Tribute Western Counties North

Cirencester 3

Chosen Hill FP 3

CIRENCESTER and Chosen Hill played out a low-scoring draw in wet and windy conditions which were not conducive to free-flowing rugby.

Ciren, playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, were keen to adopt a kick-and-chase game to involve the backs.

Chosen Hill needed to rely on some dogged defence but they also ran the ball back at Ciren given the opportunity.

On 20 minutes Ciren were awarded a penalty in front of the posts for not rolling away and Gareth Parry stepped up to convert for 3-0.

Ciren began to produce more chances but lacked the clinical edge to finish off the moves for the vital try.

Chosen Hill were on the back foot but defending well against the Ciren forwards. From one ruck Chosen Hill were again penalised but this time Parry struck the post from out wide.

With the half coming to an end a short downpour made conditions very difficult for both sets of players.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first but this time it was a wind-assisted Chosen Hill who were pinning Ciren back with long kicks into the 22m area and the home defence needed to thwart several try-scoring chances.

Twenty three minutes into the second half, Chosen Hill were awarded a kickable penalty which they converted for 3-3.

Cirencester’s backs were nonetheless causing their opponents some problems and from a break by Lester-Powell they should have scored the first try as he had Fisher and Genillard screaming out wide on an overlap that went begging.

With 15 minutes left the heavens opened again and the referee was close to taking the players off the pitch but both defences held out as the game ended in a draw.