RUGBY UNION: Chinnor don"t feel in danger of relegation

RUGBY UNION: Chinnor don’t feel in danger of relegation

8:00am Friday 14th February 2014 in Sport

By Ed Mezzetti, Sports reporter specialising in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics. Call me on 01865 425456

Joe Winpenny returns for Chinnor after concussion

MATT Goode says Chinnor should have no relegation worries, desp-ite slipping to within a point of the National 2 South drop zone.

Chinnor’s player-head coach remains confident they can win enough matches to pull well clear of the bottom three.

“We have had a bit of bad luck where some results have gone in favour of sides that were below us,” said Goode, whose team host Clifton tomorrow.

“We are looking like we are in a bit of bother, but it doesn’t feel like that.

“We have got two games in hand and we will win more games than we lose before the end of the season, so we will be fine.”

The wet weather has meant Chinnor’s last two matches have been postponed, but they are hopeful of playing this week.

Goode said: “The boys are itching to play now. We want to play and need to play.”

Prop Joe Winpenny returns after recovering from concussion.

South West 1 East leaders Oxford Harlequins name the same side that would have faced Windsor last week for their home clash with Buckingham.

The Windsor match fell foul of the wet weather, but Quins’ head of rugby Steve Chadbone is hopeful there will be no problems this week.

“We should be OK,” he said. “We’ll be playing on the top pitch, which is playable at the moment.

“We have to make a call on Friday night because we have a ref coming up from Somerset.”

Grove’s away match at Maidenhead will go ahead barring any extraordinary circumstances as the Berkshire side play on an artificial 3G pitch.

But having seen their programme badly affected by the wet weather, manager Phil Rennie said: “I wouldn’t put anything past it at the moment.”

Grove, who saw Wednesday’s Oxfordshire Cup quarter-final at Banbury postponed for a third week running, are keen to bounce back from last week’s 17-0 defeat at Witney.

Hooker Adam Cooperwheat returns for fourth-placed Witney’s trip to Swindon, who are one spot below them.

Copperwheat was injured in the warm-up before the Grove match, but is fit again and comes in for player-coach Ritchie Craig.

TOMORROW’S TEAMS

Chinnor (v Clifton, home): from G Blewitt, Fielding, Barnes, Marston, Millett, Jones, Townsend, Pickett, Winpenny, Tibbatts, Mowbray, Betts, Gilbert (capt), Berry, Hirskyj-Douglas, Hastings, Hopwood, Goode, Hall, Kent.

Grove (v Maidenhead, away): N Sevier, Carr, Clipsham, Bellinger, G Nicholl, R Sevier, J Chivers, Eckert (capt), Dixey, C Chivers, Miles, Haire, Peel, Law, Gratwohl. Reps: Wilkinson, Wiltshire, Wallbridge.

Oxford Harlequins (v Buck-ingham, home): Hilton, Goggin, Lee, Fisilau, Robinson, Norris, Jones, Marshall, Selby, Boulton, Purchase, Brown (capt), Battson, Tupou, Achilles. Reps: Si Chadbone, Tickle, Edney.

Witney (v Swindon, away): Thomas, Beasley, Clarke, H Lamb, Monks, Landray, G Camp-bell, Richens, A Coppwerwheat, Burke, Mortimer, Bennett, C Campbell, Catherall, Rowles. Reps: Richardson, Muller, Fisk.

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Article source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/rugby-league-burgess-thurston-boot-shortlist-044331989--spt.html

RUGBY UNION: Chinnor don"t feel in danger of relegation