

“There are no hard feelings, rugby is a contact sport and sometimes tempers flare.”

Amersham claim there were at least three off the ball punching incidents.

Two were punished with yellow cards for the Chippenham players but a third – which left Amersham fly half Rob Smalley with a badly bruised and swollen eye – was unseen.

Instead, it was retaliation from Ollie Cato later in the match that proved pivotal. His team were 15-7 down at the time and had hopes of at least salvaging a bonus point.

But they couldn’t hold on a man down and Chippenham made them pay with their fourth try five minutes from time.

Allen said: “The referee is always right, it’s just funny how he reaches his conclusions sometimes. The inconsistency week to week is what I struggle with.”

Amersham had regrouped from conceding a try inside four minutes to take a 7-5 lead with a try from Craig Webb and conversion from Ross Bugden.

But Chippenham tries either side of half time put the hosts in control before their late score.

Tomorrow they host high-flying Redingensians at Weedon Lane.