Colchester RFC 19 Chichester RFC 18

Despite visitors Chichester scoring 3 tries to Colchester's 1, the home side won this game mainly due to an excellent kicking display by left wing James Crozier, who was successful with 5 out of 6 conversions compared to Chichester only succeeding once in six attempts.

Colchester fielded a much reorganised pack that benefitted throughout the game by the inclusion of coach Lee Soper's leadership from the second row.

Despite recently being deluged by rain, the Mill Road pitch held firm enabling these two evenly matched sides to play some exciting rugby.

Ten minutes into the game the Blacks were awarded a penalty that Crozier converted putting them into the lead. Chichester earned themselves a penalty minutes later which was booted to the corner touch. Winning their lineout they drove the ball over for their bulky No 17 to score an unconverted try.

There followed a 15 minute period in which both sides strived for dominance. The midfield battle between centres Calum Irvine and Matt Smith and their opposite numbers was particularly intense with neither pair yielding much ground. Wing Damien Brambley moved to fly half when Tom Miller was injured and substitute Jona Crisp took his place out wide.

Eventually Colchester were awarded a penalty when the Chichester loose head deliberately dropped a scrum and gained another 3 points.

The visitors fought back, however, and moved the ball to their right wing who grubber kicked through the defence and beat fullback Jaid Wiltshire to the touchdown.

After half time, with the scores at 6-10, both sides raised their game with Chichester getting first blood in the form of a successful penalty kick which was immediately cancelled out by a Crozier penalty. With half an hour left and the score at 9-13 Colchester were desperate to win and end their pre-Christmas run of defeats. Their cause wasn't helped when prop Jerome Awesu received a yellow card and had to leave the pitch for 10 minutes. During his absence, in a copy cat score of their first try, Chichester drove over the line from a lineout for their No 7 to score.

Not to be outdone Colchester scored a similar catch-and-drive try moments later claimed by prop James Mitchell. With the score at 16-18 the remainder of the game was a nail-biting affair with the Blacks down to 14 men again with the sending off of flanker Joe Flexman. From the bench Alex Mitchell joined his brother James at prop, the first time they had played together since being in the Under 11s.

With ten minutes remaining, Crozier put Colchester back in the lead 19-18 with his fourth successful penalty attempt much to the delight of the home supporters who then had to endure watching two penalty attempts by Chichester, which both missed, leading to scenes of jubilation by the home crowd celebrating the closest of victories.