AFTER two weeks’ enforced lay-off due to frozen pitches and half term, Chippenham U15s got back on the Wiltshire Cup trail with a semi-final win against Swindon at Allington Fields.

Having tested each other’s mettle, Chippenham seemed to settle first and, for much of the first half, they had Swindon pinned in their own territory . Eventually the onslaught from Chippenham became too much and, from a breakdown on the 22, the ball was passed wide through a number of players to Moore on the wing who placed the ball in the corner for the first try.

There was ill-discipline from both teams and the half was punctuated by penalties, but it was Chippenham who managed to make the most of their opportunities and soon Swindon were back on their line.

Having won the ball at the breakdown on the 5m line, Swindon attempted to kick out of defence.

However the kick was charged down by Angell and both Taylor and North lunged for the loose ball, but it was North who got there first to claim the try.

Taylor stepped up for a successful conversion.

Chippenham’s third came from some superb handling, with the ball passing back and forth and eventually finding Treacy, who had come in on the overlap to score in the corner.

With Chippenham now on the front foot, they continued to push forward.

The backs had plenty of chances to run at the defence and, from a delightful offload from Taylor who was tagged just short of the line, Wild went over for Chippenham’s fourth.

Taylor dusted himself down and calmly slotted the ball through the posts for the extra two points.

Swindon continued to battle hard and the forward skirmishes continued to be hard-fought, with neither side willing to give an inch and the half-time whistle provided a welcome breather, with the score at 24-0.

In the second half, it was more of the same.

The Chippenham attacks came thick and fast but the Swindon tacklers continued to hit their mark. Chippenham went through a period of very scrappy play and gave away a series of penalties up front, but the forwards atoned by tackling everything that moved and winning the ball back. It was well into the second period that Chippenham found the try line again, when Campbell received a pass from Taylor and dived over the line.

Having opened up the defence, and with Swindon with a man in the sin-bin, another try followed shortly after when the ball was passed along the back line to Moore who sprinted up the wing, before turning in to place the ball under the posts to make an easy conversion kick for Taylor.

Moore subsequently completed his morning’s work with his hat-trick late on in the half. This was again converted by Taylor.

Chippenham had recorded a 43-0 victory and go on to meet either Bradford on Avon or Salisbury in the final.

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