Bees beaten in season opener by league new boys

Chester kicked off their first match in the SSE National League 2 North with a bonus point win against a Bees side that lacked the power and organisation to pose a consistent threat to the league’s ‘new boys’.

Chester defended well in the first few minutes, following Rhys Hayes’ kick off, despite losing first a scrum and then a lineout on their own ball. A loose kick by the Bees fly half gave Sean Green the chance to set up an effective break from the back’ which then put the home side on the offensive, winning two penalties in rapid succession.

Although two scoring chances went begging, with a missed penalty and a knock-on deep in Birmingham’s 22, the visitors were unable to resist a third assault in rapid succession. Tom Foden began an attack from near half way, that was kept alive with speed and excellent hands from centre J.P. McLinden, for No.8 Guy Ford to power over for an unconverted try on 14 minutes.

There followed a period in which neither side was able to assert much consistent control over the game. Chester could not hold onto the ball for long enough to build pressure, not least because Birmingham were effectively disrupting the home lineout. However, the visitors were themselves unable to structure their attacks effectively through enough phases to break down a strong Chester defence.

Eventually, on 20 minutes, it was the defensive pressure that The Bees were attacking in midfield, but clearly lacked any depth and penetration. The Chester defenders were in their faces quickly, forcing a loose pass, which Rhys Hayes intercepted to sprint 40 metres for a converted try.

This seemed to galvanise the visitors, who were able to dominate possession for the next 15 minutes. Their efforts yielded only one successful penalty on 25 minutes, but they missed another easy shot at goal. More importantly, a resolute Chester defence held out in the face of three Bees try scoring opportunities in as many minutes as they drove lineouts in the home 22.

Twice they tried to move the ball wide when what looked like scoring passes went to ground. Eventually, Chester were able to lift the siege when Birmingham were penalised at the scrum and Tom Gregory won a rare good ball at the front of the resulting lineout. This led to a second Chester penalty in rapid succession and they were able to close out the half on the offensive, holding a 12-3 lead.

Birmingham began the second period on the attack, first missing a long range penalty, and then scoring what was rather a soft try, when a mix up between two Chester defenders meant that neither gathered a loose ball close to the try line, leaving it for the Birmingham left wing to cross unopposed. Fortunately the visitors were unable to convert making the score 12-8 after 46 minutes.

Almost immediately Birmingham were again on the attack, driving a lineout 15 metres before releasing their backs in midfield. For once, their backs took the ball at pace and their outside centre was able to make a clean break. The ball was kicked ahead and was bouncing on the Chester line, when Tom Foden arrived just in time to kick it dead.

Chester won the resulting 5 metre scrum with an excellent drive against the head, and then won a penalty at ruck to relieve the pressure.
Thereafter the home side took an effective grip on the game. Their lineout showed greater flexibility and movement, so that Tom Gregory and Ross White were able to provide a more steady stream of better ball, while the home scrum was growing in ascendancy. Better first phase ball allowed Chester to play with greater structure than earlier in the match, not least driving lineouts and winning penalties.

The Birmingham openside flanker was sin binned for pulling down one of these drives, with the penalty leading to a Chester lineout, 5 metres out from the away side’s line. Tom Gregory won the lineout and the pack drove over for an unconverted try on 55 minutes, making the score 17-8.

The next 20 minutes were controlled by Chester. They opened up the visitor’s defence on a number of occasions but were unable to convert opportunities into points. Passes went forward or to ground at crucial moments.

However, in the 72nd minute after a long period of pressure, in which Chester showed real composure and structure, the ball going through about nine phases, they won a scrum close to the Birmingham line. Here the pack asserted their dominance in the scrum with a pushover try by Guy Ford, which Rhys Hayes converted to put them out of sight at 24-8.

Birmingham came back well, applying their own defensive pressure to charge down two Chester kicks. By now Chester had been reduced to fourteen, with Guy Ford binned for a ruck offence. Birmingham were awarded two attacking penalties in the dying seconds of the game.

It seemed as though the home defence was going to hold out, but in the last play of the game the visitors were able to work their left wing free to score a try in the corner, making the final score 24-13.