The end of September and the Ravers have five points after two challenging games against Hartpury and Blackheath. But of course, every game in the Elior Champ is challenging and no more so than this weekend’s Elior Champ home match at Paton Field against Chinnor, which kicks off at 1pm with gates open at 10 am.
As part of the drive to reach a wider television audience this season’s fixtures in the Elior Champ contain differing kick-off times from the normal slot at 3pm on a Saturday. For the Ravers many but not all matches will kick off at the unfamiliar time of Saturday at 1 pm. Supporters will need to be vigilant and check kick-off times to avoid the disappointment of arriving at Paton Field after the match has finished!
This Saturday’s showdown is against one of the toughest sides in the league in Chinnor.
The Official RFU table currently records 6 league points for Chinnor placing them one place above 6th placed Caldy. This is a slight surprise given that despite Chinnor’s outstanding 8 try 33-52 demolition of Bedford away at Goldington Road last Saturday, which also gave them a winning 4 try bonus point, Chinnor didn’t pick up any league points in their opening home 26-43 loss against Ealing Trailfinders.
The new points system only awards try bonus points to the winning side and only if they have also scored at least 3 more tries than the opposition.
Notwithstanding league table glitches Chinnor are an outstanding side. Their 5th place in last season’s league table demonstrates their ambition and to thump Bedford at Goldington Road is a massive early season statement which The Rugby Paper called a ‘Chinnor Power Show’. A well-deserved description exemplified by Chinnor hooker Alan Walker’s hat trick against the Bedford Blues.
Chinnor’s vibrant and accurate attacking game tempo built off a dominant forward platform ripped last season’s 2nd placed side Bedford apart. It will have been a long, long time since an away side recorded more than 50 points in a winning performance at Goldington Rd.
The Ravers will certainly need the vociferous full-throated support from the Wirral to record their first ever Elior Champ win against Chinnor.
Although it is an early 1 pm kick off, there will be rugby at Paton Field for the whole of the afternoon which also marks Caldy’s Ladies Day. Following the Elior Champ game a young (and perhaps a couple not so young!) Caldy 3rd xv will kick off their league campaign at 3 pm in a derby fixture against Port Sunlight’s 1st xv.
The glamour of Caldy’s Ladies Day, a 5-hour rugby extravaganza, hot food and cold beers and prosecco throughout the day. Must be irresistible!
Story of the Stats
ELIOR CHAMP RUGBY · ROUND 3
Caldy
- Cam de Beer leads the league for total successful tackles this season with 34, contributing to Caldy’s 2nd-place ranking for total successful tackles as a team.
- Caldy lead the league for mauls won this season with 23, and their ability to convert that set-piece dominance into points is reflected by their 4 maul tries scored (2nd).
- Caldy lead the league for jackals this season with 8, underlining their threat at the breakdown and their ability to disrupt opposition ball.
- Nye Thomas is 2nd in the league for tries scored per 80 minutes this season with 2.2, and also ranks 3rd for jackals per 80minutes, making him a threat on both sides of the ball.
Chinnor RFC Thame
- Alun Walker leads the league in tries scored per 80 minutes this season with 2.4, and also tops the league for successful lineout throws with 25, making him a dual threat at both set piece and in open play for Chinnor RFC Thame.
- Chinnor RFC Thame have won 71.4% of all head-to-head meetings with Caldy, claiming victory in 5 of their 7 fixtures, and have won all 3 of their visits to Paton Field.
- Chinnor RFC Thame lead the league for box kicks with 25 this season, and their 39 kicks in play places them 2nd, reflecting a disciplined and territorial kicking game.
- Jack Metcalf leads the league in interceptions this season with 2, and ranks 2nd for total turnovers won with 3.
Thanks to Oval Insights for the stats
