A large Woodford squad was pumped up and ready for their first game of the season against local opposition Chingford. With 28 players available there was plenty of opportunity to rotate the team throughout the match (3 periods of 30 minutes).

Woodford started strongly and Ronan McGoldrick picked up where he left off last season with a strong drive in to the Chingford half. Without support Chingford turned over the ball but McGoldrick was back up quickly to tackle with the ball still inside the Chingford half. The home team threatened to break away but Alex Marks was quick to tackle and the opportunity vanished. This was to prove to be one Chingford’s few forays into the Woodford half for the next 30 minutes. The Woodford forwards were in unbeatable form, giving the backs the chance to use every ball presented.

In the next phase of play Mick Chamberlain made a strong driving run, before Jed West took over, offloading to Robert Yiannakou. As pressure mounted the ball came to the backs where Matt Bastick, Marks and Dan Farrelly combined, before being held up deep in the Chingford half.

A strong driving maul kept play in the Chingford half as Woodford probed the defence. Any attempts at relieving kicks by Chingford were returned with interest and a kick and chase by West was thwarted as before he could reach the ball on the try line it was kicked into touch. From the resultant scrum however, West burst over the line for an opening try on 6 minutes. With the kick not finding the mark, Woodford led 5-0.

Marks claimed the ball at the restart, passing to McGoldrick. From the ruck Tom Mead made an impressive run through the middle. Mead linked with Euan Fay who found Michael Batt in support on the right.  With the Woodford forwards quick to the break down it was the indomitable Will Curness who took the ball over the line in the right hand corner for a good team try. Unconverted, Woodford led 10-0 after 10 minutes.

Fay made a clean catch from the kick off and drove forward. Mead and Chamberlain linked together but as they broke through play was brought back for a forward pass.  Mead was again involved again as Marks, Farrelly, McGoldrick, and then Will Carey with a kick down the left wing, combined well, only for play to be brought back once more for an earlier knock-on.

The powerful Victor Chujor was replaced on 14 minutes by Rhys Phillips. On a break Marks offloaded to set Batt on a dizzying sprint down the right wing into the Chingford 22 before he was held up and the ball forced in to touch.  Woodford were dominating line outs and scrums and the likes of Max Vendetti, Arun Vaid and Callum Levy gave Chingford no breathing space. A period of scrappy play was stopped as Mead’s well-timed pass put West in to enough space to power between the posts, and then convert his own try, for a 17-0 lead after 17 minutes.

West caught the ball at the restart and kicked back up field. An excellent Chingford catch was disrupted by the lively Batt.  From the next scrum Marks and McGoldrick combined, before West kicked into touch on the Chingford 22. Quick line out ball gave McGoldrick space to make a strong drive before Chingford managed to gain the ball and start a good passing move culminating in some excellent handling to secure possession but the Woodford defence held them up in their own half.

Phillips made an excellent take at the lineout, and followed up with a pacey run, before finding West, who passed to McGoldrick, who in turn passed to Marks but the Chingford defence was solid. On 27 minutes, Yiannakou made a crunching tackle into touch to force a lineout. With Woodford maintaining the initiative, a clean catch followed by Mead bringing in Marks who fed the ball to McGoldrick before Bastick cut inside cleverly and made plenty of ground. Chingford recovered the ball and looked to break but the last man Farrelly made a punishing low tackle to stop the advance.

The last move of the half saw West, Marks and Carey all play a part, before Mead’s pass set West free for a try on the left.  West again converted to take a 24-0 lead with a third of the game gone.

Score after 1st 30 minute period            Chingford     0 – 24             Woodford

The second period saw an almost complete Woodford team change. This was to be a tougher test for Woodford but Chujor started with a sizzling run deep into the opposition half. Tari Branson made a good early intercept and followed it with some good interlinking play by Taylor Wilkins and Ibrahim Ali. Farrelly set Ali off on a bursting drive before Chingford held him up. As Chingford charged forward, Zac Cannon stood firm and halted their forward momentum, with similar good work by Jamie Ali. Chingford launched a driving attack but Chujor made the tackle look simple and halted the threat.

The lean and speedy Antony Hamilton made an excellent tackle, as Chingford mounted increasing pressure on Woodford’s new look line-up. A kick by Chujor made up vital yardage, and Cannon and Branson contributed powerful tackles as the action remained firmly inside the Woodford 22.

Filip Goralcyzk’s initial run gave Farrelly an opening to break away, riding tackles as far as the half way line before being tackled. Chingford recovered the ball and a high kick was expertly caught by Hamilton but he was taken into touch before he could make any ground. With 47 minutes gone, Chingford’s pressure told, and they overwhelmed Woodford on the left, running free and placing the ball between the posts.  Converting the try, Woodford now led 24-7.

Chingford could have extended the lead but Hamilton tackled on the Chingford right, followed by a magnificent tackle by Cannon, who had an excellent game. Tom Fitzpatrick had not seen much of the ball on the wing, but was brought into defensive action as the home team probed on the right.

Chamberlain marked his return to the fray with a punching drive gaining 10 yards. Cannon’s kick was perfectly executed finding touch just short of the Chingford try line. Goralczk nearly broke from the lineout, but did manage to set Farrelly away, before he was held up.  Ali and Phillips defended well, before Hamilton took the ball from Woodford’s 22 on a breath-taking run into the Chingford 22. The increasingly busy Sean Moore put Ali in to space but Chingford defended well. Woodford’s last few touches of the period came to nothing but their defence held firm with Phillips contributed another jarring tackle.

Despite the near complete change in line up, and the constant Chingford pressure, Woodford only conceded once in the period.  An admirable display.

Score after 2nd 30 minute period          Chingford     7 – 24             Woodford

The 3rd period saw Woodford mix up the starting line-ups of the previous two thirds.  Chingford took the game to Woodford from the off, and Curness and Yiannakou had to be strong and alert to nullify the threat. Another clean catch by Hamilton saw him link with Farrelly who sprinted clear before passing on to Fay. Chingford responded with an attack but McGoldrick added two more to his tackle count, before Fay waded in with a towering tackle to stop the momentum. Curness and Yiannakou combined their strength to jointly tackle the biggest Chingford player but the ball was recycled and a passing move by Chingford nearly paid dividends, but McGoldrick made a brutally effective tackle into touch.

Bastick’s pace was evident in the closing stages of last season and he reminded us of this again with a scorching run from one 22 to the other. Marks showed the physical side of his game with a smash tackle and grab, keeping the pressure on Chingford. Woodford’s lifting at lineouts was improving and Phillips was enjoying success, claiming and feeding Bastick who set off Branson and then Curness, before Phillips was involved once more. The move looked to have succeeded as Fitzpatrick scored but play was brought back for an earlier infringement.

The Woodford backs were tackling well, but getting little space to run, so the forwards continued to drive down the middle whenever the chance arose. Some good Woodford rucking nearly got the ball over the line but Chingford were resolute, buoyed up by their success in the second period. With 75 minutes played the Woodford pressure was rewarded as Marks got a deserved try in the left corner. Unconverted, Woodford’s lead was extended to 29-7.

Play became focussed on the Woodford line for an intense period. Vaid prevented a telling break with a good tackle, with Phillips, Farrelly and Goralcyzk following suit. Despite some excellent play by the Woodford defence Chingford found a way through and added a further try on 87 minutes.  A superb kick from a tricky angle added to Chingford’s score as they now trailed 14-29.

As time ticked away Chingford tried to work the ball out of their half but West tackled with gusto and Carey added a couple more on the right wing, before Moore offloaded neatly to Marks for a lovely solo effort sweeping through the middle and between the posts for a fine try. Kicking from his hands, Bastick converted to make the final winning score 36-14.

This was an excellent result for Woodford showcasing a strength in the squad as a whole. There will be strong competition to get in the starting line-up for the critical league and cup games this season, and on the evidence today, there will selection headaches – of a very positive kind – in the months to come.

Final Score   Chingford     14 – 36           Woodford

Man of the Match (Forwards)         Euan Fay

Man of the Match (Backs)             Dan Farrelly