FROM THE TOUCHLINE

by Huw Thomas

It’s Hammersmith and Fulham today. They are very welcome, as is Fraser Tod, whom Bucks RFURS have sent along to keep order.

Our visitors are top of the league and, to be fair, odds-on to win it. We are third, but only because our points difference of 135 is three less than Cobham’s, so yeah but, no but, we’re really like second equal. In a competitive league, there is an unlikely but feasible sequence of results that could see us finish in first place, but for today the boys are just going to do their best to win this game. We could do it; we beat them 19-20 at their place in November, so why not?

The boys have every right to be full of confidence, anyway. February saw them win four games out of four, three of them away, and all with a bonus point. The RFU have certainly taken notice, naming Amersham and Chiltern as their Level Six Team of the Month. It’s a great accolade for the squad and the coaches. In fact, it’s not just February - we have won eleven of the twelve games we have played since the end of October. We are a more than decent side.

For the record, February began with a 17-24 win at Windsor. We then beat Aylesbury at home 3328, before winning 6-26 at Old Priorians (a great game and a thriller, 6-7 with ten minutes to go). Last week, I was in Cardiff watching a dull affair between two poor sides (my team undoubtedly the poorer) but hearing that Chiltern had won at Beaconsfield 14-35 brightened my mood immensely. I learn from Andy Grant’s match report, available elsewhere in this programme, that Beaconsfield started ferociously, and we were 14-0 down, but we weathered the storm and blasted back to victory with five goals of our own (tries provided by Tom Fawssett x 2, Jordan Scott x 2 and Conor Segre). It’s always good to come out on top against our nearest and dearest.

Most if not all of you reading this in hard copy will have been at the President’s Lunch today. I hope that you have enjoyed what is always a splendid occasion. I am sure that they will have been thanked already but the club is very grateful to organisers Scott Jarrold, Nick Hayes and Tony Tagent for putting the event together.

Huw